Indoor Antennas
Rabbit Ears aka Telescoping Adjustable VHF Dipoles 
Classic FM Antenna. This is the Rabbit Ear, with adjustable telescoping elements for tuning the antenna to specific frequencies. Works very well, a very good table top indoor FM antenna. You can find them with "Fine Tuning" knobs which have impedence matching circuitry which are beneficial for tweaking the best possible signal for your FM tuner. Its OK if yours has a UHF loop or UHF panel. You can also use amplified units like the Philips MANT510....but be sure that they dont include an FM trap...otherwise youll be killing your reception.
Comparison tests of Rabbit Ears vs Godar FM 1a vs BIC Beambox can be found
here.
FM DX Co. Indoor Dipole Antenna with Fine Tuning
This is a Rabbit Ear FM Dipole that is has sturdy telescoping chrome plated brass elements and an impedence matching fine tuning knob. Inspired by a similar offering from Radio Shack in years past. This may be the best indoor table top antenna on the market.
AM FM Reception Guide & Directory says
this about the FM DX Antenna Co. FM Indoor Dipole Antenna.....as well as
this....
Quote:
|
Meanwhile, a couple of changes have been made to the amazing Indoor Half-Wave Dipole that FM DX sells. First, the rods are much sturdier. Secondly, it is now available with several connector options without additional cost: standard screw-on F, push-on F, PAL, Twin lug, and PL259 (UHF). The main discovery that has been made with this antenna is that using it in true dipole fashion as a totally vertical antenna unleashes the complete potential rather than configuring it in the traditional rabbit ear configuration. The antenna will pick up inside just as well as an outdoor half-wave dipole mounted indoors but you have the advantage of tuning it exactly to the frequency you want plus the fine-tuning control allows each station to be perfectly tuned.
|
Twinlead Folded FM Dipole
Classic FM Antenna. This is 300ohm Twinlead wire in a folded dipole configuration cut to the middle of the FM band. A very good indoor antenna solution, that is why this cheapie is still around. You can possition and twist it in all kinds of configurations to bring in that favorite FM station of yours. This fellow FM listener has
tips on positioning the Classic Twinlead FM Dipole.
C.Crane FM Reflect Dipole Antenna
This is like the one above except it uses 75 ohm coax.....an improved FM Dipole?
NPR Labs says
this...
Quote:
We couldn't really keep selling all of these great radios without addressing the antenna issues which many of our customers have told us about. We think the FM Reflect is a very affordable FM antenna and is one of the best indoor antennas made. Not only is it affordable, but it is one of the quickest and easiest ways to improve the FM reception of your portable radio or stereo receiver. It's also the only FM antenna that you can bend and shape to take full advantage of the circular polarization now used by many FM stations. Because of its flat response it's also one of the few FM antennas that tested well with the new, High Definition (HD) FM radios.
Compared to other indoor FM antennas, the FM Reflect achieves a higher signal-to-noise ratio and is less susceptible to interference from surrounding objects and people. The advanced dipole design is up to 213% more powerful than a standard dipole antenna, and delivers maximum gain across the entire FM broadcast band. Unlike ordinary dipoles, there is no fall off near the end of the band with the FM Reflect antenna.
Size: 54" element with an 8-foot feed line. Weight: 8.5 oz. Comes with "F" connector, balun spade connector, and alligator clip.
|
Terk FM-50
The Terk FM-50 is a 1/2 wave dipole with remotely controlled bypassable 10db amplifier. Can be used indoors or outdoors.
Review of the Terk FM-50 can be found starting on page 55 (pdf page 52) of
AudioCritic Magazine Issue #25.
Godar FM1a (aka FM-1a)
Made in USA!
Here is Godar's well regarded log periodic FM1a on a lazy susan mount, atop of the legendary cult classic Proton 440 tuner with Schotz noise reduction circuitry. Godar has several other FM capable antennas as well.
fmtunerinfo.com comparison tests of Rabbit Ears vs Godar FM 1a vs BIC Beambox can be found
here.
