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AM/FM simulcast stereo radio

Fredric

New Member
I am interested in an early form of stereo radio which utilized an FM station for one channel and an AM station for the other (ie: WQXR AM&FM).

What was the first tuner available which received simulcast stereo?

When did such broadcasting begin and when did it end?

Is there a source which shows all the stations which participated in simulcast stereo?

Thank you!
 
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The HH Scott 330 (no suffix) is in the 1956 Radio Shack catalog.

Multiplex stereo was permitted in June 1961.
 
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Very much a thing of the era and somehow I have 3 of them. Stellar am tuners, especially if you can provide your own programming
 
Very much a thing of the era and somehow I have 3 of them. Stellar am tuners, especially if you can provide your own programming

Someone mentioned you can play your EZ listening FM station while listening to an AM baseball game.. sounds like an interesting thought!
 
I had no idea it was two different stereo channels. I always thought "simulcast" meant the same broadcast was sent out on AM and FM bands, with the FM band carrying it in stereo at higher fidelity. Live and learn!
 
Like this?
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I had no idea it was two different stereo channels. I always thought "simulcast" meant the same broadcast was sent out on AM and FM bands, with the FM band carrying it in stereo at higher fidelity. Live and learn!
Yes, it means that.
Simulcast stereo is basically the same thing, with the two channels split thru the modes.
 
Many of the early Heathkit AM-FM tuners supported it. Even in the mid 1960's I remember thinking "How quaint"....I knew they broadcast it in the Chicago area, and remember hearing ads for it when certain concerts were being broadcast, but by then FM Multiplex had pretty much taken over. I think it was WBBM and/or WMAQ that advertised it.
 
Many of the early Heathkit AM-FM tuners supported it. Even in the mid 1960's I remember thinking "How quaint"....I knew they broadcast it in the Chicago area, and remember hearing ads for it when certain concerts were being broadcast, but by then FM Multiplex had pretty much taken over. I think it was WBBM and/or WMAQ that advertised it.
I had one of those heathkit tuners as a cast-off with its AA-151 amp.
I have a Sansui SM-80 simulcast stereo receiver as a time capsule.
 
I had no idea it was two different stereo channels. I always thought "simulcast" meant the same broadcast was sent out on AM and FM bands, with the FM band carrying it in stereo at higher fidelity. Live and learn!
Some stations did send out the same material on AM and FM and called it simulcast. I believe that is the more common use of the word.
 
I first heard the term in the mid-seventies. Minnie Riperton was singing on mono TV, while the audio was stereo FM. Pretty cool.
Edit: NYC
 
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I first heard the term in the mid-seventies. Minnie Riperton was singing on mono TV, while the audio was stereo FM. Pretty cool.
Edit: NYC

I remeber those from the days before TV sent stereo audio. Don't think I ever listened to one, but I thought it was pretty cool.
 
My neighbor had a Philco console with separate AM and FM tuner with the simulcast function. It also had reverb that used springs. I'm guessing one of the of the last of its kind probably from the mid 1960's. It actually sounded pretty darn good.
 
My neighbor had a Philco console with separate AM and FM tuner with the simulcast function. It also had reverb that used springs. I'm guessing one of the of the last of its kind probably from the mid 1960's. It actually sounded pretty darn good.

Some of those consoles had excellent sound. Nice to hear a couple of 6L6's in Push-Pull!
 
The term simulcast also was used when a program was aired on television while the audio was broadcast over FM. Back in the early ‘80s, PBS periodically ran a simulcast program called “Live from the Met” of opera performances in real time while being able to enjoy high fidelity in FM stereo. These specials were aired rarely as I recall but it was a real treat when they did. I also remember one of the commentators saying that the audio reaches the listeners at home before it reached audience members in the rearmost rows of the opera house.
 
The term simulcast also was used when a program was aired on television while the audio was broadcast over FM. Back in the early ‘80s, PBS periodically ran a simulcast program called “Live from the Met” of opera performances in real time while being able to enjoy high fidelity in FM stereo. These specials were aired rarely as I recall but it was a real treat when they did. I also remember one of the commentators saying that the audio reaches the listeners at home before it reached audience members in the rearmost rows of the opera house.

I definitely remember those. It was a very enjoyable experience.
 
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