07-16-2009, 01:11 PM
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EV's Best Top Rated FM & HD Radio Antenna Guide & Reviews
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Welcome to EV's FM & HD Radio Antenna Guide!
Just getting started folks so please be patient. I am not the world's authority on FM Technology/Broadcasting, Antennas or Antenna Theory & Design, nor HD Radio. There are many others more knowledgable and experienced than I regarding these topics. I am just an enthusiast that decided to write a helpful guide with the help of many others that have gone before me. The guide is and always will be imperfect...and I am still working on it daily....however, I think the effort will prove useful. If you have recommendations for additions to the list, they are most welcome, especially vintage or discontinued antennas. Seeking photos of vintage, discontinued, and current antennas as well.
Goals
Exhaustive overview of commercially available antennas
Reporting hands on testing and comparisons of antennas on FM analog and HD Radio broadcasts
Helping the Average Consumer make better antenna purchase decisions
Discussing antenna and reception issues for better antenna/system performance
Springboard of links and sources for further research for those so inclined
Historical record of vintage and discontinued FM antennas
Learn about FM Radio and HD Radio
Please join the forum and the discussion. Look forward to seeing you here. Please let me know if you liked the guide and found it helpful and how I can improve it.
Intro
Work in Progress....
Topics for further discussion and expansion....
Proper Lengths for telescoping or otherwise dipoles for FM Reception
AM/FM Combo Antennas and their Compromises
Philips SDV2750
Winegard Mystery Antenna from the 70s
FM Band - Where is it? What's it all about?
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FM Broadcast Band Wikipedia In most of the world, the FM broadcast band, used for broadcasting FM radio stations, goes from 87.5 to 108.0 MHz. The name "FM band" is misleading, since one can transmit FM on any frequency. All of these bands mentioned are in the VHF band which extends from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. In some countries FM broadcast radio is referred to as VHF.
In the United States, the twenty channels with center frequencies of 88.1–91.9 MHz (channels 201–220) constitute the reserved band, exclusively for non-commercial and educational (NCE) stations. All the other channels, with center frequencies 92.1–107.9 MHz (and 87.9 MHz, where used) may be used by both commercial and non-commercial stations. (Neither Canada nor Mexico observe this reservation.)
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Very High Frequency VHF Wikipedia: VHF (Very high frequency) is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency (HF), and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency (UHF).
The frequency allocation is done by ITU. Common uses for VHF are FM radio broadcast, television broadcast, land mobile stations (emergency, business, and military), Amateur Radio, marine communications, air traffic control communications and air navigation systems (e.g. VOR, DME & ILS).
United States and Canada
Frequency assignments between US and Canadian users are closely coordinated since much of the Canadian population is within VHF radio range of the US border. Certain discrete frequencies are reserved for radio astronomy. The general services in the VHF band are:
30–46 MHz: Licensed 2-way land mobile communication. [2]
30–88 MHz: Military VHF-FM, including SINCGARS
43–50 MHz: Cordless telephones, 49 MHz FM walkie-talkies and radio controlled toys, and mixed 2-way mobile communication. The FM broadcast band originally operated here (42-50 MHz) before moving to 88-108 MHz.
50–54 MHz: Amateur radio 6 meter band; 50 MHz is an amateur radio band used for a variety of uses including DXing, FM repeaters and radio control, which usually takes place on a "set-aside" band between 50.8 and 51 MHz.
55-72 and 77-88 MHz TV channels 2 through 6, known as "Band I" internationally; a tiny number of DTV stations will appear here. See North American broadcast television frequencies
72–76 MHz: Radio controlled models, industrial remote control, and other devices. Model aircraft operate on 72 MHz while surface models operate on 75 MHz in the USA and Canada, air navigation beacons 74.8-75.2 MHz.
88–108 MHz: FM radio broadcasting (88–92 non-commercial, 92–108 commercial in the United States) (Known as "Band II" internationally)
108–118 MHz: Air navigation beacons VOR
118–137 MHz: Airband for air traffic control, AM, 121.5 MHz is emergency frequency
137-138 Space research, space operations, meteorological satellite [3]
138–144 MHz: Land mobile, auxiliary civil services, satellite, space research, and other miscellaneous services
144–148 MHz: Amateur radio band 2 Meters
148-150 Land mobile, fixed, satellite
150–156 MHz: "VHF Business band," the unlicensed Multi-Use Radio Service (MURS), and other 2-way land mobile, FM
156–158 MHz VHF Marine Radio; narrow band FM, 156.8 MHz (Channel 16) is the maritime emergency and contact frequency.
160-161 MHz Railways [4]
162.40–162.55: NOAA Weather Stations, narrowband FM
175-216 MHz television channels 7 - 13, known as "Band III" internationally. A minority of DTV channels may appear here.
174–216 MHz: professional wireless microphones (low power, certain exact frequencies only)
216–222 MHz: land mobile, fixed, maritime mobile, [5]
222–225 MHz: 1.25 meters (US) (Canada 219-220, 222-225 MHz) Amateur radio
225 MHz and above: Military aircraft radio (225–400 MHz) AM, including HAVE QUICK, dGPS RTCM-104
The large technically and commercially valuable slice of the VHF spectrum taken up by television broadcasting has attracted the attention of many companies and governments recently, with the development of more efficient digital television broadcasting standards. In some countries much of this spectrum will likely become available (probably for sale) in the next decade or so (June 12, 2009, in the United States).
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FM Stands for Frequency Modulation. How does that work? How do you get FM Stereo sound?
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FM Broadcasting Wikipedia: FM broadcasting is a broadcast technology invented by Edwin Howard Armstrong that uses frequency modulation (FM) to provide high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. continued.....
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HD Radio: HD Radio the marketing name of iBiquity's IBOC technology - In Band on Channel....an offset carrier standard used to broadcast digital audio and data. HD Radio is a bit misleading because it isnt High Definition Audio, but rather its quality is variable between lower quality to mid quality MP3. However the advantages of digital are nearly absent backround hiss and distortion. I dont want to get into the technical aspects of HD Radio, nor the arguments over its advantages and disadvantages between it and analog FM as well as other digital broadcast standards here. The main point I want to get across here, is that HD Radio does NOT require a different or special antenna....standard, regular FM analog antennas work for HD Radio. Discussion HD Radio is encouraged in the thread.
One note about HD Radio, I would like to make is that because of its digital nature, it exhibits what is known as a digital cliff. What does that mean? It means that point of decoding or not decoding an HD Radio broadcast is a cliff, you either have enough to get clear audio or you dont. Its not a slow fade like analog. If you are familiar with OTA digital television, you may be familar with the digital cliff...its similar with HD Radio. This (along with its current low 1% broadcast power which may be changing soon) may have people scrambling for better antenna solutions. If you are on the digital cliff with HD Radio, what usually happens is that it reverts to the primary analog signal if its the HD1 signal. It can switch back and forth between these like FM Mono and FM Stereo of yor, which is very annoying. One solution is a Forced Analog switch, like the forced FM Mono switch of the past.
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Youtube Video of Chicago ABC News 7 report on HD Radio, Autumn 2008.
HD Radio: Are you listening?
