Radio Wave Basics: Generating & Using Information

[RBNYC2]

Can anyone give me a good, concise explanation of how radio waves are generated and used? I've searched a lot around the net for a good explanation, but all I can find is info about how antennas are oscillated at specific frequencies to produce radiation at the same frequencies...I want to know specifically about how information is actually coded into the waves themselves, and interpreted and processed by radios/tvs? (both the old tube tv's and new hdtvs would be great). I assume that this information is probably a little more complicated and is why most sites shy away from talking about it, but feel free to use any level of mathematics in your explanation--the more complex the better.

Thank you.

 

[Born2bwire]

Then you would want to read up on modulation. Analog radio uses amplitude and frequency modulation. HDTV and other digital signals use a myriad of modulation schemes. A common one is QPSK, quadrature phase shifting key. I would recommend going back and reading up on these on Wikipedia and the like and then coming back to ask more questions.