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Seeking pictures of your vintage FM Antenna

Mike's TV and FM DX Page has the CM4408 diagram and dimensions:

http://fmdx.usclargo.com/CmFM.htm

and the Finco FM-5:

http://fmdx.usclargo.com/FincoFM.htm

The Channel Master is a bit complex, to say the least. A pure dual-boom log periodic might be less difficult to build. Frankly, I'm more intrigued by a couple of Brian Beezley's Yagi designs optimized for either gain or F/B ratio.

Note the FM-4G is buildable from these dimensions, just omit some of the directors. I had these antennas for many years and they held up much better than the Channel Master. The Finco antenna dipoles were directly attached to the boom without any insulators (virtually no plastic on this antenna at all), and thus was totally at DC ground.

I'm currently researching J-Pole theory, seeing what might be involved in building a FM band optimized version; it may not really be worth excessive effort, however.

In a few more years we may be forced to build our own antennas, or buy extremely expensive professional grade models. High gain FM-only antennas are just disappearing.
 
Thanks Damon, Im going to put some links to those into the guide.

Ive also got some more rhombic information going in as well. I think its turning out pretty well. Itll never be perfect, but it will be a bridge for the less knowledgable to some knowledge, advice, and guidance....at minimum.
 
TomRich22, do you know what model that is? Is it a VHF or specifically an FM antenna?


Sorry I don't know what model it is, but it is a FM only antenna. I purchased it back in the 70's as I said. I thru the box out a long time ago. I purchased a larger FM antenna later that was on my roof then, and had this one in my garage rafters for years. It was never exposed to the outdoors until last year. Thought I might as well make use of it.
 
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I just took delivery of an Antennacraft FM6--premangled by FedEx :(

The boom's buckled just in front of the second director, but I straightened it enough to be usable. I'd complain, but SolidSignal's blowing them out at $21 and I'm planning modifications as per Brian Beezely's test of this unit, and possibly a reflector panel to see if it'll improve F/B ratio. Maybe a second one later to stack vertically.

It's smaller than I'd expected; shouldn't be too hard to mount.
 
RatShack 15-1821 I thought I remembered this was junk, I have worked for the company since we used to sell them in the early 90's I found one at a SA for 1.99usd (I think retail on these was 39.99usd) It was filthy but complete so for giggles I bought it and washed it, deoxit' the switches and used a little dashboard treatment to give it a sheen... Looks like new now, and I hooked it up to a problem location receiver in my kitchen. I can't run a coax to it, and the Rabbit ears just weren't cutting it. I Cranked it up, put it on high and low and behold it worked!!! :banana: I went from about 2 bars to 3.5 not awesome but much better and low profile. :thmbsp:
 

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Sweet! Ive got a couple of those! :)


Sorry to hear about your mangled antenna woes Damon. They seem to be especially bad with teh long box antennas. I had and antenna mangled earlier this year by USPS. :(
 
Ok, So now you're telling me I have to start collecting vintage antennae ? :scratch2:...:banana:
I'll have to get myself up to speed.
 
Heres mine. An old Archer I paid $130 for 12 to 15 years ago. Omni directional. About 25 feet up.
 

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Mine fills my attic. I purchased it in 1969 when I lived in the shadow of Mt Wilson and had to listen to stations in San Diego.

Next time I am up there I will see what it is.
 
KLH9 said:
Mine fills my attic. I purchased it in 1969 when I lived in the shadow of Mt Wilson and had to listen to stations in San Diego.

Next time I am up there I will see what it is.
Click to expand...

You actually own a set of those classic electrostatics? (drool)
 
Channel Master

Channel Master Stereo Probe-9 (Model 3025 previously Model 4408)
I have one of these in fact i am putting it up on Sat on a 50' ft tower. I will send you some photo's when i get it up.

Gary
 
Thanks Bob!

Damon and K9, cant wait to see the pics and manufacturer model number of the attic antenna!

Id love to see a pic of your Stereo Probe 9 (I think that is the coolest name), after the instal l sirianni. Ill post one on the Guide for posterity.
 
Damon Hill said:
You actually own a set of those classic electrostatics? (drool)
Click to expand...

double pair. :D

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/showthread.php?p=2236760#post2236760

.
EscapeVelo said:
Thanks Bob!

cant wait to see the pics and manufacturer model number of the attic antenna!
Click to expand...

Was up there today and could not find any name on it. It is going to be hard to get a pic of it as the attic is cramped and it is just past the wood stove pipe.

I've got to go back up tomorrow or the next day as I will be putting insulation on the vertical wall. I will take the digital camera and see how it turns out.

.
 
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I'm surprised no-one has yet put up a photo of the Finco FM-5. So here is one.

This was purchased in 1968 (or so) and has been on two houses. Moved in 1975 and took the antenna with me. It was part of a stack that included a large VHF/UHF TV antenna which was blown down in 1998 (or so). Had to bend (straighten) the boom slightly and bend some of the elements for a repair. So, it is over 40 years old and in good service. The antenna above is a small ChannelMaster for OTA TV reception. The bell-shape rotator is a Cornell-Dubilier.

