FM tuner use in SF Bay area

I live in Walnut Creek and also listen to KDFC 102.1. I own the Magnum Dynalab MD-102T FM Tuner and am using the Fanfare FM-G2 inside 54" whip antenna (www.fanfare.com)). My reception is excellent for this station but not all stations are okay. An outside antenna is always the best but sometimes an antenna in your attic will work okay. My space does not allow using my attic or outdside. I suggest you experiement with your tuner to determine how good your reception is.

KDFC 102.1 is an important station in my listening, and where I live in the west slope of Mt. Davidson, my problem is not sensitivity with the tuner but selectivity. Multipath is a big problem and sometimes because of where the surrounding clouds are, there is a lot of multipath distortion. The station signal is strong and you do not need an outdoor antenna. Typically, I use an indoor Radio Shack amplified antenna. An indoor dipole tuned and cut for the correct frequency will also work but it is directional and it will not accommodate you if you switch to DZFM, the 91.1 jazz station. The problem with this station is signal strength and not selectivity in my situation.

I have many installations in my home and tuners known for their sensitivity do not come out as the ideal tuner. These include the Sansui TU-717, the Kyocera T-910, and Carver TX-11. The Magnum Dynalab FT-11 works well inspite of not being that company's best unit. The Tivoli 2 radio works well and seems to handle the multipath in good fashion. The Tivoli Pal also makes a decent tuner. Old tube tuners cannot handle my situation. They sound good when atmospheric conditions are ideal; otherwise, they cannot handle the needs relating to sensitivity as well as multipath.

I think that if you live in a place unhampered by the hills and where you can have a line of site situation relative to the transmission of KDFC, you will not have a problem with most tuners. If, however, you live in a situation like mine, you have to solve the problems on a case to case basis.

Hope I have been of some help, and good luck.

if all fails, KDFC does stream online. quality sucks, but connection is as good as your DSL or Cable can provide.