radio signal
Antenna's invisible catch
A radio signal is electromagnetic radiation used to transmit information wirelessly—voice, data, or other encoded content traveling through the air at the speed of light.
Radio signals carry everything from broadcast programming to WiFi to spacecraft communications.
The radio signal was too weak to pick up in the valley.
Signal strength and clarity depend on frequency, distance, and interference.
Fixed stopping point
- airwavesRadio frequency spectrum
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- antennaBroadcast signal receiver
- AMPre-midday designation
FM · shortwave · tuning · reception · static · broadcast · tower · dial
Broadcast signal receiver
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- transceiverDual-function communication device
- tunerDevice selecting broadcast frequencies
amplifier · oscillator · waveguide · coaxial cable · circuit · filter · capacitor · crystal
Pre-midday designation
- FMCarrier wave frequency variation
- amplitudeMaximum oscillation displacement
- waveformGraphed oscillation pattern
- carrierOne that transports
encoding · demodulation · analog · digital · phase · pulse · sideband · multiplexing
Frequency measurement unit
- kilohertzThousand-cycle frequency unit
- megahertzOne million oscillations per second
- bandwidthData transmission capacity
- spectrumContinuous range of values
wavelength · VHF · UHF · shortwave · longwave · carrier wave · tuning · oscillation
Sending of information
- antennaBroadcast signal receiver
- atmosphereGaseous layer around planets
- ionosphereCharged upper atmospheric layer
- troposphereLowest atmospheric layer
skip · bounce · line-of-sight · fade · multipath · reflection · refraction · diffraction
station
Fixed stopping point
- airwavesRadio frequency spectrum
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- antennaBroadcast signal receiver
AM · FM · shortwave · tuning · reception · static · broadcast · tower · dial · channel
antenna
Broadcast signal receiver
- receiverOne who accepts transmission
- transmitterSignal-emitting device
- transceiverDual-function communication device
tuner · amplifier · oscillator · waveguide · coaxial cable · circuit · filter · capacitor · crystal · detector
AM
Pre-midday designation
- FMCarrier wave frequency variation
- amplitudeMaximum oscillation displacement
- waveformGraphed oscillation pattern
carrier · encoding · demodulation · analog · digital · phase · pulse · sideband · multiplexing · compression
hertz
Frequency measurement unit
- kilohertzThousand-cycle frequency unit
- megahertzOne million oscillations per second
- bandwidthData transmission capacity
spectrum · wavelength · VHF · UHF · shortwave · longwave · carrier wave · tuning · oscillation · resonance
transmission
Sending of information
- antennaBroadcast signal receiver
- atmosphereGaseous layer around planets
- ionosphereCharged upper atmospheric layer
troposphere · skip · bounce · line-of-sight · fade · multipath · reflection · refraction · diffraction · attenuation
static
Without motion or change
- noiseUnwanted auditory disturbance
- jammingBlocking or wedging forcefully
- crosstalkSignal bleeding between channels
distortion · fading · dropout · spurious · RFI · electromagnetic · shielding · filtering · squelch · white noise
- soundssound, beeps, listen, sounds, hear
- radiocrystal set, AM, FM, news broadcast, AM/FM
- Extraterrestrialsalien, aliens, extraterrestrial, ET, UFO
- signalssignals, sign, waved, nodded, gestured
- radio wavesRF, AM, FM, frequency modulation, amplitude modulation
- signal qualityfull bars, bars, reception, coverage, interference
radio, signal, radios, radioed, signaling, signaled, radioing, signalling, signallers