"Ryo" wrote in message
...
Greg and Joan wrote:
Ryo,

http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.html

is a link where you can browse the FCC database for FM stations.

Thanks, Greg. I live not far from my favorite station,
which uses 88.1 MHz. I found from the FCC site that
1) There is another station at the same frequency on the Island
of Hawaii (a.k.a. the Big Island);
2) There is another transmitter of my favorite station at 88.5 MHz
at the opposite side of the island (Oahu);
3) 88.5 MHz is used by another station on the Island of Kauai;
4) 88.3 MHz or 79.9 MHz isn't used in the state of Hawaii.
So, the only broadcast station which my radio _could_ catch besides
the local 88.1 MHz station is the one on the Big Island of the
same frequency. Correct? If so, the cause of the noise shouldn't
be the station on the Big Island because its signal should be
far far smaller than that of the local station. That would leave
the possibility of my neighbors emitting FM signals. . .
I live in an apartment of a building, so neighbors are very close.

The local SHOULD be stronger, but tropo ducting can do some funny things.
A stronger station could (not likely) have a stronger signal and that
strength is (temporarily) 'ducted' to your receiver.

In certain sunspot cycle conditions, the MuF (maximum usable frequency) can
rise -- and occasionally it does - rise above 88 mhz -- and if a stronger
station skips in, it will override and knock your local station out of your
receiver and take it over.

During weird sunspot cycles, it is common for a local tv channel 2 to be
kayoed by a distant station...

Just a layman's observation
Greg