Enhancing poor radio reception does not should be costly or intensive

By jimadmin On Jul 17, 2021

I need help with FM reception on my stereo receiver. I mostly hear WQED in Pittsburgh, about 35 miles away, but the direct line of sight to the broadcast tower is blocked by a hill. I live in an apartment and cannot install an outdoor antenna. I’ve tried installing an indoor wire antenna but it almost doesn’t help. Our building has a Comcast service for television and we have access to Wi-Fi. I believe the hill is blocking signals of any kind. Is there a solution to my dilemma? – JG, Greensburg, Pennsylvania

The wire antennas included with the receivers are notoriously poor performers. A set of $ 10 unamplified TV rabbit ears makes a fantastic FM antenna. Give it a try, I think you will be surprised by the dramatic improvement. Your Comcast Xfinity X1 box has analog outputs that you can connect to your receiver. Add the NPR One app to your X1 box and you can use it to listen to WQED. There is also an iHeartRadio app for the X1, and if you can get a bluetooth box for your receiver, you can tune in to most FM stations over the internet and stream them to your receiver.

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Panasonic ES-L97-K ARC5 electric shaver

I like a very smooth shave and that has kept me using shaving cream and disposable multi-edged razor blades all my adult life. I loved the idea of an electric shaver but never had much success with it, resigning myself to long shaving sessions and lots of trash and tidying up. I was recently encouraged to try the top-rated Panasonic ES-L97-K ARC5 ($ 249) and was told it would satisfy me. Indeed it was!

The ES-L97 is an electric shaver with a fold-up trimmer and a lockable, swiveling head. It can be used wet or dry and comes with a cleaning charger that makes it very easy to own and use. In my testing, I only used it dry and was rewarded with a smooth, good-looking shave that was very close to what I had achieved with my conventional setup.

After my first two shaves, I went back to my traditional blade / cream setup and expected it to come out much smoother. Surprisingly, while it was a little smoother, there was no dramatic difference and there was no visible difference in the mirror. With practice I believe that I can improve my technique to such an extent that the tactile difference is almost invisible. Still, alternating a razor and shaving cream every couple of shaves can be a convenient way to get the best of both worlds.

The cleaner charger is great. You take out a tray, fill it to the waterline, and then add a special Panasonic detergent to it. (The shaver comes with a detergent pack and additional packs cost $ 15 online.) When you are done shaving, place the shaver in the charger and press the clean button. The charger / cleaner will then go through a cycle that will keep it perfectly clean and dry the next time you use it. The solution lasts for 30 cycles, with some users cleaning it every few shaves, so the cleaning solution will last for months. When traveling, the shaver can be charged directly via the power cord and comes with a travel case.

There is a trip coming up in a couple of weeks and I can tell you now that the ES-L97-K will go in my suitcase and the can of shaving cream and blades will stay outside! shop.panasonic.com