The Fisher rig

spongebobsquarepants

So, I garbage picked a Fisher RS-1022 a few weeks ago, and my mom expressed interest in it. I had a pair of JBL Arena 130 that were given to me collecting dust in the basement, and made some steel stands for ‘em.

I don’t really like their sound, but this rig probably sounds better (and definitely looks cooler) than the mini Aiwa boombox she’s using now.

I was thinking about an FM antenna and a RCA to headphone “Y” cable for sources.

Any recommendations on an FM antenna? It has terminals for 75 or 300 ohm.

The setup sounds very bright to me, even with the “high filter” button depressed. Any recommendations to improve the sound? This is my first experience with speaker stands, and speakers with rear ports.





Thanks!

F1nut

I like the look of the Fisher. For an FM antenna you could simply use one of those T wire jobs. Connect it to the 300 ohm terminals.

Edit: Ken is correct, a T type connects to the 300 ohm terminals.

[Deleted User]

The 300 ohm tap would be better, you would need a balun (BALanced to UNbalanced) transformer for 75 ohms.

mhardy6647

KennethSwauger wrote: »

The 300 ohm tap would be better, you would need a balun (BALanced to UNbalanced) for 75 ohms.

My understanding of the intrinsic impedance of T-dipoles is Fuzzy.
I believe (this is 'faith-based'; i.e., "I read on the internet") that a folded half-wave T-dipole (made of 300 ohm twinlead; i.e., old-fashioned flat TV antenna wire) is indeed 300 ohm, but a "standard" T-dipole is 75 ohm.

https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/antennas-propagation/dipole-antenna/fm-dipole-antenna.php
(a little British, but decipherable)
https://www.electronics-notes.com/articles/antennas-propagation/dipole-antenna/folded-dipole.php
(a little technical, but also decipherable)

And, for reference for the OP, this is a typical 75 to 300 ohm balun (matching transformer; BAL to UNbal, as @KennethSwauger said):



The 75 ohm end of the transformer takes a standard TV-style coax connector ("F" connector). The 300 ohm end terminates in two spade lugs; tailor-made for this little Sanyo/Fisher receiver.

It is easy-peasy to make a T-dipole (folded or otherwise), or you can buy one cheap from Amazon or eBAY; or expensively from C.Crane. https://ccrane.com/fm-reflect-2-dipole-antenna/

A regular old-time TV "Rabbit Ear" antenna also works very well (and is tunable by adjusting the length of the 'ears'). I used to have a bunch of 'em hangin' around -- but even I have my limits of hoarding collecting keeping stock.

mhardy6647

This is a standard T-dipole:



This is a folded T-dipole:



(both images from one of the links above)

These "T" dipole antennae have a figure-8-shaped reception pattern, with "nulls" (low signal-pulling sensitivity) at the ends of the "T".
The standard dipole can be made out of "zip cord" (e.g., 18 gauge lamp cord or speaker wire; smaller diameter is OK, too!). A folded dipole is easily made from 300 ohm flat twinlead antenna wire.

To this day, one may buy an outdoor "omnidirectional" FM antenna that is nothing but a folded T-dipole twisted into the shape of a circle:



... or a crossed pair of two folded dipoles:



... or an S



(the so-called "Turnstile antennas")
I don't think the "S" shaped antennae are being sold any more.

mhardy6647

Oh. The brightness is probably the JBLs.

The high filter is a very blunt tool, meant for a different purpose (reducing scratches on beat-up records, or severe hiss),. Those hi filters ususally had (if memory serves) 6 dB per octave cutoffs starting at 7 kHz.

Try the treble control or even an old style equalizer (or a modern-style parametric EQ in the digital domain). Keep the loudness button turned "off", too -- that should help. The loudness control basically decreases midrange output (equivalent to boosting treble and bass) and was/is also a pretty blunt tool.

pitdogg2

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I've used this gizmo many times on older tunas and have had good results.

Coax to 300 ohm antenna adapter

msg

+1 on the CCrane @mhardy6647 recommended above, and also that omni-directional. I've had good results with both. Better than the basic cheapie dipole.

spongebobsquarepants

Thanks for all the antenna info everyone! I made the standard T-dipole antenna out of lamp cord. 7ft feeder section and 3ft antenna legs.

I wasn’t even sure if the radio functioned at all, but this easy to make antenna picks up all the stations my car does and then some.

As for the harsh speaker sound, I put my inexpertly built stands aside, and put the JBLs right on the floor. They sound much better! Not sure if it’s my stand design, or just getting those tweeters farther away from the ear.

Now I have a pair of.. plant stands? Miniature end tables? Sawhorses?

spongebobsquarepants

The Fisher rig installed in it’s new home. Sounds much more pleasant there! Maybe the carpet?


And the new plant stands 🤣

mhardy6647

much better than using loudspeakers for plant stands!