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Important Characteristics of Antennas
There are several characteristics that are important to know in order to choose the appropriate antenna for your situation.
Gain: This number reflects the antennas ability to capture and transform radio wave energy into electrical energy that can be used by your tuner which then decodes the signal that your amplifier can use to drive your speakers to make sound waves that travel to your ears which convert sound wave energy into electrical pulses that your brain then decodes. Yeah! The most common figures used are dBi and the much more historically common dBd. Both represent a gain figure that relates the antennas ability to the ability of a reference antenna. In the case of dBd, that reference antenna is a 1/2 wave dipole cut to the length of the frequency/channel....dBi relates to an isotropic radiator, which is a theoretical point source of waves which exhibits the same magnitude or properties when measured in all directions. It has no preferred direction of radiation. It radiates uniformly in all directions over a sphere centred on the source. It is a reference radiator with which other sources are compared. These 2 figures relate to each other as dBd + 2.2 = dBi. 0 (zero) dBd means that the antenna is equal to a 1/2 dipole....indeed many of these antennas are 0 dBd and many are indeed 1/2 wave dipoles! It should be noted that a 1/2 wave dipole is a pretty good antenna, that is why it is used as a reference for judging other antennas....in other words 0 dBd aint too shabby! One more note, 3 dBd equals a doubling of capture ability over 0 dBd, 6 dBd...a doubling again or 4 times the capture ability of 0 dBd, and 9 dBd yet another doubling for 8 times the capture ability.
Front to Back Ratio, Directivity, Beamwidth, (and Multipath): As antenna theory generally works out, to increase gain, you usually have to direct the ability of the antenna to capture radio wave energy more effeciently in one direction at the expense of others. This is where the Front to Back Ratio number comes from...its the relationship of Forward Gain to Rear Gain. (Not getting into lobe discussion here.) This also can be thought of as Rear Signal Rejection. The higher the number the greater the rear rejection (and usually this corresponds to greater forward gain). As stated, dBd is the preferred historically used term, that is grounded in antenna theory....often dBi is used for psychological reasons to inflate the numbers for the unwary...but it is a valid modern standard often used in computer antenna modeling software.
Why would this be of interest to us? Well, if you have FM transmissions in mulitiple directions...then you may want to go with an Omni-Directional antenna with extremely low F/B ratios. It may be desireable to have a lot of rear rejection to help with multipath interference problems. Beamwidth is also related to F/B Ratio, in that high F/B ratios (which generally indicate high Forward Gain) also indicate tight Beamwidths. Beamwidth as a numerical value is generally described as the off axis point where gain is down 3 dBd compared to maximum forward gain. As you off angle from the direction the antenna is pointing, gain drops off as well, when you reach 3 dBd down, that angle is the measured Beamwidth. This is also important for multipath rejection and reducing or eliminating possible co-channel or adjacent channel interference.
What is this multipath and why should I be concerned about it? Multipath happens when objects in the environment reflect radio waves in different directions. Large geographical objects like hills and mountains and also smaller objects like buildings and trees can be sources of deflected/reflected signals. These reflected signals can be picked up with your antenna along with the direct transmitted signal and be passed along to your tuner which may be confused by these out of phase signals and thus reduce its ability to decode them cleanly...resulting in poor quality music reproduction. The tuner can jump back and forth from the primary and reflected signals. Tuners are designed to deal with this to varying degrees of success, but you can help the tuner by understanding mulitpath...identifying it as a source of trouble...and selecting a proper antenna to reduce it. Co channel and Adjacent Channel interference is similar except that the source of the objectionable or interfering signal is another FM broadcast, either right next to the frequency that you are attempting to listen to, or on the same frequency/channel at another distant location/direction.
Bi-Directional, Figure 8...........Directional...........Omnidirectional
Horizontal Dipole, Helical.......Yagi, Rhombic.......Whip, Vertical Dipole, Turnstile
Here you can visualize the directional nature of differing antenna designs.
Lets look at a 3D visualization of a Vertical Dipole...this may help you visualze what is going on, better.
The antenna is in the center standing up or in a vertical orientation. As you can see the round donut shape if cut in a horizontal cross section corresponds to the circular pattern of the Omni-Directional above. Now if you take your Vertical Dipole and turn it sideways to a horizontal position, then the donut rotates with it, now half of the donut is below ground with the rest arcing over the top fo the dipole. If you look at the Horizontal Dipole plot above, you will see that the Figure 8 pattern is a horizontal crossection of this 3D donut rotated on its side. In the horizontal position the dipoles nulls point off of the antenna ends, instead of up and down now side to side, thus it doesnt have a circular pattern.
Polarization: Circular, Vertical, and Horizontal: What you need to know!
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FM radio
The term "circular polarization" is often used erroneously to describe mixed polarity signals used mostly in FM radio (87.5 to 108.0 MHz), where a vertical and a horizontal component are propagated simultaneously by a single or a combined array. This has the effect of producing greater penetration into buildings and difficult reception areas than a signal with just one plane of polarization.
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Without getting to deeply into the physics aspect of polarization, what you really need to know is that FM is broadcast in both vertical and horizontal orientation, simultaneously most often. Some stations only broadcast on horizontal only, so you may need to look into a specific station you want or are having trouble with. In the past when vertical whips were the most common vehicle antennas, some broadcasters boost the power to their vertical broadcast antenna, at the expense of the horizontal broadcast antenna during rush hours....then later brought them back into equal or favoring the horizontal component of the broadcast antenna. Im not sure most FM users should concern themselves with all of that. What the average consumer may concern themselves with is atmospheric propagation issues. Horizontally oriented antennas may perform better than verticals at longer distances depending on the atmospheric propagation conditions. A good discussion of this can be found on Wikipedia, TV and FM DX. For this reason, you may favor a horizontally oriented antenna, depending on your needs and wants.
Amplification: Is it useful? Generally speaking the answer is a qualified NO. Amplification is useful for overcoming signal loses in long cable runs of over 100 ft or so at FM frequencies....or splitter loses. It can be useful in systems that use an undersized antenna, which starts off with a much lower signal and then boosts it to useable levels. However amplifying the signal introduces its own noise into the system and can degrade analog reproduction quality. Generally speaking amplification is much more useful (while still not being a panacea) for television reception....one reason being the noise of television tuners themselves is higher than a low noise amplifier....thus increasing the Signal to Noise ratio. FM tuners are generally less noisey and thus do not give this benefit. You will see that many antennas that offer amplification also offer selectable power gain or the ability to turn it off completely, which is a good feature for reasons stated....these selectable gain amplifiers do offer some flexibility in the system....but are not as good a solution as going with a larger higher gain properly placed antenna.
Types of Antennas and How They Compare to One Another Performance Wise
Here we will discuss the various types of antennas what characteristics they exhibit and how they relate to one another.
Location & Building Materials: Where to place the antenna?
What's the most optimal place to put your indoor antenna?
FM Interference Sources:
The FCC Interference Handbook (courtesy of AARL) gives advice on how to isolate the sources of electrical interference.
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Last edited by EscapeVelocity; 09-26-2009 at 02:24 PM.
