RadioBanter - FM Reception Static Problem

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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

"--exray--" wrote in message
...

Outdoor antenna, the higher the better. Radio Shack sells a great
inexpensive 5-element FM yagi.
-BM

Or put the thing into Mono mode.. :)

I Can not do an outdoor antenna -- so would it be OK to mount in attic? What
if I ran 75Ohm cable so I can mount my basic wire antenna up there?
Thank you for your help and info!

"--exray--" wrote in message
...
mBird wrote:
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

Outdoor antenna, the higher the better. Radio Shack sells a great
inexpensive 5-element FM yagi.
-BM

mBird wrote:
I Can not do an outdoor antenna -- so would it be OK to mount in attic? What
if I ran 75Ohm cable so I can mount my basic wire antenna up there?
Thank you for your help and info!

Sure, attic mount would be an improvement. You can try taking your
regular twinlead dipole or that amplified antenna thingy up into the
attic and extend its feedline with either more twinlead or a matching
transformer and 75 ohm cable. Orient for best reception.
If that doesn't work, go for the bigger antenna mentioned earlier.
GL,
Bill

mBird wrote:

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

Well, you're right about the amplified antenna - I've never yet seen
one that didn't amplify the noise just as much as the signal. One can
accomplish the same thing turning up the gain.

If you have a mono/stereo switch (they are a lot less common than
they used to be), switching to mono will probably quiet the signal
nicely - but it's in mono, of course. That's one idea - others may have
more.

Tony

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mBird wrote:

I Can not do an outdoor antenna -- so would it be OK to mount in attic? What
if I ran 75Ohm cable so I can mount my basic wire antenna up there?
Thank you for your help and info!

The attic should work for an FM antenna providing the house doesn't have
a metal roof. However I suggest using a better antenna such as an FM
multi- element 'Yagi' which you can get at Radio Shack or some
department stores. Hang the antenna from the attic roof with a few
lengths of string (not wire). If you have the room, mount it on a short
pole on the attic floor, so you can rotate the antenna for best
reception.

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"mBird" wrote:
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.

1) Install a better antenna as high as possible. Ideally that would be a
yagi on a chimney mounted mast. An attic antenna would be a second choice.
Besides the yagi, I think Radio Shack still sells an "S" shaped folded
dipole designed for 300 ohm twinlead. (The wire antenna you have now is NOT
designed for 300 ohm feedline.)

2) Experiment with placing your existing antenna in different locations. Due
to multipath, your antenna may be in a spot where signal cancellation is
occurring. Moving it a few feet MAY make a big improvement. Also, make sure
it's oriented broadside to the station you want to hear.

3) If you switch from stereo to mono, you will improve signal-to-noise ratio
by about 15db. If the noise is slight in stereo, it will be gone in mono.

Art Harris N2AH

On Fri, 17 Oct 2003 15:42:29 -0500, 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.

You might want to try this antenna in two other configurations.

[This is Gray talking out his, er, his ear (or sumthin').]

FM has three "polarities": horizontal (which is what your "T" antenna that
came with your receiver is taking for granted).

There is also a vertical polarization so try using the two elements "up and
down". [Would look like a capital "I"]

Then there is, now, circular polarization. See the CCrane illustration of
their $30 antenna in a circular polariztion at:

http://ccrane.com/fm_reflect.asp

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.

That's an inherent problem with all amplified antennas; they're really only
good for weak and clean signals (and, then, of course, they're wonderful).

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.

Someone has already suggested the RadioShack Yagi and that should work fine
and you might not even need it in your attic. If you've got a sofa in your
room, you might try it underneath it (seriously, all you need is a couple
DB's). Or behind your stereo or in a closet.

Or take a look at the CCrane antenna mentioned above (that I used as an
example for circular polarization).

I, of course, have no idea what you use for teevee reception but it is well
to remember that the FM band (88-108mc) is between tv channels six and seven.

If you're using a tv antenna - if you get cable tv - if you're using
satellite - it is possible that the FM band can be used from any of these, so
that is also worth checking.

Thank you

Gray Shockley
-----------------------
DX-392 DX-398
RX-320 DX-399
CCradio w/RS Loop
Torus Tuner (3-13 MHz)
Select-A-Tenna
-----------------------
Vicksburg, MS US

"Gray Shockley" wrote:

You might want to try this antenna in two other configurations.

[This is Gray talking out his, er, his ear (or sumthin').]

FM has three "polarities": horizontal (which is what your "T" antenna that
came with your receiver is taking for granted).

There is also a vertical polarization so try using the two elements "up
and
down". [Would look like a capital "I"]

Then there is, now, circular polarization. See the CCrane illustration of
their $30 antenna in a circular polariztion at:

http://ccrane.com/fm_reflect.asp

I'm skeptical of that antenna (sounds like marketing hype). Just configuring
a dipole in the shape of a circular loop does not produce circular
polarization. Normally, circular polarization is achieved by using both
horizontal and vertical dipoles fed 90 degrees out of phase with each other.

Circular polarization is often used for satellites where random rotation of
the spacecraft makes linear polarization impractical. For FM broadcasts it
is claimed that circular polarization is a benefit when receiving signals
that have been reflected off buildings, etc. Not all FM stations use
circular polarization.

Here is a picture of an FM broadcast antenna designed for CP:

http://www.nicomusa.com/antennas/bkg77hp.htm

If you're using a tv antenna - if you get cable tv - if you're using
satellite - it is possible that the FM band can be used from any of these,
so
that is also worth checking.

Good point. You can get a diplexer that splits out the FM and TV signals
from a TV antenna.

Art N2AH