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Installed a 1/2 Wave Dipole today!

Old_Tech

Old_Tech

Yer-isn't!
From one of the AK sponsors FM DXAntennas.com. (No affiliation)

This was a really easy project and I have to say living with those little plastic dipoles going to this is like night and day!

It's about 30ft up on my chimney. I am picking up stations I have never heard all the way to Toronto and Buffalo. I have its split between two Sansui recievers and my Carver PSB-11. My S meters are up at five and more in some cases. Some stations that never moved the meter are up at 4.

This is my first night listening and I am having a blast! Now I will get sick looking at more Tuna's! :yes:

I'm sure you all have outdoor antennas and /or exotic indoor but thought I would share.
Ron
 

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Number 6 said:
Great, that looks pretty cool! I might try that one of these days.
Click to expand...

The sound is wonderful! Go for it man. :yes:

BrocLuno said:
Very nice and good fun. Glad you are having a good time :)
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Trying to. So busy lately I am doing too much I think but I am pleased this project is done. I still have a few finishing touches though its up and running.
Well worth the effort. FM is beautiful sometimes!

Thanks for checking in on me...:sigh:
 
Wow, it's great to hear of the wonderful improvement in your reception! And, that antenna looks like it'd be easy to put up too.

How long are each of the 'halves' of the antenna?
 
Nice stuff Ron, sometimes a simple half wave dipole will do the job just fine! Regards, Felix aka catman.
 
Congratulations on your new FM dipole antenna...

Looks like you did a great job putting it up...Looks like it is up to stay.

Glad it is working good for you...

Thanks for the pictures.
 
Height does a lot for reception most of the time. But I'd put the dipole up on a 5' extension over the chimney and the mounting hardware so those don't interfere with it any more than they have to. Still, you seem to be getting very good results.

I have yet to decide how to mount my existing Jpole or any rotator and directional antenna; not fond of making holes in my roof for the tripod and I won't get nearly as much height as you have without going to a tower.
 
The PVC is easy to work with and affordable still I cannot find a way to ground this thing :scratch2:

The elements are 69 inches across. Extending the mast higher would cause sway in high winds and with freezing temps in the winter that would be a bad thing. I could move it up a couple feet as I have the length there but it is very stable right now and seems fine.

Glad you guys like it and enjoyed seeing the pics. The whole job took about two hours with a helper. Thats from start to all the tools and ladder put away. Connecting three receivers indoors took another half hour or so.

I noticed less multipath noise from both Sansui's. The Carver was silent and seems the best of the three. Nightime reception is definitely the best!
 
"The PVC is easy to work with and affordable still I cannot find a way to ground this thing "

Assuming you're using coax cable, use a coax grounding block (Radio Shack)and take the ground wire to a cold water pipe or ground rod.
 
kcollins4 said:
"The PVC is easy to work with and affordable still I cannot find a way to ground this thing "

Assuming you're using coax cable, use a coax grounding block (Radio Shack)and take the ground wire to a cold water pipe or ground rod.
Click to expand...

Exactly! I have one I will be installing where the coax connects to the house "F" connector. I think I got confused yesterday it was a busy day for me.

Thank you for the help!
 
Well, my point with the PVC was more about interference with the antenna itself as a wave catcher.

Thanks for the pics, and report. First Ive seen on this particular unit.
 
It amazing that your signal strength remains high with 3 receivers connected. When I connect two to my outdoor antenna the signal drops considerably. You are running just one coax into the house right? It sure looks good. I've wondered about going vertical cause my Rat Shack FM antenna is horizontal and it seems like FM is geared for auto and their antennas are vertical and not horizontal. Why make the horizontal antennas? Which to choose is my question.
 
DaWoofer said:
It amazing that your signal strength remains high with 3 receivers connected. When I connect two to my outdoor antenna the signal drops considerably. You are running just one coax into the house right? It sure looks good. I've wondered about going vertical cause my Rat Shack FM antenna is horizontal and it seems like FM is geared for auto and their antennas are vertical and not horizontal. Why make the horizontal antennas? Which to choose is my question.
Click to expand...

FM is either clockwise circularly polarized or elliptically polarized. Often best gain on a simple dipole is achieved with it at a 45 degree angle, tilted down to the right looking through the antenna at the transmitter. This also makes the antenna unidirectional, rejecting a lot off the back and more off the sides. FM still retains some horizontal polarization so that it can be picked up with directional TV antennas.
 