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The Following 5 Users Say Thank You to EscapeVelocity For This Useful Post:
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07-16-2009, 01:42 PM
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A Word about Tuners: You must remember that the antenna is part of a complete receiving system. The tuner itself is just as important. Conversely so is the antenna. This guide is focused more on the antenna side of things...this is a reminder that the tuner performance is important as well. I realize that many will have a tuner already, either purchased or given as a gift, and are looking to upgrade an antenna from better performance, but if you can, research for a good tuner. Tuners will be lightly covered at the bottom of the guide, but are generally beyond the scope and goals of this guide. fmtunerinfo.com is a great site for tuner information. Other great reviews have been linked within the thread. Discussion of tuners is encouraged in the thread.
Speaking of the total system lets not forget cables...
Transmission Cables:
NAIM Audio poster bazz offers great concise but thorough advice here.
Mounting Solutions:
Here is a handy Antenna Installation Guide from Channel Master, that goes over several mounting options and other considerations in detail.
Ratings & Recommendations System:
Antenna Maxims to Remember HatTip/KenH
Generally Speaking
Outdoors is better than Indoors
Higher is better than Lower
Bigger is better than Smaller
Directional is better than Omnidirectional
Cheat Sheet
HD Radio does not require a special antenna, regular FM antennas work fine.
You may require a better FM antenna for HD Radio because of the digital cliff effect.
0 dBd (1/2 wave dipole) is a pretty good antenna.
dBd +2.2 = dBi
Every +3 dB = Doubling of Capture Ability or Signal Strength
Every -3 dB = Halving of Capture Ability or Signal Strength
F/B Ratio is a measure of directionality and rear rejection.
Beamwidth is a measuremnt of directionality.
Multipath is especially common in big cities.
Directional antennas with tighter beamwidths and higher F/B ratios can help defeat multipath.
Amplifiers are of limited use, not really recommended.
Horizontally oriented antennas may be better for longer distances.
Dont forget the rest of the system, tuners, cables, filters, splitters, baluns, and mounts.
Contents
Introduction
Contents
Indoor FM Antennas
Rabbit Ears - Telescoping VHF Dipole
FM DX Co. FM Rabbit Ears
Twinlead FM Dipole
FM Reflect Coax Dipole
Terk FM-50
Godar FM1a
Godar FM2a
AudioPrism 7500
AudioPrism 8500
Magnum Dynalab SR-100 Silver Ribbon
Terk HDR-O
FM DX Co. Rhombic
APS Attic Intenna
Terk FM-2000 FM+
Terk FM-4000 Edge
PowerQ FM-02
AM/FM Combo Indoor Antennas
Terk AF-1 "Q"
Terk Pi
Terk Tower
Radio Shack 15-1859
Terk HDR-I
Whip Antennas
Metz Co. AM/FM
Magnum Dynalab ST-2
Godar DX-1000
Fanfare FM-2G
Pixel Tech AFHD-4
Outdoor Dipole & Turnstile Antennas
Blake FM Omni
Triax FM Omni
FM DX Co. Vertical Dipole
SE Engineering 879
AntennaCraft FMSS
Winegard HD6010
Channel Master CM3026
Delhi CFM-2
Blonder Tongue BTY-2-FM
Yagi-Uda Antennas
Antennas Direct 3 Element
Antiference 1083
Blake FM 3
Triax FM 3
Blake FM 4
Triax FM 4
Winegard HD6000
Antiference 1085
Triax FM 5
Blonder Tongue BTY-5-FM
Blake FM 6
AntennaCraft FM6
Magnum Dynalab MD-6
Blake FM 8
Winegard HD6055p
Triax FM 8
APS 9B
Winegard HD6065p
Magnum Dynalab MD-10
APS 13
Ron Smith Aerials
DIY FM Antennas
Zip Cord or Speaker Wire Antenna
Loops
Yagi
Rhombic
VHF/UHF Combo Television Antennas
Philips MANT510
Channel Master CM3016
Philips V Combo
Winegard 7082p
Amplifiers, Bandpass Filters, Diplexers, and Signal Analyzers, etc
Winegard CA8800
Tin Lee Filters
Magnum Dynalab 205 Signal Sleuth
Channel Master 3075 Balun
Belden 1505A & 1694A Cables
Rotors
Mounts
HD Radio Tuners & Radios
Sony XDR-F1HD
Microsoft ZuneHD
Gems from Yesteryear - Discontinued and Vintage Antennas
Akai Carbon FA-78
Winegard SteroTron FM4400
AudioPrism HQ6500
Parsec ARC
Parsec LS4
Parsec WaveCatcher
Parsec 2416 Loop
Radio Shack 15-1833
Radio Shack 15-1821
Technics SH-F101
Sony AN-300
BIC Beambox FM6
BIC Beambox FM8
BIC Beambox FM10
Finco FM4G
Finco FM5
Channel Master Stereo Probe 9
Jerrold/Wade/Delhi QFM-9
AntennaCraft FM10
AntennaCraft FM13
APS 14
Links to Useful Information and Websites
Bibliography - Resources for Further Research
Review
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Last edited by EscapeVelocity; 11-14-2009 at 10:28 AM.
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07-16-2009, 01:46 PM
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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....
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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.
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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...
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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.
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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.
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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.
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AudioPrism 8500 Antenna
Review of the 8500 can be found starting on page 65 (pdf page 57) of AudioCritic Magazine Issue #23.
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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.
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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.
Terk HDR-O (aka HDRO)
For use indoors or outdoors.
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• 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
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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...
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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.
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APS Attic Intenna
Made in USA!
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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?
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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.
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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
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New York Times review/discussion of the Terk FM+ can be found here and here.
Terk FM-4000 Edge
PowerQ FM-02
AM/FM Combo Antennas
Terk AF-1 "Q"
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The Terk AM/FM "Q" is TERK's premium amplified indoor AM/FM antenna. The AM/FM Q features a host of advanced technologies for exceptional antenna performance, such as Terk's unique Pin-Dot Pre-Tuning that zeroes in on even hard-to-get stations by tuning the antenna to the station's frequency.
The AM/FM Q is easy to install and use and its compact, stylish high-tech design complements any home entertainment installation. The "Q's" Pin-Dot Pre-Tuning uses calibrated LEDs to adjust the antenna to a specific frequency for best reception of individual stations. The continuously adjustable high-power (-20 to +44dB) amplifier can be precisely adjusted via LED display for optimum signal strength for each station. The patented Non-Coinduction circuitry isolates AM and FM antenna elements from each other for improved reception.
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Terk AF-9925 Pi AM/FM Indoor Amplified Loop Antenna
The Terk Pi combines the ubiquitous too small amplified FM Loop with a good simple passive AM Loop antenna....thus adding to its functionality and versatility. It has a good low noise GAsFet adjustable gain amplifier as well. Designed by the legendary Larry Schotz, the Terk Pi's FM section is about as good as these can get....add in the useful AM Loop and you have a winner. However it may be better to go with seperate AM and FM antennas.
New York Times review/discussion of the Terk Pi can be found here and here.
PC World review of the Terk Pi can be found here.
