Indoor FM Antenna
- Thread starter Newdugiu
- Start date
Yes. You need a "splitter" which is a little transformer that divides the signal. I would say they are at every Radio Shack, but those are scarce now! Best Buy or Amazon maybe? Goodwill should have some.
http://www.amazon.com/RADIOSHACK-SP...8&qid=1438032794&sr=1-16&keywords=fm+splitter
If your signal is very weak and you split it, you may add noise.
http://www.amazon.com/RADIOSHACK-SP...8&qid=1438032794&sr=1-16&keywords=fm+splitter
If your signal is very weak and you split it, you may add noise.
You can get a splitter at Radio Shack, as mentioned above. Wal-Mart and Best Buy should have them, too.
JBL GUY
Addicted Member
Even the best 2 way splitters will reduce the signal going to each receiver by at least 50 percent or one half. They do not so much add noise as they reduce the amount of signal available to the receiver or tuner and this can reduce the ultimate FM quieting of the receiver or tuner.
If the antenna sees a strong enough signal this may not be an issue.
When it comes to signal reception it is all about location, location, location.
In some cases even a short piece of wire will enable the reception of the stations of interest.
In other cases nothing short of a quality properly installed directional outside antenna will work.
The basic FM dipole antenna and the rabbit ear style of antennas are a good place to start in terms of an indoor antenna.
I am not a big fan of amplified or powered indoor antennas. In general the better the RF section of the tuner or receiver, the less improvement (if any) one will see with an amplified indoor antenna.
While it is true that the use of an amplified antenna may cause an increase in the indicated received signal strength as shown by the meter on the tuner or receiver, the actual signal to noise level is not usually improved, unless the electronics in the amplified antenna are working better than the electronics in the tuner.
If the antenna sees a strong enough signal this may not be an issue.
When it comes to signal reception it is all about location, location, location.
In some cases even a short piece of wire will enable the reception of the stations of interest.
In other cases nothing short of a quality properly installed directional outside antenna will work.
The basic FM dipole antenna and the rabbit ear style of antennas are a good place to start in terms of an indoor antenna.
I am not a big fan of amplified or powered indoor antennas. In general the better the RF section of the tuner or receiver, the less improvement (if any) one will see with an amplified indoor antenna.
While it is true that the use of an amplified antenna may cause an increase in the indicated received signal strength as shown by the meter on the tuner or receiver, the actual signal to noise level is not usually improved, unless the electronics in the amplified antenna are working better than the electronics in the tuner.
mhardy6647
Lunatic Member
A switch will (should) have lower "insertion loss" (about 1 dB) than the above-mentioned 3 dB (halving) decrease when using a splitter. Separate antennae is (are) best, tho'.
Agree re: a carefully made and oriented "T" dipole for indoor use.
Also agree with the above-mentioned proscription against amplifiers, which don't (generally? ever?) improve S/N.
Agree re: a carefully made and oriented "T" dipole for indoor use.
Also agree with the above-mentioned proscription against amplifiers, which don't (generally? ever?) improve S/N.
BillyBatts
ALOHA!
OP:
Without knowing the details of your FM expectations, nor how far you are from your proposed Broadcast Stations, suggesting a particular Indoor or Outdoor FM antenna is very difficult. It's basically like shooting darts at a board.
So my first dart would be to try a simple FM Dipole for each receiver. These are very inexpensive, and work quite well.
http://www.amazon.com/Parts-Express...=1438044523&sr=8-2&keywords=fm+dipole+antenna
If this is insufficient, you can easily spend more money and start looking at more expensive amplified antennas to increase gain.
Good luck
91r100gs
Lunatic Member
Try one of these, works great as long as your expectations are reasonable. I am pulling a nice quiet stereo signal on a station 45 air miles away with a Pioneer TX-8500II. The signal is stable with signal strength of 3.5 to 4 on a meter scaled at 5. The fine tuning knob really does work.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00009W3E2/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
The price really varies on these. My last two purchases were $10.99 and $8.99.
jbailey930
AK Member
Sorry for slight hijack...do you all get to 100% on your reception meters? I have a new to me Mac1900 with rabbit ears fed from my attic. I live about 20 miles NW of DC with many strong stations. I get 12+ stations at 80% with faintly lit mpx light. Thanks. And good luck OP!
JBL GUY
Addicted Member
The following are some general comments.
There are a number of variables here that may come into play.
The orientation and adjustment of the rabbit ears will affect the signal strength and the reception pattern of the antenna.
The basic, simple rabbit ear antenna is a 75 Ohm antenna and a lot of times 75 Ohm coaxial cable is connected directly to the antenna, but the rabbit ear type of antenna is a balanced antenna and the coaxial feed line is unbalanced.
This may result common mode current flowing on the outside of the shield of the coaxial cable, enabling the coaxial cable to act as an antenna. This may skew the reception pattern of the rabbit ear antenna. This may or may not be an issue.
One of the purposes of remotely locating an antenna, either inside or outside is to physically remove it from devices that may generate RFI/EMI.
The occurrence of common mode currents and the feed line acting as an antenna will allow the feed line to pick up unwanted noise.
The length and quality of the feed line will have an impact on the amount of signal that reaches the tuner or receiver.
In general I do not put a lot of stock in the absolute position of the received signal strength indicator on a tuner or receiver. In some cases a reading of 30 to 40 percent of full scale indicates a full quieting signal and in some cases an indicated signal level of 65 of 70 percent or higher may just be reaching the point of full quieting.
Then there is the issue of the signal to noise ratio of the signal. If there is RFI/EMI of sufficient amplitude it may affect the operation of the MPX detector circuit, resulting in poor stereo performance.
And multi-path signal issues come into play also.
The condition of the tuner section of the receiver also will play a part. It is not unusual for parts in older receivers to drift (change in value) and small changes in value of parts used in RF circuits may, can and will affect performance.
The above are just general comments. It is difficult to analyze specific reception issues without detailed information.
Again, RF signal reception (FM broadcast band reception) is location, location, location dependent. It depends on the amount of RF signal that is available to cause current flow in the antenna.
jbailey930
AK Member
Thanks for your response, JBL Guy! I will continue to adjust the positioning and I will look into a better antenna solution.
TudorTurtle
Well-Known Member
This antenna is the best of the 'simple' add-ons that I tried, better than the dipole and another one. Gets stations that the 2 previous simple ones couldn't.
MarioMania
Active Member
When I had my Stereo, I just used a VHF Antanna
Bunty2
Active Member
As inexpensive as they are, it would be smartest to get two T-wires mounted at ceiling level and outstretched facing your favorite stations. That way your antennas are best positioned for indoor reception and anyone walking near the antenna won't cause interference to the station. Your elevation will certainly effect reception. If at a high elevation, good reception may be easy. But if in the bottom of a valley, decent stereo reception may be difficult with most any indoor antenna.
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Visit the website fmfool.com for details on your stations. 20 miles is not so far...
Good luck!
