I prefer to use RG6 as the lead in, and I definitely need an
omni-directional antenna.
Radio Shack used to make a dual element, folded dipole outside fm antenna,
but I don't find it on their website.
Thanks for any tips !!
James
I'll probably get flamed here... but there is really no such thing as a good
omnidirectional FM antenna. None of them have any multipath rejection
whatsoever, and since multipath is most likely what you're trying to
alleviate, you're just as likely as not to end up with just as bad a signal
(stronger, yes, but no less garbled and noisy) as you would have with your
indoor antenna. In fact, a cheap pair of rabbit ears will usually outperform
one of those turnstiles, unless you live in a perfectly flat area with no
surrounding tall structures.
Flame, Flame & Flamed
Burr
Damn "Cross Poster"!!!
Burr
No flames. The radio shack antenna is a turnstile. Basically two folded
dipoles at 90 degrees to each other with cross feed.
--
Telamon
Ventura, California
Burr - Charbroiled will do- i am an old 'toasty' ~ RHF
.
A few years ago, I bought a Cambridge Tuner that came with flexible
dipole (wire) antenna. I also bought a Magnum Dynalab - ST-2 FM
Omnidirectional Antenna shown here:
http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=MDST2
Guess what, indoor, the flexible dipole beats the ST-2 hands down in
everyway. No contest.
Two weeks later, the APS-13 antenna I have ordered arrived.
http://www.antennaperformance.com/
Then went to Fry's and bought a rotor with wire-dial control, a
pole (2) and RG6 cable (I'm sure) at high-end store. Then installed
them on the roof by fastening on the chimney and came down to listen.
If there is such thing as miracle on the roof, THIS is IT.
I caught so many stations that I begun to loose count after 105.
I first started listing them one at the time earnestly for the next 4 or 5
days, and then got tired. If I turn the antenna's rotor using the control
at, say, 180 degrees, I'd get an altogether different station -- in the
same dial! They're all clear except when it's overcast. The stations
that comes clear nearby, comes clearer. I get stations from as far as
75 to 100 miles and perhaps farther than I care to know. I dreaded it
each time I came accross and saw this (unfinished) list 'cause I feel
guilty. I really don't wanna do that anymore.
Yes Telamon,
The Turnstile FM Antenna does work very well in Urban
Areas; where you have strong FM Signals coming from
many FM Radio Stations who's signals are originating
from several locations and directions spread-out all
around your Home or Office.
"Turnstile" Omni-Directional FM Antenna (FMSS)
http://www.mindspring.com/~brucec/turnstil.gif
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=FMSS
Mounting the Turnstile FM Antenna Up-in-the-Air
at least 6 Feet about the Roof.
Use RG-6 Quad-Shield Coax Cable for the feed-in-line.
The more complex and expensive alternative would
be a directional FM Antenna with a Rotor.
~ RHF
.
James,
Types of Common FM {TV} Antennas
http://www.fanfarefm.com/fm-antennas.gif
http://www.kyes.com/antenna/antennatypes/antennatypes.html
Quick Read : FM Antennas -by- Bruce Carter
http://www.mindspring.com/~brucec/fmant.htm
Some Notes on FM BC Antennas
Part 1: A Few Basics -by- L. B. Cebik [W4RNL]
http://www.cebik.com/vhf/fm1.html
Plus at the Bottom of each WebPage there are Links
to the other Four WebPages in the Series.
hope this helps - iane ~ RHF
.
"JBorg, Jr." wrote:
I picked up a new Radio Shack 6 element FM antenna for $5 and a new Radio Shack
rotor last year for $20. I'm looking forward to putting the system together this
spring just to see just what I'll be able to pick up.
James
Se Telamon, he like Roy better then you!!!
Burr
But then Roy didn't have all that sig block.
Burr - YSDY ! ;-} ~ RHF
.
Most FM stations have a good omni antenna.
greg
Without a doubt, a good Yagi on a rotator is best. I wonder
what the cheapest rotator is these days ?
Tandy quit making their rotatable outside RV antenna. It was not
sold at Radio Shack. Radio Shack does have a similar looking round unit
that does not have the motor.
The thing that might be nice is like the old antennas
that used a multiple transmission line going to a box that selected
element pairs for directional control. You can also do this using two
antennas. I bought an RCA unit that went bust. Its an amplified
little square box I lay on the roof. Works pretty well.