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Looking to get better sound from your favorite AM and FM radio stations? Terk's Pi powered antenna reels in distant signals and clears up stronger ones for dramatically improved radio reception. Standing just 6-1/4" high and 2-11/16" deep, the compact Pi sports separate FM (amplified) and AM (passive) antennas. The AM loop is movable, so it swings away from the unit for optimum AM reception. And Terk's patented Non-Coinduction™ technology isolates the antennas from each other, eliminating potential interference.
The Pi's FM antenna features an adjustable amplifier that can really boost your FM signals. Set it to maximum strength for pulling in weaker stations, or tone down the amplification to avoid "over-boosting" closer signals. Terk's Gamma-Loop™ technology cleans up radio broadcasts, significantly reducing background static and hiss for increased signal-to-noise ratio and clearer sound. Available in white or black.
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Quote:
• Patented Non-Coinduction circuitry isolates AM and FM antenna elements from each other for improved reception
• Built-in high-gain, low-noise amplifier can be adjusted from -20dB to +42dB to strengthen reception of weaker or distant stations, without over-boosting stronger or closer stations
• Exclusive Gamma-Loop technology reduces noise before amplifying FM signals, for clearest, quietest FM reception
• LED amplifier gain indicators
• AM antenna moves away from FM antenna for best FM performance
• Omnidirectional or directional FM operation-omnidirectional when placed vertically or directional when placed horizontally to zero in on hard-to-get stations
• Non-skid base keeps antenna in place during adjustment
• Included accessories: (1) TERK AF9925 AM/FM pi Radio Antenna (1) 75 Ohm-to-75 Ohm transformer, (1) 75 Ohm-to-300 Ohm adapter, (1) AC/DC power adapter
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Terk AF-9330 AM/FM Indoor Amplified Tower Antenna
Here are the specs and features of the Terk Tower.
New York Times review/discussion of the Terk Tower can be found here and here.
Quote:
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Terk's FM 9300, a slim, tapering tower 17 inches tall, picks up signals from all directions when standing and, when on its side, focuses on stations it is pointed to. Its built-in amplifier can be adjusted to strengthen signals but not to weaken them. On its side, and pointed at the clearest signal, this antenna screens out unwanted signals much better than the other Terks.
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Radio Shack 1859
Terk HDR-I
Comment on the web...
Quote:
I just wanted to unofficially comment on the low noise FM preamplifier built into the Terk HDR-I indoor antenna. I previously stated that the over-all performance of the stand-alone device I removed the AM/FM antenna element from the Terk after removing the base enclosure screws which revealed the active electronics portion of the device.
I don't have any Spectrum analyzer equipment, but I suspect that the dual gate mosfet design allows for a very linear gain characteristic over its full gain control range which extends BELOW unity gain to as much as +20dB. This can allow for usable gain without compromising HD recovery with an existing dipole. It MIGHT even help to minimize some digital signal fluctuations but no where near all of them. Since I can't measure ANYTHING objectively, I'd leave it to the curious, bold and adventurous, to run a similar test ( which WILL VOID ANY WARRANTY on the device) to attach the supplied FM Balun to the former FM antenna input connections on the circuit board and do your own A-B tests by switching the Terk preamp in and out of circuit with your FM antenna input to your receiver ( in my case the Accurian TTR); or better yet, perhaps someone with the necessary RF Spectrum analyzer equipment, could make some comparison charts with HD capable reception comparisons of this device, versus the unamplified signals. I'd love to see if this is one redeemable quality associated with the overall design of the Terk HDR-I device for FM receiving purposes.
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Last edited by EscapeVelocity; 09-04-2009 at 06:32 PM.
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07-16-2009, 01:48 PM
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#5 (permalink)
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Whip Antennas
The classic whip antenna, youve probably seen these on cars and trucks. The circular polarization of FM signals allows antennas in both vertical and horizontal and everywhere inbetween positions to recieve them well. FM whips are cut to the appropriate size for the 1/2 wave somewhere near the center of the FM band. These below are some of the higher priced whips with generally superior build quality....each makes their own claims. But many of those car and truck whips are essentially as good, but note that many car whips are a bit short on the 30ish inch 1/4 wave length side instead of the 1/2 wave length in the 50-60ish inch range. While the longer 1/2 wave whip is more desireable (wider vertical beamwidth)....the 1/4 wave whips work very well too. Note that Pixel Technologies comes with a low noise amplifier, which may or may not be beneficial. Most FM enthusiasts stay away from amplification and let their sensitive tuners do the work. Note the Godar has a telescoping whip for fine tuning the length to the frequency on the dial, this also makes it less practical for outdoor use due to water infiltration concerns, but if you are limited to indoor use this gives you an advantage.
Metz Communication Co. AM/FM Antenna
Quote:
Key Features
Stainless Steel 17-7ph Whip (Replacement Whip #254)
Stainless Steel Housing
Gold plated Whip Post
Stainless Steel Mounting Bracket
UV resistant Cap
All connections soldered
Compression Whip retainer
8 oz total weight
Coax Connector
Lifetime Warranty on antenna coil
Technical Specifications
Frequency Range - Standard AM/FM reception
Whip length 54 inches
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Here is an antenna designed for marine use, where a longer whip has been added to maybe a tad short of the center of the FM frequency band. On Metz website, you can see their other very similar products with various length whips for targeted use on other frequencies.
Magnum Dynalab ST-2
AudioReviews of the ST-2 can be found here.
Godar DXR 1000
The Godar DXR 1000 allows for adjusting the length of the antenna via its teslescoping element, to tune for specific frequencies, giving it an edge over the others here, especially for indoor use where you can easily access the whip. Telescoping elements may not be suited for outdoor use.
Fanfare FM2-G
Made in USA!
Fanfare FM2-G Reviewed by Stereophile Magazine in '97
This antenna is also offered in a special configuration cut to be optimized toward the lower frequencies in the FM band for NPR and College Radio....the appropriately named FM2-G C....which I really like....as often the best quality and most interesting/entertaining FM broadcasts can be found on the non commercial end of the dial 88-92 MHz.
Stainless steel whip, coil loaded.
AudioReviews of the FM-2G can be found here.
Pixel Technologies AM/FM/HD Radio AFHD-4
Quote:
• Digital reception on both AM and FM
• Ultra Low Noise amplifier design
• High Gain on both bands for greater sensitivity
• Pure band seperation for optimal performance
• Easy to install - mast and wall-mount options included
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Quote:
Specifications:
Antenna length: 48 inches
Frequency of operation:
AM Band 500 KHz to 1750 KHz
FM Band 88MHz -108 MHz
Ground plane required: None
AM capture length: 300 inches
AM / FM Band Separator Performance:
FM rejection in AM band: > 50 dB
AM rejection in FM band: > 60 dB
AM/FM Pass-band loss: < 1dB
AM load impedance: 300 ohms
FM load impedance: 75 ohms
Antenna Beam width: Omni-directional
Reception Capability:
Receiver Mode
Reliable Good Quality Daytime Reception
FM Stereo
80 miles
FM HD
50 miles
AM (Mono)
90 miles
AM HD
50 miles
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Last edited by EscapeVelocity; 10-12-2009 at 03:59 PM.