Godar FM 2A
This antenna like the FM 1A, has some directionality, which is beneficial for multipath problems, and perhaps co channel and adjacent channel interference, but because of its size, is a bit awkward to aim if you have stations in different directions.
AudioPrism 7500 Antenna
Review of the 7500 can be found starting on page 65 (pdf page 57) of
AudioCritic Magazine Issue #23.
Quote:
|
Audioprism's Model 7500 is a pole four inches thick and seven feet tall set on a wood base. It has no amplifier, but its size gives it enough pulling power for suburban use. It is not directional.....omni-directional, passive design. Shiped with 15' of 75 ohm coaxial cable. Antenna element is black with a painted 13" wood base.
|
AudioPrism 8500 Antenna
Review of the 8500 can be found starting on page 65 (pdf page 57) of
AudioCritic Magazine Issue #23.
Quote:
|
High performance indoor FM antenna includes hard wired 20' long remote control and 20' of 75 ohm coaxial cable. The 8500 is passive, phased array design with 4 possible antenna directions and 3 different gain settings selected via remote control; omni, 0, 120, or 240 degrees. Gain settings 0 Db, -12 and -18 Db. A 12 VDC output wall adapter included. 5 feet tall x 12 in. diameter. Black with matching painted wood end pieces.
|
Magnum Dynalab SR-100 Silver Ribbon Antenna
Basically a fancier Rabbit Ear antenna, with folded dipoles and perhaps a bit more elegant aethetics.
Review of the MD SR-100 can be found starting on page 65 (pdf page 57) of
AudioCritic Magazine Issue #23.
The Super Antenna, MkIII
Quote:
You'd think it shouldn't be that hard to build a desktop antenna for FM. But the people who make "rabbit ears" work to make the outside look fine, and then pinch pennies on the inside, where they figure you won't see it. Besides, they don't know what they're doing. The rotary phase switch found on most antennas actually generates FM multipath distortion...and TV ghosts.
So we decided to design our own. It has only enough metal parts to make it work, and no dumb "phase" switch...those actually manufacture multipath. We then add a quality transformer, put in a plump shielded cable with a 24K gold plated F connector (an instant-connect plug that fits all modern TV sets). The result is the FM-S Super Antenna, now in its third incarnartion.
We tried it first on a TV set, and we were stunned. Without the phase switch, without a twin lead to act as a second antenna, and with minimum loss and interference thanks to the special cable, off-air broadcasts looked better than ever (yes, much better than on cable). The result on FM is dynamite. The Super Antenna covers all broadcast TV stations, channels 2 to 69, plus the FM band. We even have customers who tell us they're using a Super Antenna to pull in off-the-air high-definition signals.
The antenna is available with 21-day refund, less only our shipping cost
ORDER FM-S Super Antenna, $55 Canadien.
|
Terk HDR-O (aka HDRO)
For use indoors or outdoors.
Quote:
• Digital reception on both AM and FM
• Ultra Low Noise amplifier design
• High Gain on both bands for greater sensitivity
• High Compression / high harmonic attentuation
• Pure band seperation for optimal performance
• Easy to install - mast and wall-mount options included
|
FM DX Antenna Co. Indoor Rhombic FM Antenna
Made in USA!
This is more like a modified rhombic with reflector.
AM FM Recption Guide & Directory says
this about the new FM DX Antenna Co. Rhombic FM Antenna...
Quote:
|
FM DX Antenna Co is releasing a rhombic FM reception antenna that is intended for attic or crawl space mounting. This mostly directional antenna is a smaller directional antenna but offers 3.5 db gain across the FM band. It will work best when horizontal orientation is best due to space limitations or other concerns.
|
Barberpole FM & Shortwave Antenna
Search eBay for listings.