I remember my grandparents had different TV antennas and knife switches
for different channels.
greg
>Guess what, indoor, the flexible dipole beats the ST-2 hands down in
>everyway. No contest.
I've always had fine performance from the cheap wire dipoles. I tried
one of the RS omni-directionals once (looks like an X made of 3'
oblong loops), and was not impressed.
Let the FCC computer make the list for you. Get your latitude/longitude
in Degrees/Minutes/Seconds notation and go to the FCC web site
(www.fcc.gov), link to the Media Bureau section and find the license
database search page for FM. (They have ones for TV and AM, too).
Enter in your location and the maximum distance, and the search page
will give you a list of the stations (in a bunch of different formats).
The lists give the bearing and distance to each station from your
location.
Mark Zenier mze...@eskimo.com
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)
www.fccinfo.com is easier
No accounting for taste.
--
Telamon
Ventura, California
Thanks Mark & dave, that's interesting and I'll look into it.
Making these toy-like, table-top and wall mounted antennas to work is as
rewarding as giving lessons to teach a baboon the fine art of French
cuisine. Compared to an outdoor, roof-top well-designed yagis with
rotor, these mini-omnidirectionals are like pinworms contending with
anacondas.
Go DXing !
Not sure about cheapest, I paid about 45 bucks for mine at Fry's
Electronics. It's well-built and obviously weather resistant. Still
working to this day.
Go DXing !
JBorg, Jr.
Please note that "James" the original poster asked :
"Who makes a good outdoor, omni-directional fm antenna ?"
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/dfb62830262cf871
The average Metro-Area {Local} FM Radio Listener
does not buy and use a "Turnstile" Omni-Directional
FM Antenna for FM Radio DXing. {Distant Listening}.
"Turnstile" Omni-Directional FM Antenna (FMSS)
http://www.mindspring.com/~brucec/turnstil.gif
http://www.solidsignal.com/prod_display.asp?prod=FMSS
http://cgi.ebay.com/l_W0QQitemZ190205033741
They buy and use a "Turnstile" FM Antenna because it does
work very well in Urban Areas; where they have strong FM
Signals coming from many FM Radio Stations who's signals
are originating from several locations and directions that
are spread-out all around their Home or Office.
"Turnstile" Omni-Directional FM Antenna on the Roof
http://www.ogrensat.com/graphics/antena2a.jpg
http://home.mchsi.com/~n0gz/antenna_farm2.jpg
http://images.jupiterimages.com/common/detail/74/69/22966974.jpg
- - - = = = Versus = = = - - -
Multi-Element FM Antenna with a Rotor mounted
High-Up In-the-Air for FM Radio DXing
http://www.marcradio.org/gxmrctower2.jpg
http://www.blish.org/ppages/bwpics/APS14.jpg
http://www.ogrensat.com/graphics/antena1a.jpg
Clearly Two very 'different' FM Radio Antenna 'Set-Ups :
For Two very 'different' FM Radio Listening uses.
http://www.abc.net.au/reception/radio/fm_antenna.htm
Multi-Element FM Radio Antennas for DXing
Winegard HD-6000 FM Stereo Antenna ProStar PR-6000 4 Element Yagi
Outdoor Local Off-Air Reception Digital Radio Station Signal Rooftop
Aerial, 75 Ohm Suburban Directive, Part # HD6000, PR6000 | With Coax
Cable
http://www.summitsource.com/product_info.php?ref=1&products_id=4584
AntennaCraft FM6 FM Antenna 6 Electronic Elements Triple Driven
Directional Near Fringe Outdoor Radio Station Signal Rooftop Local Off-
Air Digital Stereo Reception Aerial, Part # FM-6 [Item # ANTFM6]
http://www.summitsource.com/product_info.php?ref=1&products_id=6055
http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ300196503728
Three (3) Winegard FM {Only} Antennas
http://www.winegard.com/offair/fm.htm
HD6055P - http://www.winegard.com/offair/pdf/HD6055P.pdf
http://www.starkelectronic.com/wnhd6065.jpg
enjoy listening to your radios
it's been 'fm' marvelous ~ RHF
.
Wouldn't the best omni-directional antenna simply be a whip? All the
others I can think of are going to be steerable.
A whip or a open ring, depending on polarization. Or maybe an Andrew V.
- Wouldn't the best omni-directional antenna
- simply be a whip? All the others I can think
- of are going to be steerable.
