Topic: FM antenna

[tapeworm48]

to get better reception, are there any tricks people use around here?  i just have a straight wire running out of my receiver, none of the fancy antennas.  as i held it and moved it around, the reception was good, but once i let go of it, it went to sh*t.

thanks.

[boojum]

The old 300 ohm trick was 30.5 inches of 300 ohm (flat double strand TV wire) with the ends twisted together and the middle tapped to yield two separate lines to feed the FM receiver.  Today with a 75 ohm feed on all the receivers I would say the same length as a car antenna would do it, unshielded.  Use shielded coax to that point.  I do what you do, though.  Hang a piece of damned bell wire out of the back plugged into the little hole on the 75 ohm connection, tape it against the wall when I find a good spot and let it go at that.  You can spend US$50 to US$100 for a real jazzy indoor antenna and like amounts for outdoor ones.

I used a deep fringe FM antenna years ago in central Connecticut to pick up Springfield, Hartford and Amherst.  When the Amherst station, WFCR, went off the air I sucked in station north of Boston, sweet and clear.  Yup, good outdoor antennas are a must for good sound.  Likewise, in Plalo Alto I used a good FM antenna for San Francisco, about 35 or 40 miles, straight line, and got sound like I was on a wire to the studios.  As usual, YMMV.

 

[Frank in JC]

Search the internet for how to construct a "folded dipole antenna"

Cheap, simple, and they work.

[anr]

Get a 300 Ohm ribbon antenna (perhaps supplied with Tuner).   Tape the top of the "t" to a length of bamboo cane which you'd use in the garden to prop up a plant.  Do your wandering around bit to find the best reception.  Screw two discrete hooks into the ceiling.  When you want to listen, hang the cane / antenna on the hooks.  (Obviously), connect the other end to the tuner, either directly (300 Ohm) or with a balun (300 > 75 Ohm). 

Get flowers for the missus. 

If this isn't good enough, it's up the ladder mi'lad and erect a yagi array.