Re: how to get the best am/fm reception?
FM reception will depend on the radio and the antenna both. The whip antennae are standard on mobile applications, but if you have room in the boat, try one of those dipole antennas that generally come with TVs, indoor radio/stereo setups, etc. They are cheap to buy and really pretty effective if set up correctly.
AM reception will depend mostly on the radio itself, and there are few radios optimized to accept an external AM antenna (CCRadio is one, for example). AM antennae generally consist of wire coiled around a metal core - the length of the wire tends to determine the location within the band that has the strongest signal. The reception on the AM band is more directional, so you may need to rotate the boat or radio to improve reception. There is an external wireless antenna that CCrane sells, where you match the band on the AM radio to improve reception - it is a bit pricey for what it is, but it does work for radios that have poor AM reception to begin with, but not so much with radios that already have excellent AM reception. Also, the antenna does have to be in close proximity to the radio, and it would be rather inconvenient to use in a boating setup.
Also, check out the little old-school portable am/fm radio made by Sony ( model ICF-S10MK2 ). They have excellent AM reception for a small radio and you would have to probably spend upwards of $100 for anything better. You can get it Amazon for under $10, or I saw one in kmart the other day for around $11. You should get one quick, though, as it looks like Sony quit making it (it is no longer available on their website).
Also, in general, shortwave radios tend to have better AM reception than most consumer models. They are more expensive, but they are kinda cool to listen to anyway...