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07-16-2009, 01:50 PM
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#6 (permalink)
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Outdoor Dipoles & Turnstile Antennas
These are good outdoor solutions (and can be used in attics and indoors) for people with FM stations in all directions. I really like the single dipoles, the SE Engineering is fantastic high quality build, but pricey, but has flexible mounting options and hardware. Im not too sure about how the circular folded dipoles from Britain work, but they are not as effective as a straight 1/2 wave dipole as you can see, they are about -3 dBd, but do offer 360 degree coverage. The double crossed dipoles, also known as turnstile, work OK and are easy to find. They are at 90 degrees to one another so that each covers the others null off the ends of the other dipole respectively, thus giving full 360 degree coverage....however these antennas do affect one another and their signal joining results in a few dB of loss over a basic 1/2 wave dipole, about -3 dBd. The Blonder Tongue is a higher build quality than these others, and the price reflects that, not worth it in my opinion....but if you want the best...
These are great for outdoor mounting, roof mounts, and attic installs.
Triax FM Omni Note this is a UK product...shipping can be cost prohibitive.
Quote:
Gain: -2 dBd
F/B Ratio: 0 dBd
Beamwidth: +/- 180
Width: 505 mm
Windload: 16N
Weight: 0.6 kg
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Blake FM Omni Note this is a UK product...shipping could be cost prohibitive.
FM DX Antenna Co. FM 1/2 Wave Dipole
Made in USA!
This is a 1/2 wave vertical dipole is simple and effective.
SE Engineering SE-879
Quote:
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The SE Engineering 879 is a 1/2 wave horizontal or vertical mount dipole. Copper nikel alloy elements, coated with polyurethane on top of epoxy. Stainless steel hardware and gold plated connector. Feedpoint is set for a perfect 75 Ohms. Recieves in 2 directions. Horizontal mount is best for flat land.
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I really like this antenna, albeit its a bit pricey, so didnt make the Best Buy list.
AntennaCraft FM-SS (also sold as Archer/Radio Shack #15-2164)
Made in USA!
DTVUSA Forum antenna guru Piggie says this....
Quote:
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...if you live in town and just want a solid signal indoors the AntennaCraft FMSS is a great deal. None of the more expensive omnis out perform it. It only has unity gain but the second element gets rid of the nulls off the end of a single folded dipole.
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Winegard HD 6010
Made in USA!
Quote:
300 ohm output / 75 ohm transformer included
Boom Length: 10"
Turning Radius: 41
Maximun Width: 67
Height: 10.25
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Channel Master CM 3026
Delhi CFM-2
Made in Canada!
Wade has discontinued its Delhi consumer line of antennas, so this may be dissappearing soon. Added for comprehensiveness sake.
Blonder Tongue BTY-2-FM
Made in USA!
Blonder Tongue is a professional, commercial, industrial oriented company, but offers some very high quality consumer products that may be of interest to enthusiasts....but youll pay extra for it. Never the less...good stuff.
Last edited by EscapeVelocity; 09-09-2009 at 10:21 PM.
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07-16-2009, 01:52 PM
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#7 (permalink)
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Yagi-Uda Antennas
Yagi antennas are where the real increases in gain start coming into play. They also bring directionality into play too.
I have included some UK products here as well, for comparison purposes, or you might like to try one.
Antennas Direct 3-Element FM Radio Antenna
Other yagis here offer better performance for FM, and in smaller form factors. Not recommended.
Quote:
Range: Up to 60 miles
4.5 dBi Gain
Length: 47"
Width: 109"
Weight:5.5 lbs.
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Antiference 1083 Note this is a UK product...shipping could be cost prohibitive.
Quote:
Forward Gain 7.2dBi
Front/Back Ratio 15dBi
Acceptance Angle deg ± 32°
Windage N (at 130km/h) 67N
Length 860mm
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Blake FM 3 Element Note this is a UK product...shipping could be cost prohibitive.
Quote:
Forward Gain: 5 dBd, 7.2 dBi
Beamwidth: 35 degrees
F/B Ratio: 15 dB
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Triax FM-3 Note this is a UK product...shipping could be cost prohibitive.
Quote:
Frequency Range 88 - 108MHz
Forward Gain 6 dBi
Front To Back Ratio 16 dB
Beamwidth +/-35 Degrees
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Blake FM 4 Note this is a UK product....shipping could be prohibitive.
Quote:
Forward Gain: 6 dBd
Beamwidth: +/- 33 degrees
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Triax FM 4 Note this is a UK product....shipping could be cost prohibitive.
Quote:
Gain: 7 dBi, 4.8 dBd
Beamwidth: +/- 32 degrees
F/B Ratio: 15 dB
Length: 1572 mm
Width: 1577 mm
Weight: 1.5 kg
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Winegard HD 6000
Made in USA!
This is an interesting antenna, with a log-yagi design, using 2 driven elements, plus a reflector and a director. Im very high on this antenna. Its the only smaller FM yagi available in the US, and offers good performance. I prefer it over the AntennaCraft FM6. This has a boomlength of only half a wave, whereas the FM6 is a full wave long, yet doesnt offer much improvement in the way of gain (although K6STI offers some homebrew improvements for the AC FM6). Its smaller form factor helps with attic installations as well.
Quote:
Gain: 5 dBd
Beamwidth: 70 degrees
F/B Ratio: 12 dB average
Boom Length: 33
Height: 3
Turning Radius: 39
Maximum Width: 65.5
Output Impedance: 300 ohm / 75 ohm with included transformer
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Antiference 1085 Note this is a UK product...shipping could be prohibitive.
Quote:
Forward Gain 9.1dBi
Front/Back Ratio 16dBi
Acceptance Angle deg 28°
Windage N (at 130km/h) 128N
Length 2052mm
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Triax FM-5 Note this is a UK product....shipping could be prohibitive.
This is one of the most popular FM antennas in the UK.
K6STI's analysis of the Triax FM 5 can be found here.
Quote:
Gain: 8.0 dBi, 5.8 dBd
Band: 87-108MHz
Front/Back: >20dB
Windload (N): 80
Beamwidth: +/- 27 degrees
Balun: 75ohm
Length: 1932 mm
Width: 1577 mm
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Blonder Tongue BTY-5-LB Single Channel FM Antenna 5 Elements 88-108 MHz
Made in USA!
Blake FM 6 Element Note this is a UK product...shipping could be cost prohibitive.
Quote:
Gain: 8 dBd
Length: 2100 mm
Weight: 1.7 kg
Width: 1700 mm
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AntennaCraft FM-6 (also sold as Radio Shack/Archer #15-2163)
Made in USA!
This is a very common antenna, as it was sold at Radio Shacks across the land up until recently. It offers one of the best price to performance ratios around.
K6STI's analysis of the AntennaCraft FM6 can be found here.
Magnum Dynalab MD-6
Blake FM 8 Element Note this is a UK product...shipping could be cost prohibitive.
Quote:
Gain: 9 dBd
Length: 2400 mm
Weight: 5.1 kg
Width: 1700 mm
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Winegard HD 6055P
Made in USA!
Quote:
8 elements
82" Boom length
76" Turning Radius
69" Maximum Width
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Triax FM-8S Note: This is a UK product...shipping could be prohibitive.
K6STI's analysis of the Triax FM-8 can be found here.