DaWoofer said:
It amazing that your signal strength remains high with 3 receivers connected. When I connect two to my outdoor antenna the signal drops considerably. You are running just one coax into the house right? It sure looks good. I've wondered about going vertical cause my Rat Shack FM antenna is horizontal and it seems like FM is geared for auto and their antennas are vertical and not horizontal. Why make the horizontal antennas? Which to choose is my question.
Click to expand...

Yes I am running one coax from the dipole balun to a jack at the house wall near the receivers. You shouldn't be losing that much signal off a splitter. Perhaps you are having a mismatch somehow or low signal coming in that appears high to your sensitive gear??

I have S4 and S5 at all three recievers for distant stations and S5 or higher for those closer within thirty miles or so. As I said Toronto across Lake Ontario from Rochester is here at S4. Thats up from S0 a week ago!

FM is usually polarized vertically at the transmitter so the vertical geometry of the dipole works very well.

Read about it here.

http://fmbroadcastantenna.com/polarizationinfo.html
 
Old_Tech said:
Yes I am running one coax from the dipole balun to a jack at the house wall near the receivers. You shouldn't be losing that much signal off a splitter. Perhaps you are having a mismatch somehow or low signal coming in that appears high to your sensitive gear??

I have S4 and S5 at all three recievers for distant stations and S5 or higher for those closer within thirty miles or so. As I said Toronto across Lake Ontario from Rochester is here at S4. Thats up from S0 a week ago!

FM is usually polarized vertically at the transmitter so the vertical geometry of the dipole works very well.

Read about it here.

http://fmbroadcastantenna.com/polarizationinfo.html
Click to expand...

The reference cited is a study of the potential advantages of vertical
polarization, but the existence of that report does not mean that
North American FM stations use that approach. I also have heard
as mentioned before that circular or elliptic polarization is actually
in use. Any further evidence?
 
electroking said:
The reference cited is a study of the potential advantages of vertical
polarization, but the existence of that report does not mean that
North American FM stations use that approach. I also have heard
as mentioned before that circular or elliptic polarization is actually
in use. Any further evidence?
Click to expand...

Could be true, either way the report is what it is and the vertical polarization I am using is in the design of this antenna and recommended not something I chose. Its omnidirectional.

I guess my evidence is the great reception and sensitivity I am seeing. There are station after station as I turn the dial and my S Meter readings show significant gain and most importantly reduction in noise I never had before. I do not know the station polarization methods only what I am seeing here at my home.
 
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electroking said:
The reference cited is a study of the potential advantages of vertical
polarization, but the existence of that report does not mean that
North American FM stations use that approach. I also have heard
as mentioned before that circular or elliptic polarization is actually
in use. Any further evidence?
Click to expand...

All FM stations use vert/horiz, elliptical, or circular polarization since receiving anrtennas can be vertical, horizontal or in between.

You can check the FCC database here http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.html for any particular station you are interested in. It will show what the antenna configuration is.
 
Finished the job today.

I was outside all afternoon installing the proper cable hold downs and routing the antenna lead in to the house junction box. I managed to shorten the cable lead in by 12 feet getting this done. It was a fifty footer now it's 38ft. I used those cable routing studs from RS, cut off the cable connector and fed it through along the house way down to the interface.

I was nervous all the while as I had a new connector compression tool I bought for the new connectors they are making and was worried it would be hard to make the connection.

Not at all. I left a couple feet service length and ty-wrapped it all to the siding standoffs and dressed it into the box to a grounding block pass through.

These new connectors require just a 3/8 inch center conductor and a comb back of the outer braid. Then you push the cable end into the connector while gently twisting to insert it to the stop. After that it all goes into a tool that presses the connector down the cable and collapses an O-ring while making the comression fitting.

Its a nice setup they sell at Home Depot the cable guy turned me onto. I messed up the first one but the second was pefect. I connected her up and I could hear the stereo inside light up. Kind of neat.

I also installed a proper copper pipe ground into the earth from the junction box. While up on the ladder I was salivating at the thought of raising her a bit higher as I had plenty of PVC to spare. Now the elements clear the top of the chimney quite well. So I gained another foot in height to about thirty off the ground.

My weakest and most liked station WXXI (PBS) gained another digit to S5. Ok with that. I love "Echoes" a show they play Friday and Saturday night. (Echoes.org).

There, its done and just in time for winter shut in...

Its supposed to be sunny tomorrow I will post some nice pics of the interface work. This project was worth every ounce of my time doing it and I encourage anyone without an external antenna to get one out there.

I will post some nice pics for everyone tomorrow!
Thanks fellas!
 
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