Quote:
Introducing the Barberpole 6 foot tall FM and shortwave antenna! We invite you to watch our video of the Barber's effectiveness and then continue reading on about this fantastic design guaranteed to bring incredible performance to your FM needs while serving as a great shortwave (or HF as it is also known) solution as well.
The Barberpole is proudly made in the USA out of high quality materials which are also produced in the USA. Comes complete with instruction manual, antenna, and mounting hardware. Works great by attaching via an alligator clip to your radio's collapsable rod antenna, or the alligator clip can be removed so that the oxygen free copper element can be plugged directly into the Hi-Z connection on your high end radio. The element is precision wrapped to gain maximum length from the supporting pole without too many turns that would result in choking out the signal. We've achieved this efficiency only through countless hours of testing and design utilizing different environments, radios, and terrain. In our tests, we've found that transporting a large antenna can be cumbersome. This is precisely why we've designed the antenna with a coupling so that it can be disassmbled for easy transport in your car or even strapped to the back of your motorcycle for those out of the way camping trips.
We've sold countless Barber's in local markets and venues to various amateur radio afficionado groups, and to countless others that need big FM receiving performance without a big price, and are now taking our tried and true product online! As a matter of fact, we're so sure that you'll be satisfied with our product that we will stand by it...
FOR LIFE!
You get an unconditional 30 day warranty. If for any reason this antenna is not for you, we give a full refund including shipping; just ship the product back, no questions asked. After that, we will warrant the Barber against defects in workmanship or material for the life of the product by offering repair or replacement (see instruction manual enclosed with product for a full warranty description).
The all weather Barber is a great outdoor antenna standing up to sun and moisture, but will also work extremely well indoors with exceptional performance for those without exterior mounting options. Bring an old radio to life with an antenna that can hang with the big boys, all for a low cost and a lifetime guarantee. Gain extra performance on the shortwave bands as well; far more than an internal antenna alone can do. Does your antenna do all of this? If not, get the Barberpole today!
|
APS Attic Intenna
Made in USA!
Quote:
Frequency Range: 88 - 108 MHz
Impedance: 75 Ohms
Dimensions: 48" tall x 8" round.
Average SWR: 1.5:1
Gain: 0 dBd across the entire band
F/B Ratio: Not Applicable
The InTenna outperforms other indoor antennas due to its wider bandwidth. Whips, j-poles, etc. have minimal surface areas, meaning they can’t possibly cover the entire FM band and maintain a proper impedance match or 0 dBd gain. We tested one of those indoor/outdoor whip antennas, and found it had a bandwidth of only 5.6 MHz - the FM band is 19.8 MHz wide!
An SWR (standing wave ratio) of 2.1:1 or less is considered acceptable in a receive antenna. Yet, this whip was as high as 5.1:1 at 88.1 MHz! The actual bandwidth of this antenna is from 99.9 MHz to 105.5 MHz!
The superior bandwidth characteristics of the InTenna are evident in the above graphs, and are due to the In-Tenna’s massive surface area - 861 square inches! No whip or j-pole comes close. Line loss is exacerbated as the impedance mismatch grows. In the case of the whip tested above, there will be close to a 3 dB loss(1) due to the impedance mismatch of the antenna alone.
Unfortunately, the indoor FM antenna market is rife with ludicrous claims: "our super duper skinny-whip has 2.5 dB of gain!" Since gain is measured over a half-wave dipole, to claim a dipole has gain over itself is silly. Whips, j-poles and the InTenna are all half-wave zero-dBd gain dipoles (at best). The more important question to be asked is: what is the impedance match (SWR) across the FM band?
|
Terk FM-2000 FM+
This has the same antenna elements, the "gamma loop" as the Terk Pi, but minus the adjustable power low noise GaAsFet amplifier.
Quote:
|
Terk's is inconspicuous. It's a thin plate about five inches square made to stand up or lie flat. Flat, it picks up signals from all directions
|
New York Times review/discussion of the Terk FM+ can be found
here and
here.
Terk FM-4000 Edge
PowerQ FM-02
.
Less advertising throughout