Quote:
9.5dB Gain
24dB Front/Back
±21° Beamwidth
75 Balun
128 Windload (N)
Weight 3.2 kg
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APS 9
Made in USA!
K6STI's analysis of the APS 9B can be found here.
Winegard HD 6065P
Made in USA!
K6STI's analysis of the Winegard 6065P can be found here.
Quote:
10 Elements
Boom Length 127"
Turning Radius 76"
Maximum Width 69"
Vertical Height 6"
Element Diameter 3/8"
Shipping Weight 10.1 lbs.
Electrical Specifications:
Frequency 88MHz 98MHz 108MHz
dB Gain Over
Reference Dipole 9.4 10.6 10.6
Beamwidth at Half Power Points 59° 53° 48°
Front-To-Back Ratio 18dB 19dB 20dB
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Magnum Dynalab MD-10
APS 13
Made in USA!
The Antenna Performance APS-13 is probably the highest gain antenna currently available for FM reception. The forward gain is 10dBd average. F/B Ratio is up to 30 dB!
AudioReviews of the APS 13 can be found here.
K6STI's analyis of the APS 13 can be found here.
Ron Smith Aerials Note this is a UK product...shipping could be cost prohibitve.
Ron Smith Aerials in the UK offers a line of modular antenna kits...you can expand to higher gain and more directivity down the road! Be sure to check out the FM Aerials and Specifications pages...Galaxy and Orion lines.
The driven element is an FM Loop, surrounded by directors and reflectors, including corner reflectors. Kind of like a Quagi but a bit more busy.
Last edited by EscapeVelocity; 09-10-2009 at 08:22 PM.
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07-16-2009, 01:57 PM
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#8 (permalink)
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Do It Yourself DIY Antennas
Quick note about the DIY designs here. The Rhombic is by far the best, offering high gain and high F/B Ratio directionality. The Yagi and Loops next @ about 5 to 6 dBd gain, and then the Twinlead Folded Dipole and J-Poles at about 0 to 1 dBd gain. The Rhombic is very large and a bit tricky to make, however. The Loop offers the best ease of make to performance ratio, IMO, though the Yagi offers better Rear Rejection F/B Ratio. The Half Arsed Zip Cord Antenna (properly sized) is a pretty good temporary antenna until you can upgrade to something better...it has impedence mismatch losses and standing & reflected waves which reduce its effectiveness, but still offers something in the range of -3 to -6 dBd gain.
Quote:
Half-Arsed Zip Cord Antenna (aka Lamp Cord & Speaker Wire)
This is the classic manuveur, take a piece of extra speaker wire or lamp cord and hook it up to the 300ohm inputs of your tuner. Savvy folks have enough length to mount it high about 60" vertical (1/2 wave at FM frequencies), and also pull the L&R wires apart about 32" at the end and make a T for an improved antenna (30" a side = 60" total for the top part of the T, which equals a 1/2 wave at the center of the FM band more or less)....an improvised zip cord dipole cut to length for the FM band! Impedence mismatch is way off, but it'll work in a pinch.
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VHF/UHF/FM Combo Antennas
You can use your television antennas as an FM antenna as well. A lot of VHF antennas or UHF/VHF combo antennas can be used as FM antennas.....as FM is smack dab in between VHF Lo and VHF Hi bands (closer to VHF Lo). So there are literally thousands of VHF television antennas available for use as FM antennas. Not every VHF antenna is for FM though, some have FM traps integrated into their circuitry to tone down FM interference in the VHF High and VHF Low Ch. 6 television frequencies. Generally speaking, television antennas that cover VHF Low peform better on FM than VHF High only or VHF High/UHF antennas...though all of them will work for FM. UHF only antennas, not so much.
Many of these TV antennas are already installed on peoples roofs. If you have such an antenna, then all you need is an FM Band Seperator and youre in business. See the Winegard CA 8800 FM Band Separator below.
Here are some examples...
Philips MANT510
Yes, even indoor UHF/VHF antennas will work. Some of them incorporate FM Traps though. This one does not, it also is amplified. Make sure you adjust the Rabbit Ear VHF Dipoles to the appropriate length for best functioning....about 50" to 60" total or 25" to 30" a side.
Channel Master CM 3016
This one is particularly good on FM....with its quad-V Vhf section.
Philips SDV7700K/17
This Philips has a V mounted VHF section....in phase for extra VHF umph.
Winegard 7082P
A fine example of the all band VHF Low/FM/VHF High/UHF antenna.
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Last edited by EscapeVelocity; 09-05-2009 at 10:49 PM.
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07-16-2009, 01:57 PM
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#9 (permalink)
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Amplifiers, Bandpass Filters, Diplexers, Matching Transformers, Rotors, Mounts, Cables etc.
Winegard CA 8800 FM Band Separator/Coupler
Quote:
Input and Ouput connections are 75 ohm F-type
• AC Passive on TV set side.
• Indoor type mounts anywhere with wood screws.
• Three F-Connectors
• Insertion loss -0.4 dB
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The primary purpose of this unit, is to seperate the FM band out of a cable from VHF Low, VHF High, and UHF Television and split them to seperate outputs so that you can use your combination VHF/FM/UHF antenna for both the television and FM tuners. It can also be used to join an FM antenna into the same line as your Television antenna so you only have one coax cable run from the mast.....then you split the FM signal back out using another CA 8800 on the other end....however it must be housed in a protective water resistant box at the mast or roof(unless your antennas are in the attic). One more use for it is as an FM trap for your televison, or a VHF Low trap for your FM tuner.....the filters on either of the 2 inputs act in this manner....thus allowing you to attenuate strong interfering signals from either band into the other.
Tin Lee Filters & Stuff
Tin Lee Electronics in Canada, pruduces high quality products. The link is to the page of his standard FM repetoire. Tin Lee also produces a wide range of satelitte, cable, and OTA television products. Can design and build custom products to specification. Great stuff! Check it out.
Magnum Dynalab MD-205 Signal Sleuth FM Signal Amplifier
Quote:
Amplifies weak FM signals cleanly
Attenuates strong, harsh signals without coloration
Stabilizes FM antenna (and FM cable) signals
Separates interfering adjacent-station signals
Reduces multipath problems
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A Classic-Audio.com review of the Signal Sleuth can be found here.
300 ohm to 75 ohm Matching Transformer Baluns
These are useful for matching antenna impedence to cable run impedence, or tuner inputs. There are many different brands and styles. Below is the Channel Master 3075, a high quality balun that can be used indoors or outdoors with relatively low insertion loss. The second pic is of a generic push on balun, useful at the back of tuners if you only have 75 ohm F antenna inputs. These can be used in reverse, or in either direction.
Transmission Cables
Quad Shield RG6 is the way to go...especially for longer runs....for low loss and good shielding from interference souces. Remember that not all RG6 Quad Shield cables are equal, generally, you get what you pay for. The cheap stuff at Walmart or Home Depot is not the equal of Belden Quad Shield RG6.
I recommend Belden 7915A Duobond Plus, that are Tri-Shield with solid copper cores, and a special shorting resistant jacket. When you want the best...this is for you. Available at Broadbandutopia at many lengths with Thomas & Betts Snap & Seal F connectors.
