– Why do most (if not all) radio stations end with an odd number?
In: 9
Because each channel is 0.2 MHz wide, the center frequencies of adjacent channels differ by 0.2 MHz. Because the lowest channel is centered on 87.9 MHz, the tenths digit (in MHz) of the center frequency of any FM station in the United States is always an odd number.
You must be talking about FM. As in xx.9 That is the scheme in the US. I don’t know for sure but I think other regions end in even numbers like xx.8 Am stations in US all end in 0.
Because the radio stations get 0.2MHz bands of the spectrum, starting on an even MHz boundary. So if your station is 100.0MHz through 100.2MHz, then your center frequency is 100.1MHz, and that’s what you call yourself.
By the way, there are A LOT more radio stations outside of what a car radio picks up (AM/FM/XM). If you ever try shortwave, you will open up a whole new world.
This depends on what country you live in. In the US and Canada, all FM stations end in an odd digit, that way any two stations will be at least 0.2 MHz apart so as to minimize possible interference between stations.
In the UK, all FM stations are even numbers for the same reason. In continental Europe, stations can be as little as 0.1 MHz apart, so the numbers can be even or odd.
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