FM Reception Static Problem
 

Hi --

Radio: Harman Kardon Home stereo AVR-125
Location: on the edge of what the station shows is there signal area on
their website -- about 40 miles from the station

I get static (very slight but noticeable enough) when listening to Public
Radio. I have the basic two-wire antenna that came with the stereo. I
tried using an AM/FM Amplified Indoor Antenna (from Radio Shack) but that
actually made the static worse no matter how I positioned or set. Please
advice on what I could do. The static is so small you almost can't hear it
but it is just enough to make music programs less than the best they could
be.

Thank you

Hi --

Radio: Harman Kardon Home stereo AVR-125
Location: on the edge of what the station shows is there signal area on
their website -- about 40 miles from the station

I get static (very slight but noticeable enough) when listening to Public
Radio. I have the basic two-wire antenna that came with the stereo. I
tried using an AM/FM Amplified Indoor Antenna (from Radio Shack) but that
actually made the static worse no matter how I positioned or set. Please
advice on what I could do. The static is so small you almost can't hear it
but it is just enough to make music programs less than the best they could
be.

Indoor amplified antennas are usually useless, or worse than. They
amplify both the signal _and_ the impulse noise, and add additional
(thermal) noise.

What you need, is an antenna mounted outdoors - up as high as is
practical, on the roof or on a mast. It should be a directional type
(probably a log-periodic, so that it covers the whole FM band) and
should be pointed towards the station you wish to receive. If you're
listening to stations whose transmitters are in different directions,
you may want to install a remote-controlled antenna rotator.

Most such antennas are designed to hook up to 300-ohm twinlead - you
should install an outdoor-rated matching transformer ("balun") right
at the antenna, and then run RG-6 or RG-59 coaxial cable to your
stereo. Ground the antenna mast, and ground the cable just before it
enters the building using a static-discharge block.

This will give you a substantially better signal.

Also, check around your house with a portable AM radio tuned between
stations. See if you can figure out what's generating the static - it
might be an electric motor, for example. If you can isolate it to one
specific appliance, install a powerline noise filter between that
appliance and the wall outlet - this will keep the noise from getting
onto the house wiring and being transmitted to the radio (either
directly through the power line, or via radiation from the wiring).

[Further followups redirected to rec.audio.tech, a more usual
newsgroup for this sort of question.]

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Hosting the Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!

Since your setup almost works, my guess is that a dipole in the attic, as
high as possible, and broadside to the PBS station will do what you want.
You might also find that moving the antenna a few feet laterally will make a
difference.

Tam/WB2TT
"mBird" wrote in message
...
Hi --

Radio: Harman Kardon Home stereo AVR-125
Location: on the edge of what the station shows is there signal area on
their website -- about 40 miles from the station

I get static (very slight but noticeable enough) when listening to Public
Radio. I have the basic two-wire antenna that came with the stereo. I
tried using an AM/FM Amplified Indoor Antenna (from Radio Shack) but that
actually made the static worse no matter how I positioned or set. Please
advice on what I could do. The static is so small you almost can't hear
it
but it is just enough to make music programs less than the best they could
be.

Thank you