RG,
Here are Five Good Omni-Directional FM Antennas :
1 - Indoors the Whip Antenna built into the Radio is
a very good Omni-Directional FM Radio Antenna.
2 - The common FM Folded Dipole mounted Vertically
On-a-Wall is a very good Omni-Directional FM Antenna.
Ready-Made and Low Cost plus Good Perfromance
3 - A single 96" long piece of Wire going Up-the-Wall
from the Floor to the Ceiling that is Tapped at 32" from
the Floor with TV 300 Ohm Twin-Lead to the FM Receiver
can be a very effective Omni-Directional FM Antenna*.
| - 1/2 WL ~ 64 Inches
|
|
|
|
|
================= Twin-Lead to Radio
|
|
| - 1/4 WL ~ 32 Inches
* Also the Single Wire can be replaced by 300 Ohm
Twin Lead too.
That Something Extra : This Flood-to-Ceiling Antenna can
be used a 'bad' Weather In-Doors Shortwave Antenna too.
4 - Simple FM Radio Band Loop Antenna can be used
as a Horizontal FM Loop Antenna and is fairly Omni-
Directional Antenna too.
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/db5d513ceb21150d
-Or- Mount it Vertically and it is very Directional.
5 - For Out-Side consider the "Snake" [Mono-Pole]
Vertical Antenna for the FM Radio Band
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/fc544af32df58ab9
the omni-magic of 'fm' antennas ~ RHF
Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antennas Group => http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
GoTo => http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
.
Problem with whips is that they have vertical polarization. FM is always
transmitted with a strong horizontal component, the vertical component is
optional.
Not true. FM is transmitted almost universally as circular polarization.
This has been so for at least a couple decades now.
- - Problem with whips is that they have vertical polarization.
- - FM is always transmitted with a strong horizontal
- - component, the vertical component is optional.
- Not true. FM is transmitted almost universally as
- circular polarization. This has been so for at least
- a couple decades now.
IIRC - Initially like TV the Horizontal Polarization scheme
was great for the Visual Line-of-Sight broadcasting from
the TV Station's Tower to Home TV and FM Radio.
But FM Radios problem was the Automobile and getting
a good quality FM Radio signal to the Cars and Trucks
which 99.73% of the time had Vertical Whip Antennas.
Circular Polarization allowed FM Radio to be broadcasted
equally well to both Home and Automobile; plus Circular
Polarization did help to eliminate some Multi-path problems.
sort of kind a right - to my ways of think ~ RHF
.
>
> Problem with whips is that they have vertical polarization. FM is always
> transmitted with a strong horizontal component, the vertical component is
> optional.
>
>
Not always. There are FM stations with no horizontal pol at all, due to
spacing considerations with TV channel 6.
Warning
Arny does not like women who know more than him.
If you want to save some money, you can make your own omni. Take two pieces of heavy copper
wire, about 30" each, and extend them in opposite directions. You could also use small
copper pipe or something like that if you don't want to use wire. Take two more and do the
same at 90°. Take about a 20" piece of RG6 or RG59 and connect the two dipoles together.
Your downlead will also be RG6 or RG59, attached across one dipole or the other. Put a
couple of loops, around 10" in diameter, in the downlead near the antenna. I have two of
them in my attic, one on a splitter driving two FM radios. Works great.
--
Earl
A Single (1) Vertical Half-Wave Dipole will do
for a basic FM Omni-Directional Antenna.
http://www.northcountryradio.com/Articles/fmdip.htm
http://www.willus.com/author/antenna.shtml
The basic FM Folded Dipole Antenna made out of
300 Ohm TV Twin Lead that is mounted Vertically
also makes a good Omni-Directional FM Antenna.
http://www.kgnu.org/ht/helpfm.html
http://kalx.berkeley.edu/recept/tanttips.htm
http://www.prairiepublic.org/programs/images/dipole.bmp
Here is an Image of a Ready Made and very low
cost FM Folded Dipole Antenna
http://www.farnsworthelectronics.com/part%20images/antenn14.gif
http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ190233985347
Also a Pair of TV Rabbit Ears Fully Extended and
mounted Vertically will make a fair Omni-Directional
FM Antenna.
http://www.w-l-t.org/Pix/ist2_1238611_rabbit_ears.jpg
-ps- a Pair of TV Rabbit Ears is a VHF Dipole Antenna.
http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ370064295269
FWIW - Most of these simple FM Antennas can be
used Inside the House -or- Outdoors in the Yard.
antennas are f m magic - iane ~ RHF {pomkia}
.
