listening to am/fm radio broadcast onboard?

[TheAccidentalCruiser]

(Did try searching for this but most results were about scanners and ham radios)

 

I'm going on an HAL Alaska cruise in May, and I love listening to local radio stations when I travel. Public radio especially often has a great sense of the community that makes me feel like a temporary insider. I'm thinking about fetching along a small portable radio & earbuds for on-deck listening.

 

Do the ship's communications and navigation equipment interfere with am/fm broadcast signals? I understand that reception will fade in and out with distance, mountains, being on the wrong side of the ship's hull, etc.; and may not reach at all to my low-deck OV cabin; but want to know if it's worth the bother to fetch the radio along?

 

Or is it by any chance customary for the room tv's to be hooked up to ship antennas and pipe in local tv & radio reception?

 

Also, are there any on-board regulations about operating radio receivers (as opposed to transmitters)?

[CruiserBruce]

You may receive shore based AM/FM radio, if you bring a radio. The ship doesn't put any on the TV. There is rarely any local TV on any cruise ship, anywhere, due to various restrictions. Remember, in Alaska, the distances are great, and huge portions of the area are relatively empty.

[TheAccidentalCruiser]

You may receive shore based AM/FM radio, if you bring a radio. The ship doesn't put any on the TV. There is rarely any local TV on any cruise ship, anywhere, due to various restrictions. Remember, in Alaska, the distances are great, and huge portions of the area are relatively empty.

Thanks. :)

 

I'm mostly hoping to catch an hour or so as the ship enters & leaves ports of call. If it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen - I may be able to find one or two other things to do on the ship. :D

[Essiesmom]

http://www.alaskapublic.org/

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_radio_stations_in_Alaska

[TruckerDave]

This reminds me of when I was in the Navy and we were sailing by the Philippines, a lot of the Philippine sailors were up on deck with their am/fm radios listening to the PI radio stations to get a reminder of home.

[Cuizer2]

(Did try searching for this but most results were about scanners and ham radios)

 

I'm going on an HAL Alaska cruise in May, and I love listening to local radio stations when I travel. Public radio especially often has a great sense of the community that makes me feel like a temporary insider. I'm thinking about fetching along a small portable radio & earbuds for on-deck listening.

 

Do the ship's communications and navigation equipment interfere with am/fm broadcast signals? I understand that reception will fade in and out with distance, mountains, being on the wrong side of the ship's hull, etc.; and may not reach at all to my low-deck OV cabin; but want to know if it's worth the bother to fetch the radio along?

 

Or is it by any chance customary for the room tv's to be hooked up to ship antennas and pipe in local tv & radio reception?

 

Also, are there any on-board regulations about operating radio receivers (as opposed to transmitters)?

 

If the ship's communications and navigation equipment interfered with local AM/FM signals, the ship would not be allowed in the area.

 

As to the TV, the ship does not have an antenna for local broadcasts. The ship gets a specific set of programs via a satellite. You may be in Alaska, but the news and weather you can view may be coming from Miami, Denver, or wherever the ship has contracted with.

 

As to operating a radio receiver, as long as you are using ear buds or a headset and you are not bothering the other passengers, then you will be fine.

[meadowlander]

(Did try searching for this but most results were about scanners and ham radios)

 

I'm going on an HAL Alaska cruise in May, and I love listening to local radio stations when I travel. Public radio especially often has a great sense of the community that makes me feel like a temporary insider. I'm thinking about fetching along a small portable radio & earbuds for on-deck listening.

 

Do the ship's communications and navigation equipment interfere with am/fm broadcast signals? I understand that reception will fade in and out with distance, mountains, being on the wrong side of the ship's hull, etc.; and may not reach at all to my low-deck OV cabin; but want to know if it's worth the bother to fetch the radio along?

 

Or is it by any chance customary for the room tv's to be hooked up to ship antennas and pipe in local tv & radio reception?

 

Also, are there any on-board regulations about operating radio receivers (as opposed to transmitters)?

 

Once, I did bring a portable radio on a Caribbean cruise. I was able to listen clearly to a station or two but overall it was not as beneficial as I had hoped. I just completed a cruise in which I used the app TuneIn on my tablet (purchased a wifi package), with much better results.

[cb at sea]

If you have lots of date or wifi, Tunein Radio is great. In Alaska, you might be able to pick up local stations. In other cruise destinations, don't count on ANY broadcast radio stations being available.

[MrSchwump]

This wasn't on a cruise, but we were in Belize once and I was able to pick up WLW in Cincinnati at night. Happy listening!

[GUT2407]

Yes, but not for long once you leave port, I expect.