Quote:
Duobond®
Duobond is essentially the same construction as Duofoil (a laminated shielding tape consisting of aluminum foil/plastic film/aluminum foil), but with an extra layer of heat-sensitive adhesive bonding the foil shield to the dielectric core. This foil shield provides 100% coverage and ensures maximum shield protection.
Duobond II (Foil/Braid)
Combines all the features of Duobond with an outer braid applied for greater protection against interference and to increase the overall tensile strength.
Duobond Plus®
This shield features the same foil/braid/foil construction as Duobond II but with the additional of a shorting fold in the outermost foil. This fold prevents a slot opening from being created in the shield, thereby preventing signal egress or ingress. This unique feature creates the effect of a solid metal conduit, which improves the high-frequency performance of the cable.
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These 2 are superior quality cables from Belden as well, with solid coppoer cores. RG59 for short runs is fine, especially at FM frequencies, it is also a bit more pliable for tight corners of wall runs.
Blue Jeans Cable is a great company to purchase cables from. Stick it Monster Cable!
Belden 1694A RG6
Belden 1505A RG59
Rotors
If you are in a rural area or like DXing for distance stations, you can mount your antenna using a rotor, which allows you to rotate the high gain yagi antenna and point it in different directions for different stations. I have no advice on which models are best...the picture below is just an example.
Mounting Solutions
Here is a handy Antenna Installation Guide from Channel Master, that goes over several mounting options in detail.
HD Radio Tuners & Radios
Sony XDR-F1HD Tuner
This tuner has been lauded far and wide, as being an excellent HD Radio tuner, and on top of that having one of the best FM analog tuners, sensitivity and selectivity, of all time! Beating out lots of oldies but goldies from yesteryear!
K6STI has an in depth analysis and review here.
Nice review from David's DXing Website here.
CNET says this...
Quote:
The good:
Budget-priced AM/FM HD Radio component delivers extraordinary sound quality and low-noise reception; small size; remote control; bright backlit LCD screen.
The bad:
No digital output; weak HD signals cause the XDR-F1HD to switch back and forth between analog and HD; the memory doesn't retain station presets if the radio is unplugged from AC power.
The bottom line:
Hailed by audiophiles as one of the greatest tuners ever, the Sony XDR-F1HD is arguably the best--and most affordable--way to add HD radio to any stereo system.
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Microsoft ZuneHD
Zune HD is the first Zune model to feature a touch-screen interface similar to that found on Apple's iPhone....a 3.3" OLED screen. It also offers a built-in HD Radio receiver, 720p HD video output capabilities, a Wi-Fi antenna, and a touch screen optimized Explorer Team developed browser. Zune HD uses Nvidia's Tegra chip, an ultralow-power HD processor, to achieve high-definition output. All for $100 less than its target, Apple's iTouch. Available September 15th. Biggest complaints are limited storage, 16GB & 32GB versions.
I wonder what kind of antenna this ships with for HD Radio/FM?
Here is the CNet video review of Zune HD.
Zune.net ZuneHD page
Youtube Video: 5 Minute Zune HD Review
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Last edited by EscapeVelocity; 09-26-2009 at 03:13 PM.
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The Following User Says Thank You to EscapeVelocity For This Useful Post:
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07-16-2009, 01:58 PM
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#10 (permalink)
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Gems from Yesteryear - Compendium of Discontinued and Vintage Antennas
Akai Carbon FA-7
This unit includes.....6 inches tall, 14 inches wide tip to tip, battery powered by 2 D or C cells, rotatable, tuning dial by frequency, on/off switch with light, battery test switch.
More close-up pictures here.
Winegard StereoTron FM 4400
AudioPrism HQ 6500
75 ohm F connector.
Review of the 6500 can be found starting on page 65 (pdf page 57) of AudioCritic Magazine Issue #23.
Quote:
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Audioprism's Hi-Q 6500 is a flat box 9 by 9 by 2 1/4 inches. It is designed for FM listeners in large-city downtowns where there are many high buildings; there the problems include too many strong signals rather than weak ones. Its frequency selector knob helps it filter out interfering signals, while another knob tames signals that are strong enough to overload the tuner.
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Parsec ARC
You can see the specsheet for the Parsec ARC here. AM/FM combo antenna, with frequency tuning.
Quote:
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The Parsec Arc is about the size of many FM tuners. It has a frequency selector knob, but it can strengthen signals, which makes it better for surburban than for city use. Its frequency selection and amplification can also be used to improve AM reception, as can a knob that aims the antenna's AM section and a switch that filters out some AM interference.
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Parsec LS-4
Made in USA!
Here are the specs and features of the LS4.
New York Times review/discussion of the Parsec LS-4 can be found here.
Parsec WaveCatcher
Parsec 2416 FM Antenna
Little information on this one. Ill see if I can pick one up and change that. It has F connectors.
Radio Shack 1833
Radio Shack 1821C (also A and B)
This is the silver version, also comes in black.
Technics SH-F101
Specs on the link...
Sony AN-300
Amplified Helical Antenna with Manual or Auto tuning.
BIC Beam Box FM6
Not as desireable as the either the FM8 or FM10, lacks Narrow/Wide band switch, and frequency tuning. However sometimes simplicity my better suit the user.
BIC Beam Box FM 8
The highly regarded Beambox allows you to select elements situated within the box for changing direction and nulls....helps with multipath and perhaps co channel interference. The FM-8 has 300ohm output connections only. Note the whips, dipoles and rabbit ears all have higher gain than this.
Here is the BIC Beam Box FM8 manual pdf.
Most of these specs besides dimensions and weight apply to the BeamBox FM10 as well.
Quote:
Frequency range: 88 MHz to 108 MHz.
Antenna Gain: - 7 dB typ. (narrowband), - 14 dB typ. (broadband).
Directivity: Four selectable electronically oriented "figure-8" patterns.
Receiving Elements: Four 8th-wavelength aluminium elements.
Circuitry: Two orthogonal, capacitively loaded, foreshortened dipoles with tuned connecting circuit.
Broadband mode: directly coupled with antenna arms.
Narrowband mode: decoupled by impedance matching capacitors through 4- gang variable capacitor.
Controls: Electronic orientation (4-position), bandwith (broad/narrow), tuning (continiously variable, 88 MHz to 108 MHz)
Output impedance: 300 ohm balanced - for 75 Ohm operation external balun transformer with coaxial connector and cable required.
Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR): Less than 1.7 to 1 (narrowband)
Bandwith: in Narrow-Bandwith position 3 MHz typ. @ - 3 dB points.
Mechanical specifications:
Dimensions: 12-7/8" wide, 14" deep, 3-1/2" high.
Net Weight: 7 lbs (3.2 kg)
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BIC Beam Box FM 10
Basically the same as the Beambox FM-8, but with better aesthetics, and a 75ohm F Connector output as well as a 300ohm.
Here is the BIC Beam Box FM10 manual pdf.
fmtunerinfo.com comparison tests of Rabbit Ears vs Godar FM 1a vs BIC Beambox can be found here. Results should apply to the BIC Beambox FM-8 as well.
Top of BeamBox FM 10 shown below. You can see the configuration of the antenna elements in a X pattern.
