FM antenna recommendations

jimmyzen

Does anybody have any recommendations for a decent FM antenna that doesn't require a big tower? I have tried several indoor powered antennae and none have performed well at all. I seem to live in a fringe area of several stations I would like to listen to, but just can't get a good signal indoors. This one caught my attention on eBay: http://cgi.ebay.com/HDTV-VHF-UHF-FM-OUTDOOR-TV-ANTENNA-amplified-w-ROTOR_W0QQitemZ260142689838QQcmdZViewItem?hash=item260142689838 Does anybody have any experience with this unit? I would also like to keep cost at about $100.00 or less. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

dorokusai

Magnum Dynalab.

www.audioadvisor.com

steveinaz

In my experience, powered antennas usually only boost noise. You might consider an attic mounted FM antenna from Radio Shack. I know your pain, I'm 75 miles from Tucson, and we have 1 radio station locally which isn't very good.

Ever considered XM?

RuSsMaN

You don't need a lot of money, ratshack is your best option. I've got a 4ft dipole mounted in the attic pointed sw towards the main radio towers and it's GREAT quality.

http://www.kyes.com/antenna/antennadex.html

A MUST read for understanding FM and how antenna work.

Cheers,
Russ

billbillw

If you need some gain due to distance (more than 50 miles), then a directional yagi is your best bet. If they are spread out, then a yagi and a rotor is needed. They make "omni-directional" antennas, but they really don't give much gain at all.

Truthfully, getting any antenna outside the house will help. Even just a simple, homemade 'half-wave dipole" (see Russman's link).

I'd get one of these and mount somewhere outside. Doesn't have to be on a tower, just on a 5' pole attached to the house somewhere.

You might be able to find that antenna locally and save on shipping.

RuSsMaN

That's pretty much what I've got Bill.

dkg999

I've got one of the larger Godar antenna's that's sold off of eBay. It's setting on top of my entertainment center in my apt in IL, and I can get WXRT in downtown Chicago in stereo (at night!), and downtown Chicago is about 85 miles away. It's ugly but it works!

billbillw

RuSsMaN wrote: »

That's pretty much what I've got Bill.

Yeah, Ratshack used to sell that same antenna (the 6 element yagi). It was on the website for local store only. I searched all over town and couldn't find one, then it disappeared from the Ratshack website all together about a year ago.

jimmyzen

Thanks all! I will check all the posts out!

jimmyzen

steveinaz wrote: »

In my experience, powered antennas usually only boost noise. You might consider an attic mounted FM antenna from Radio Shack. I know your pain, I'm 75 miles from Tucson, and we have 1 radio station locally which isn't very good.

Ever considered XM?

Absolutely! I have XM in all 3 vehicles, on my PC, plus the Polk XM receiver on my stereo system. The FM is mainly for local type stuff, work and road closures, listening to the radio broadcast of the Indianapolis Colts games rather than the TV one, plus the IU college radio station has its moments. Mainly, after dropping the cash for my Parasound Halo T3 it would be nice to actually be able to receive something on it !

steveinaz

Got'cha.

billbillw

jimmyzen wrote: »

Absolutely! I have XM in all 3 vehicles, on my PC, plus the Polk XM receiver on my stereo system. The FM is mainly for local type stuff, work and road closures, listening to the radio broadcast of the Indianapolis Colts games rather than the TV one, plus the IU college radio station has its moments. Mainly, after dropping the cash for my Parasound Halo T3 it would be nice to actually be able to receive something on it !

Plus, if you tune into a good local NPR or college station, the sound quality will be noticeably better than XM. The mainstream commercial stations compress their stuff so bad, its hardly worth listening, but the small stations still value the sound quality.

jimmyzen

billbillw wrote: »

Plus, if you tune into a good local NPR or college station, the sound quality will be noticeably better than XM. The mainstream commercial stations compress their stuff so bad, its hardly worth listening, but the small stations still value the sound quality.

Interesting! I wasn't aware of that. I could barely take the mainstream FM format anymore after getting to XM.

On a side note about XM and Sirius merging- I was listening to a panel discussion hosted by a bookclub (?!) about the merger. One of the executives from Sirius was there as the main speaker. I didn't hear the entire thing but the part I did hear kinda concerned me. According to this gent, the companies planned to offer tiered programming starting at $6.99 and going up from there. During a Q & A session a person asked if the existing satellite receivers already on the market would be compatible with the combined programming and tiered structure. The answer was "No." :eek: The Sirius rep said that new receivers would need to be purchased and went on to speak about how there are now and would continue to be many low priced units available so it wouldn't present too big a problem to the consumer. Well, for someone like me with 3 mobile units, two portable units, a PC unit, and a high end unit that all adds up! :mad: What wasn't asked and he did not say was whether existing units where the owners wanted the full subscription package would remain usable both with the combined programming. Or become obsolete. I had previously listened to the testimony about the merger that was presented to a Congressional panel and the XM official who testified said that there would be no equipment -receivers- that would become obsolete when/if the two merged. Something doesn't seem 100% accurate between these two statements. I would like to hear some more about this if anybody has any other information. This area of the forum may not be appropriate to this discussion so I apologize in advance for bringing it up here if it is. If so, if someone would kindly redirect this discussion to the appropriate area I would like to continue it.

disneyjoe7

Interesting as what I heard no changes and our current receivers where ok, now I'm hearing tiered programming also. And what I fear is if we can use the older receiver like the Polk XM receiver is pricing going to be too high as this would be a full programming receiver?

dorokusai

I wouldn't worry about it too much as they will be bound in some way shape or form to provide service for previous customers. There will most likely be a time limit imposed for customers to switchover.

I don't have any ideas about the tiered programming and will worry about that later.

It will probably be much like the Verizon Wireless/On-Star ruling by the FCC.

jimmyzen

I bought a half wave dipole that looks like 2 car antennas end to end. I mounted it vertically on a 20 foot tall pole. It works wonderfully and I have never had the reception I have now and I have lived in the same place for 27 years! I got it on eBay for $39.00 plus shipping.

After seeing it I could have made one fairly easily. It consists of a piece of 3/8" round stock about 4" long as the main part. This piece is drilled into each end to allow insertion of the 1/8" diameter 4' long antenna poles. A perpendicular positioned set screw locked each pole into place when they were inserted. The 3/8" piece was also drilled through its thickness about an inch towards each end to accomodate a nut and screw that the 300 ohm to co-ax adapter fork terminals attach. The 3/8" piece is inserted through and glued (pressed?) through a 1/2" square, 12" long plastic bar. The bar is drilled on the end opposite the antenna for the U bolt to pass through. There were two sets of holes so the antenna could be mounted horizontally and vertically. Fairly simple!

It works well and is isn't very obvious so it blends well with its surroundings.
All together, I dropped about $125.00 for the antenna, 2 10' poles, brackets and 75' of RG6 co-ax. I also installed a Terk outside XM antenna on the same pole and it helped my XM reception a bunch. The Terk was about $60.00 plus about $50.00 for another 75' of RG 6 co-ax.