Are You Interested in building a better Shortwave Listening*
(SWL) Antenna ? {SWL Group} => http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
RHF's Standard "Shortwave Radio Listener (SWL) Antennas Group"
Reference Message Signature-Line => http://tinyurl.com/25zbrg
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/411dac3b4a1798e0
.
* Remember 55.5% of Shortwave Radio Listening (SWL)
is the Shortwave Antenna =>http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
.
RHF's Radio Shack in Twain Harte, California -USA-
SHACK INFO =>http://tinyurl.com/2skmxm
Shortwave Radio / Receiver and SWL Antenna Info
.
-=2SKMXM=-
-=25ZBRG=-
SWR3:SWL:INFO
.
http://www.magnumdynalab.com/fmantenna-st2.htm
http://www.winegard.com/offair/fm.htm
- - Who makes a good outdoor, omni-directional fm antenna ?
- The question was "who makes",
- not "what comes up when a monkey uses Google?"
- http://www.winegard.com/offair/fm.htm
Dave - The Simple Answer -is- Make Your Own.
* The basic FM Folded Dipole Antenna made out of
* 300 Ohm TV Twin Lead that is mounted Vertically
* also makes a good Omni-Directional FM Antenna.
* http://www.kgnu.org/ht/helpfm.html
* http://kalx.berkeley.edu/recept/tanttips.htm
* http://www.prairiepublic.org/programs/images/dipole.bmp
Follow-Up : How to Build a 'Better' FM Antenna
-by- Marc S.A. Glasgow -aka- The CyberPoet®
http://www.cyberpoet.net/writes/web/infwiz/spant.html
Omni-Directional Antennas -by- Signal Engineering
http://www.signalengineering.com/ultimate/verticals.html
1/2 Wave-Length Vertical Ground-Plane Antenna
5/8 Wave-Length Vertical Antenna
Frequency and Wavelength (WL) Calculator :
http://www.csgnetwork.com/freqwavelengthcalc.html
88 MHz FM Antenna
1/2 WL ~ 67 Inches = Two 1/4 WL ~ 33.5 Inches
5/8 WL ~ 84 Inches (7 Feet)
Ready Made - FM Radio Band Antennas :
* Shakespeare 5/8 WL Galaxy 5235-XT
Eight Foot (8') AM/FM Entertainment Band Antenna
http://www.turtlemarine.com/shake5235xt.html
* Comet 5/8 WL CFM-95SL, FM Omni-Directional Antenna
http://www.progressive-concepts.com/info/item.html?id=47
* Ramsey 5/8 WL FMA200 FM Broadcast Antenna
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002NRJOU
* Shakespeare 5/8 WL Eight Foot (84") AM/FM Antenna
http://www.nulime.com/Shakespeare-5120-8-AM-FM-Antenna/p235819
-fwiw- a FireStik 7-Foot CB Whip Antenna works very well
as an FM 5/8 WL Veritical Omni-Directional Antenna
http://www.westcoastmall.net/kw7y-original-7foot-cb-antenna-neon-yelloe-p-3726.html
http://www.firestik.com/Tech_Docs/res-n-band.htm
DAVE - Preach that "Hated" for Google 'users'.
The Internet [WWW] : To Google ? -or- Not To Google ?
-ps- It Ain't A Question.
It Is A Matter of Freedom of Choice for Internet Users. ~ RHF
.
BOY Oh Boy ! - Where is Mike [M II] to defend me
from being called a Monkey {Racial Code Word}.
.
>
>
>
Trust me, the Winegard's a good deal. Beware of mindfuckers.
- Trust me, the Winegard's a good deal.
- Beware of mindfuckers.
(OT) : Dave -reminds-us- Beware of Mind-F*ckers
-aka- Beware of Dave ;-}
.
> On Thu, 03 Jul 2008 08:26:58 -0700, RHF wrote:
>
> >
> >
> >
>
> Trust me, the Winegard's a good deal. Beware of mindfuckers.
This from the guy that fries his own brain.
What a nut case.
--
Telamon
Ventura, California
"...fries his own brain."
???
I haven't touched a drop of the hard shit in decades. My mind is like a
steel trap. I am on the front lines in an elite unit. We don't get
second chances.
You got that right about the steel trap. Not one scrap of intelligible
thought has ever escaped in a post from you.
--
Telamon
Ventura, California