Finco FM-4G
Finco FM 4G manual pdf.
K6STI's analyis of the Finco FM-4G can be found here.
Channel Master Stereo Probe-9 (Model 3025 previously Model 4408)
K6STI's analysis of the Channel Master StereoProbe 9 can be found here.
Mike's TV & FM DX Page has analysis of the CM 4408 here.
Jerrold/Wade/Delhi QFM-9
AntennaCraft FM10 (also sold as Radio Shack/Archer)
K6STI analysis of the AntennaCraft FM10 can be found here.
Finco FM-5
K6STI's analysis of the Finco FM-5 can be found here.
Mike's TV & FM DX Page has analysis of the Finco FM 5 here.
AntennaCraft FM13
K6STI analysis of the AntennaCraft FM13 can be found here.
Antenna Performance Systems APS 14
A Classic-Audio.com review of the APS 14 can be found here.
Links to Useful Information & Websites
Quote:
Comprehensive list of HD Radio products, including portable, home, A/V, now car add ins...plus new cars that ship with HD Radios installed.
Also check out the Station Guide on the same site. Plus other information.
HDRadio.com Buyer's Guide
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Type in your address or lat & long and FMFool gives you organized charts and graphs of FM stations in your area, their directions from your position, and estimated signal strengths at your position. Great tool to help plan your antenna strategy.
FMFool.com
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Developed by MIT as an information source of and for Radio Broadcasters. Similar to FMfool but different. It also allows you to search for gaps of usage in the FM dial as well. Another fine resource.
Radio-Locator.com
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One of the best resources for FM and FM Antennas on the net. Check out his Antenna Performance Curves, which is computer modeling of Gain and F/B Ratio of many larger yagi FM commercial offerings past and present, many of which are discussed individually in great detail. Also several in depth reviews of HD Radio/FM tuners. Plus much more!
K6STI's site ... 88-108 MHz
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Comprehensive site on tuners specifically, also information on modding, antennas, reception issues, etc. Great site.
fmtunerinfo.com
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Data and analysis of tests of HD Radio broadcast coverage areas at differing power levels 1% & 10%, and also interference issues....tests of indoor FM antennas, and recommended HD Radio devices. Great resource.
NPR Labs
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KALX FM fanatic's hands on side by side comparison tests of FM Dipole, BIC BeamBox FM10 & FM8, Sony AN300, Terk Pi, Winegard StereoTron, Parsec LS3, Random Metal Object, and outdoor antenna Channel Master 4408 outdoor FM yagi...on local and distant channels.
Of Jesus and Sewers: The informal antenna survey
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Quote:
Evan Berger, Editor of Audio Magazine at the time of this article in the New York Times, December 16, 1989, does a quick round up review of Indoor FM Antennas with an eye toward Big City performance...including the Basic Rabbit Ears, Magnum Dynalab SR-100 Silver Ribbon, Parsec Stealth, Terk FM+, Terk Pi, Terk FM 9300 Tower, Audioprism Hi-Q 6500, Parsec Arc, AudioPrism 7500, and the AudioPrism APPA-8500.
CONSUMER'S WORLD: Coping With Imperfect FM Reception
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Quote:
Indoor Antennas and Boosters for FM, by David A. Rich, PhD. talks general antenna theory and reviews the Magnum Dynalab Silver Ribbon, AudioPrism 6500, 7500, 8500 on page 65-68 (pdf page 57-60).
AudioCritic Issue #23 PDF
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Quote:
Not necessarily Antenna or FM related....but a great site and resource none the less.
AudioTools.com
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Quote:
YouTube Video of HD Radio @ CES 2008.
HD Radio Technology at CES
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Magazine Articles for Further Research HatTip/JPerry
Quote:
Brinton, James: "Supertuners Are They Worth It?", High Fidelity, December 1975, pp. 59-65
Clifford, Martin: "Language of High Fidelity Part XI (Tuners)," Audio, May 1974, pp. 28-34
Feldman, Leonard: "An Empirical Study of FM Antennas," Audio, October 1969, pp. 26-32
Feldman, Leonard: "FM Specifications Revisited," Audio, April 1978, pp. 58-66
Feldman, Leonard: "New Tests and Standards for Tuners and Receivers," Audio, Jan.86, pp. 38-44
Feldman, Leonard: "11 Outdoor Antennas Analyzed," Audio, January 1983, pp. 41-47
Foster, Ed: "Interpreting FM Tuner Specs," High Fidelity, November 1977, pp. 72-75
Giovanelli, Joseph: "Remedying RF Interference," Audio, January 1977, pp. 29-32
Hirsch, Julian: "Audio/Video Antennas," Stereo Review, May 1985, pp. 44-48
Hirsch, Julian: "FM Tuner Specifications," Stereo Review, November 1990, pp. 43-44
Hirsch, Julian: "FM Tuning," Stereo Review, February 1980, pp. 35-36
Hirsch, Julian: "FM Tuners in Town and Country," Stereo Review, February 1984, pp. 44-50
Hirsch, Julian: "FM Tuner Sensitivity," Stereo Review, Sept. 1981, pp. 35-36
Klein, Larry: "FM Multipath," Stereo Review, November 1986, pp. 98-99
Long, Robert: "How to Read Our Tuner Curves," High Fidelity, August 1988, pp. 46-48
Masters, Ian: "How to Get Better FM Reception," Stereo Review, April 1991, pp. 70-72
Mitchell, Peter W.: "How to Buy a Tuner," Stereo Review, November 1987, pp. 93-97
Modafferi, Richard: "Kill FM Interference with Two Antennas," Audio, January 1980, pp. 68-72
Riggs, Michael: "Basically Speaking: Radio the Inside Story," High Fidelity April 1986, p. 21
Riggs, Michael: "Front Lines: Progress in FM Tuners?", High Fidelity May 1989, p. 5
Riggs, Michael: "How to Buy a Tuner," High Fidelity, December 1980, pp. 50
Rosenberg, Fred: "FM Antennas Parts 1 and 2," Sounds LIke issues #5 and #7
Salvati, Michael J.: "FM Antennas" five-part series , Audio, January, February, March, April 1978, and January 1979
Sell, Gordon: "Tuner Design Forum," Stereo Review, April 1982, pp. 49-53
Von Recklinghausen, Daniel R.: "How to Evaluate FM Stereo Tuner Performance," Audio [month unknown] 1973 reprinted in 1974 Annual Issue
Warriner, William: "RX for RF Interference," High Fidelity, March 1976, pp. 56-59
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Recommended Books for further Research and Study
Quote:
AARL Antenna Book
Practical Antenna Handbook, Joseph J. Carr
TV Antennas and Signal-Distribution Systems, M J Salvati
TV Installation Techniques, Samuel L. Marshall
Basic Antennas -- Understanding Practical Antennas and Designs, Joel R. Hallas
Antenna Toolkit, Joe Carr
Antenna Topics, Pat Hawker
The Antenna Experimenter's Guide, Peter Dodd
ARRL's VHF/UHF Antenna Classics
Lew McCoy on Antennas
The Radio Amateur Antenna Handbook, William I. Orr
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Last edited by EscapeVelocity; 11-14-2009 at 10:31 AM.
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