Indoor AM/FM DX'ing Antenna Question

[radiolalaland]

What would be a good easy to set up with low cost that I could use as an antenna to pull in weak stations when the local skip is coming in on a regular AM/FM Koss home stereo?

Something decent for AM/FM Dx'ing.

 

[Al42]

AM or FM? Totally different things.

When skip is coming in you don't need much of an antenna. When there's no skip you need more of an antenna than you can probably put up.

 

[radiolalaland]

Ok sorry, I meant to basically bring in better FM reception and with hopes of being able to scan around at times when conditions are good to maybe catch a few stations not normally in the broadcast area.

AM or FM? Totally different things.

When skip is coming in you don't need much of an antenna. When there's no skip you need more of an antenna than you can probably put up.

 

[Al42]

Which antenna is "best" depends on the frequency. The FM broadcast band (88-108 MHz)? Probably something like the Radio Shack 15-2156.

"FM", as in police/fire/public service? There's no "best" antenna, because some antennas perform better on some bands while other antennas perform better on other bands. The usual rule is that the more iron you put into the sky, and the higher you put it, the better. (Higher means that your horizon - usually the farthest you can receive signals from without skip - moves farther out.)

Of course moving the antenna higher means more cable which reduces the signal so if you're running any length the price of the cable can easily exceed the price of the antenna - you'll need lower loss cable if it's longer

For an all-around scanner antenna, a multiband (parallel) vertical dipole is probably best, and you can make one very easily - some PVC pipe, some rotator cable and a connector. (And little extras like PVC caps, solder, etc.).

 

[radiolalaland]

I didn't ask about a scanner antenna. The first post said, I have a home stereo system that I'd like to bring in the FM signals better. There's a few stations in the region that I know I should be able to pick up. But they have a tough time getting through.

So yes, something simple for the 88-108 mhz that will help me bring the FM stations better.

This is the antenna forum and I asked about an antenna but for the home stereo which is a "radio" tuned for 88-108 mhz FM hence 'radio reference dot com'.

Which antenna is "best" depends on the frequency. The FM broadcast band (88-108 MHz)? Probably something like the Radio Shack 15-2156.

"FM", as in police/fire/public service? There's no "best" antenna, because some antennas perform better on some bands while other antennas perform better on other bands. The usual rule is that the more iron you put into the sky, and the higher you put it, the better. (Higher means that your horizon - usually the farthest you can receive signals from without skip - moves farther out.)

Of course moving the antenna higher means more cable which reduces the signal so if you're running any length the price of the cable can easily exceed the price of the antenna - you'll need lower loss cable if it's longer

For an all-around scanner antenna, a multiband (parallel) vertical dipole is probably best, and you can make one very easily - some PVC pipe, some rotator cable and a connector. (And little extras like PVC caps, solder, etc.).

 

[Highlander_821]

An outdoor TV aerial will usually work pretty good for FM broadcast. Most are directional, so you would need a rotor and control box to rotate it. Check with Universal Radio's website, I think they might sell an omnidirectional antenna for FM as well. For the AM broadcast band, I've heard that the active loop antennas are good. There is one called a Selectatenna, or something like that, at CCrane company. I think there is a Palomar one at Universal Radio. Other than that, the longest length wire you can come up with is about the only other way I know of, but sometimes during the day it will just bring in more noise. At night, if the noise is down you might have better luck with a longwire.

Good luck, Broadcast Dxing is cool! I took my Sangean 909 portable to Scotland last summer and had a blast listening to broadcasts from the continent with a little dipole for FM and a 100 foot peice of speaker wire for AM (they refer to it as MW over there.)

 

[kb2vxa]

Hi LaLa and readers,

Writing from experience, get the biggest, baddest "deep fringe" TV/FM antenna you can get your hands on and a healthy rotor, mount it as high as possible and you have it made when the sporadic E propagation or tropospheric ducting rolls in. The best transmission line I have found is 300 ohm foam dielectric twinlead, split it off to your TV (you'll probably need an adapter there) and do a bit of TV DXing while you're at it. Just keep the twinlead away from metal, it's not coax you can just run anywhere.

The thing to remember is wideband FM and TV are power hungry transmission modes unlike narrowband FM and others used for communications. More gain is needed at both ends for good signals and the directivity of a beam antenna is manditory to reduce interfrence from many signals coming in from several directions at once. Don't expect miricles in the latter department, I have sometimes found so much on the channel I couldn't hear or see a thing through the mess.

BTW, my best DX was a low power FM college station in Minnesota, A UHF TV station in Boston, channel 3 TV from Bogota Colombia and channel 4 from Honduras. I have the last on tape as clear as a local broadcaster, a show where the chief engineer was giving some kids a tour of the transmitting facility. Not bad from central NJ if I must say so myself. (;->)

Oh, check out cable channels 57 and 60 for Amateur 70cM TV while you're at it.

Helpful hint if you don't already know, switch the FM receiver to mono and tone controls to flat or a slight mid boost for clearer audio, reduced highs reduce hiss. Turn the color off on the TV, color snow makes detail impossible to see and you can miss the ID panel.