Getting a new antenna has not been easy. Last year I located an APS-9 in New York and it is stashed in my garage. But as long as the old Finco is still in one piece it stays. The APS-9 is my insurance policy.
 

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I'm sure there are some that are older but I don't think you will find too many around like this art deco lamp/antenna combo. It was designed to use the house wiring as the antenna.

Here is a short thread I started about it on videokarma.org. I couldn't find out a whole lot of info about it.

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Denny, I would have assumed that was supposed to be an AM antenna, from the vintage of it? Think I saw one in one Antique Radio Classified once. I just dont see FM outdoor antennas in residential areas anymore. Unless the TV antenna has a tapoff downstairs to allow a tuner hookup. I myself have one of the infamous RS crossed folded dipoles in the attic. I try to keep it hung from the rafters, but every once in awhile I go up and it is pulled down. I think it is a ghost or something. Moves the nails bent into a J shape to secure it. They are rotated and it falls. Heard it fall up there one night years ago. Scary. Works just OK, not great, in the attic. I have used them in outdoor installations up high with reasonable results. Put one up on an aircraft hanger in the AF once. They had a receiver in the ready room that had indoor ant. Lousy in a metal hanger. I spent my own money to put that up and used coax feed. Worked great. Some Colonel drove by when I was putting it up and asked me what it was(I had no authorisation to do it) but he seemed fine with it. I did not volunteer any extra info though. Nope I just dont see residential FM antennas anymore.........
 
My Vintage FM, long-distance colour TV array. Circa 1965

Hi All!

Yup!

I'm pretty darned proud of all of this!

My parents' home in Alta Vista, Ottawa, Ontario was luckily on a high point in the Ottawa area. The local water tower was only two blocks from our home.

I was from age 13 heavily involved in tube hifi, then stereo, then colour TV! (Still am.....more than EVER!)

We had only one Stereo multiplex station in Ottawa, CFMO-FM, 93.9 mHz. Because of that, I wanted to put up an antenna system that would bring in other stereo stations from Montreal, Watertown and Plattsburg, NY. The distances made this a challenge....up to 120 MILES! (as the crow flies!)

So I built a tower of three 10 foot sections with a heavy duty mast down into the tower and a rotor about 6 feet from the top of the tower. The two antennas stacked are FINCO FM-5's. It worked great. I got reliable reception in stereo from CJFM (Montreal) and CKVL (Verdun) as well as many other stations from Kingston and the US.

I was also bitten by the NEW colour TV sensation and bought a Zenith 21 inch (round picture tube) colour TV with a black metal cabinet which sat on a separate black wooden Zenith matching base.

NOW, the challenge was to get a colour signal strong enough from WWNY, Watertown NY (CBS affiliate). We had NO colour signals in the Ottawa area at that time!

So on my "outrigger" (as I called it) I mounted FOUR 10 element wide-spaced Yagi's cut to channel seven in a stacked array. I mounted a tube version Jerrold preamp onto the tower at the "head" end. I had to run 110 VAC up to the preamp to power it!

I also used Amphenol 621-100 copper braid polyfoam RG11/U coax cable, 1/2" diameter (low loss), to get my signal to the TV in the living room.

When the weather was right, I got FULL limiting colour from Watertown! Ed Sullivan, Lawrence Welk and other variety shows of the time were GREAT to watch and enjoy in COLOUR! Cartoons on Saturday morning were very novel and a thrill to GET at the time!

I hope that the photo and my story are are of interest to some of our members!

Sincerely,
Bob Clarke
(now near Morrisburg, Ontario, Canada)
 

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Well I had a new roof put on last summer and did not want to put anything back up on the new roof. So I took down my old Winegard down and it has set behind my shed for a year. With all the storms over the past few years it lost a few elements so I decided to put up another FM antenna that was in my garage rafters collecting dust for the past 30 to 40 years and it still works great I put it on a 20' pole on the side of the house.....I am pleasantly surprised I can pull in a station that is 80 miles away that I could not get before. Mainly because it was between 2 local stations. Nothing beats the sensitivity of these old tuners!!! Here is a picture of the old Winegard before it lost some elements and the replacement old one.
 

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ke4mcl said:
i have a magnum (something) antenna preamp with a tuneable preselctor. PM me if you'd like pics of that.
Click to expand...
I have the Magnum 95 FM Sleuth, which is made for 300 Ohm Balanced Twin Lead. It does amplify weak signals without all the RITOIE and IF Beat Problems. It won't help with first adjacent channel much and IBOC sidebands at all, you need IF Filters for that. Never tried to see if it improved HD-2 etc. fringe area reception. It would take me days to get it out. I'll see if I can find one online. The Magnum FM 105 is for 75 ohm antenna inputs and outputs. It's a Toronto area manufacturer.


picclick.com

Magnum Dynalab FM 105 Signal Sleuth RF Amplifier for Steteo. • $58.51

MAGNUM DYNALAB FM 105 Signal Sleuth RF Amplifier for Steteo. - $58.51. FOR SALE! 311849844559
picclick.com picclick.com
 
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