WGOT-LP 100.1 FM

We recently added web streaming to our station! Check out the links on the WGOT Live Stream tab to tune in through any browser.

Sometimes listeners say things like this: “I can hear WGOT in my car all the way up the driveway to my house, but I can’t pick up the signal inside the house.”

If you’re in that situation, here are some tips that might make it possible for you to hear WGOT in your home. Every location is unique so we can’t guarantee anything.

Reduce interference

Unfortunately some computers put out radio static on 100 MHz, right on top of the frequency that WGOT broadcasts on. Try moving your radio away from any computers and other electronic devices to see if that improves your reception.

Find a hot spot

If you can’t hear WGOT in the spot where your radio normally sits, there might be some other location in your home where the signal is available. A house can contain micro-climates of radio reception just waiting to be discovered.

If possible, use a portable radio that has digital tuning and an adjustable antenna. Instead of having the antenna stand up straight, adjust the antenna or hold the radio so that the antenna is horizontal. This makes the antenna more sensitive to signals coming from certain directions.

Now tune the radio to 100.1 FM and carry it through your home, slowly sweeping the antenna back and forth in various directions. Imagine that you are a character in a spy movie trying to detect a hidden microphone. The photo below shows how to hold the radio. Try not to touch the antenna while you’re hunting for the signal.

You may find certain spots in your home where WGOT comes in quite clearly. (You might also find a few spots where other stations on the same frequency are heard.) Hopefully one of the spots where WGOT comes in clearly will also be a nice place to set up a radio.

The picture below shows the WGOT “hot spot” in one house. I’s located in the laundry nook above the washer and dryer, within earshot of two bedrooms. A Sony boombox that cost about $60 brings home the unique music and talk programs provided by WGOT.

Equipment

You might consider buying a high quality radio to improve your odds of getting good reception. A company called Sangean makes several excellent models of AM/FM radios in the $50 to $100 price range. You can compare them on Amazon and other online sources. Check the reviews and look for models that have helped people listen to weaker FM signals.

In addition to WGOT there are other interesting non-commercial stations you can receive with a high quality radio. Having a battery-powered portable can be very helpful during the prolonged power outages that affect our area after tropical storms and hurricanes.

Not always possible

A few determined listeners as far away as High Springs and Newberry are hearing WGOT clearly on a regular basis. However, there are some homes in Alachua County where it just won’t be possible to receive the station due to interference, terrain and other factors beyond our control.