Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Technical Questions FM: No static at all...(NOT!)

Hey,

So I've got one of those $25 Terk powered units hooked to my Denon AVR-2803. It's a small improvement over the single, F-terminated wire that came w/ the receiver. But it's so-so and best. And on overcast or rainy days, fuggedaboudit.

I want to be able to listen to my local NPR station, especially while puttering around on Sat. mornings, but can't bear hearing static pumping through my new system.

Granted, we've got a lot of mountains around here
(Western NC), but I don't think getting in a local station should be that tough.

Any and all advice appreciated.

Roger

Yeah, I've got one of those Jerk, uh sorry, Terk antennas too. Infinitesimal difference between it, and the antenna that came with the receiver. I'll be interested to see if some of the folks here can offer some antenna suggestions about picking up distant FM stations. I'm sure not gonna be any help to you.

This would probably work. It seems to be in a mountainous area as well.

I assume your station of choice isn't available on cable FM?

Bren R.

spiff - you're killing me!!!

spiff, you post that picture in one breath, and in the next tell all how terrible massachusetts drivers are?

In mountainous areas you'll probably need a tuner with frequency isolation-- check out the "Model 1" by Henry Kloss.

It's the same technology that cell-phones use to get good reception.

Twodan...not sure I get the connection.

Ok... so a really good tuner might help (those Kloss Model 1's do rock - I listen to NPR every morning on a Model 3)... I've had pretty darn good success with hard to reach stations on my "regular" stereo using a thrift-store TV antenna. It picks up about everything... it's not a powered model, so one of those might be better. FM isn't all THAT hard to pick over here, but I like the college radio, and their transmitter must be like 13 watts or something ridiculous.

On another note... when I was much younger, I found a CB Radio and wired it up in my bedroom and ran a wire out my window to the gutters on the house. That was an effectively huge antenna - worked really well too.

good luck - lemme know how you fare!

There's an old story about a college radio station that did something somewhat similar-- they hooked their transmitter up to the railroad tracks. Which were connected through something like an 8-state area. Needless to say, they came in crystal-clear in most of that 8-state area, and also were promptly slapped with a huge FCC fine.

Urban Myth or True Story, I don't know.

If you live in an apartment, you may be SOL. If you live in a house, however...you have got it made! For about $20, radio shack has a great FM only directional antenna. Although meant to be mast mounted outdoors, mine does a fine job picking up radio stations about 120 miles away while attic mounted. Set it up in your attic, point it in the correct direction, and hook it up with the best low loss 75ohm coax you can afford (look on the Belden website for inexpensive coax...do NOT get the crap Radio Shack generally sells). The antenna is great, but their coax sucks!

those powered antennas are less than medeocre. You boost the signal, ALONG with the noise!

If your willing to shell out the cash, for 100 bucks you can get the Magnum Dynalab ST2 antnenna. Its supposed to be pretty good. I have been wanting to get one for my Sansui 517 tuner for a while but i just cant break down and spend 100 bucks on an antenna.

I use the T wire one now but it doesnt pull in anything from the other islands, when i know radio's in some peoples truck will. etc.

http://www.audioadvisor.com/store/productdetail.asp?sku=MAGST2

All you ever wanted to know about FM antennas .

THIS is TOO hilarious for words!! Are you the author? This is funnier than most tv shows I've seen lately; which is why I still only have an ocilloscope tube-based video receiving device.

Another suggestion...is your power filtered?

I picked up a nice Belkin PureAV Isolator a few months ago and it seriously cleaned up my reception. FM went from barely listenable to crystal clear and I can actually listen to AM again.

It's F9A1033-12 on belkin.com, the link isn't working.

Hi shrubber,

The powered Terks and the like are really just variations on the T-shaped dipole wire that you already tried. I've used the Magnum Dynalab vertical 1/4-wave whip antenna and it worked quite well in a dense urban setting if you placed it near a window.

Even better is the Tivoli Audio PAL FM/AM portable that I reviewed for Sound&Vision magazine a year or so ago. It's also designed by the late Henry Kloss and I found it a bit more sensitive than the Kloss Model One. And you can swing around its telescoping antenna to "tune" in weak FM signals (and suppress interference) which is a distinct advantage over the Kloss Model 1.

The PAL also has an excellent AM tuner. Overall, I received more listenable reception to FM and AM with the PAL than using the Magnum Dynalab and the tuner in my receiver. Most of the internal FM tuner chips in receivers are mediocre at best and the AM sections are awful.

The little PAL is compact, so you can carry it around the house to listen to NPR, and I like its tone quality better than the Kloss Model One. Its internal rechargable battery lasts about 3 or 4 days and recharges in a few hours (you can still use the radio on the AC adapter while its charging).

Regards,

Thanks all for your great ideas, commiseration, and visual sarcasm (yeah, I'm lookin' at you spiff!)

BrenR: AFAIK, my local cable doesn't include FM, but I'll hook it up just to make sure. Could be I've had it all along and didn't even know. (The receiver is the first tuner, other than clock radios and portables, that I've had since, well, ever.)

Alan: Much as I like the idea of the Tivolis—and love the old-school analog look—there's no way the exchequer is going to sign off. "Didn't that new receiver thingy—whatever you just spent $660 on—come with a radio tuner...?!"

Fortunately, we live in a house so I think I'll check into attic antenna options first, including some of the ideas from JohnK's link. Very info-taining, BTW.

I'll let y'all know what I come up with.

You might also contact tinfoilhat and see if he has a spare chapeau. Tie that into a bit of Bluetooth technology and you might be able to act as your own antenna. You understand, of course, that this is highly theoretical.

It is not as easy as that. Your fillings also have to be calibrated..

What is the normal break in period for the hat?

I don't think any break in period for a hat can be described as "normal".