AM Reception

The AM band has a lower frequency range than the FM band. These longer wavelengths:

• Bend around obstacles
• Follow the curvature of the earth
• May reflect, or skip, off of the ionosphere

The AM frequencies have longer range due to the ground wave. The ground wave follows the curvature of the earth and is affected by its conductivity. Greater conductivity equates to less signal loss, thus transmission over water is better than over land. The AM band has a range of 80-320 km (50-200 mi).