1996 Ford Windstar Owner's Manual - Page 235

Electronic Sound Systems To minimize these conditions, a stereo/mono blend circuit has been incorporated into this system. This feature automatically switches a weak stereo signal to a clearer monaural signal, which improves the quality of reception. Several sources of static are normal conditions on AM frequencies. These can be caused by power lines, electric fences, traffic lights and thunderstorms. Another reception phenomenon is Strong Signal Capture and Overload. This can occur when listening to a weak station and when passing another broadcast tower. The close station may capture the more distant station, although the displayed frequency does not change. While passing the tower, the station may switch back and forth a few times before returning to the original station. When several broadcast towers are present (common in metropolitan areas) several stations may overload the receiver, resulting in considerable station changing, mixing and distortion. Automatic gain control circuitry for both AM and FM bands has been incorporated into this system to reduce strong signal capture and overload. All About Radio Frequencies The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) establish the frequencies AM and FM radio stations may use for their broadcasts. The allowable frequencies are, AM: 530, 540...1600, 1610 kHz in 10 kHz steps; FM: 87.9, 88.1...107.7, 107.9 MHz in 0.2 MHz steps. Not all frequencies will be assigned to a given area. This radio will tune to each of these frequencies using manual tune and no fine tuning is necessary as radio stations may not use other frequencies. 233