I think I found the ultimate indoor antenna
- Thread starter z-adamson
- Start date
I use a Beambox as well and am very happy with the results. Pulls in everything I want... not on every tuner though. The right combination and this is a great WAF solution. Looks like just another piece of gear.
This is not accurate. In fact...MOST vertical antennas tend to be "ground plane quarter wave" antennas depending on the wavelengths.
Any antenna will work in any polarization provided you've got the space. What matters most is the polarization of the transmitting antenna.
In commercial FM broadcasting....signals USED to be strictly horizontally polarized. This poses REAL problems when they started putting FM radio in cars with vertical monopoles. The difference in polarizations means a large signal loss. This was "solved" by allowing ststions to add some vertical polarization to their signal. There is a power difference in effective radiated between the two....horizontal gets more power.
The reason an onmidirectioal perforperforps poorly is the fact it's trying to grab energy from all around. This means there's less surface area for the signal to hit....so to speak.
Picture a light bulb in a room...it lights up a room. Put a mirror behind it...that side of the room is brighter. Focus the light to a point....that point is super bright.
It's like that with RF and antennas. A flat antenna will exhibit a pattern that's not omnidirectional, and omnidirectional is not as effective transmitting or receiving as a directional one.
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Thanks to the OP for posting this.
I just bought one and connected it to my Pioneer SX-626 in my basement workshop about 35 miles from Chicago.
Reception is amazing compared to the 300 ohm dipole that I had been using.
Even the strongest stations had a at best a little static before. Now I get crystal clear reception on all of the stations that I listen to.
If this holds up under a variety of weather conditions, I'll be buying a few more of these for my other setups.
I just bought one and connected it to my Pioneer SX-626 in my basement workshop about 35 miles from Chicago.
Reception is amazing compared to the 300 ohm dipole that I had been using.
Even the strongest stations had a at best a little static before. Now I get crystal clear reception on all of the stations that I listen to.
If this holds up under a variety of weather conditions, I'll be buying a few more of these for my other setups.
Great!!
I found the same thing... and I knew I wasn’t the only one frustrated with poor FM reception for certain stations...
Granted my PT2300 has slightly above average reception at best, even my aligned Sansui TU 717 was similarly struggling with these stations..
Seems if you have a decent tuner... A good antenna really makes or breaks your actual reception...
Glad it was of help!!!
And the cost really is
Less the some 300 ohm dipoles...pretty amazing!!
I think it should hold up fine... it’s designed for outdoor use
I may put my outside at some point..
Just ground, and seal you connections..
I just noticed that Newark has these for $12 each under stock number 55W7744... but they kill you on shipping.
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z-adamson
Addicted Member
z-adamson
Addicted Member
Double checking...
The antenna and the tuner that the antenna is hooked up to are BOTH in the basement.
And you get excellent reception.
Right?
Correct...
z-adamson
Addicted Member
That good of reception in the basement....impressive.
z-adamson
Addicted Member
Well.........I just got the antenna two days ago and I played around with it some yesterday. It is connected to my garage unit which is a Pioneer SX-750.
The 750 has a 0 to 5 scale signal meter on it. The FM station I listen to is a licensed lower power transmitter (LPFM). It plays commercial free 60's and 70's rock. Being a licensed low power transmitter, it doesn't have much reach.
With the standard issue 300 ohm twin lead, the SX-750 meter would reach just over 1.0 on a clear day and it always had some hiss.
With the $20 round omnidirectional antenna it goes to 2.0 on the meter and sounds crystal clear. I tried it up in the attic and the best I could do is 2.5 on the meter. It is of course still sensitive to orientation.
Then I straightened out the elements like automojo talks about in post #20. I gained .75 on the signal meter, which is significant. It's still sensitive to orientation and for me 45 degrees is the sweet spot for strongest signal of my preferred station (not horizontal OR vertical).
I will put the antenna in the attic and run a coax down thru the wall, at least for my house receiver.
So my conclusion is that the antenna that the OP suggests is worth the $20 especially with the elements straightened to get the strongest signal.
Jef
Frozenoem1
New Member
Alright a question, I live seemingly at the end of the Earth, aka Mountains of Maine NW corner.
The only radio station on FM , I’ve heard in 30+ years was one in QC =Quebec City , and one in Portland ME using a channel master atop a 20’ mast 30’ feet up.
My problem just found my Technics SA-6700x, it was locked in a trunk around 1989.
Any suggestions what I can actually hook it up to. Dipole budget presently, not climbing up the roof again, blizzard and clocked 70 mph gusts took Chanelmaster out.
Only other signal source is Dish satellite, really would like to listen to something anything while recuperating.and possibly see the scope work on it again.
z-adamson
Addicted Member
I wish I had the answer to your problem, but I really don't.
If I were in your position I would get the biggest antenna possible and put it in the attic, considering that outside won't work or hold up to mother nature.
Last I checked Denny has a nice option for folks in your position. If what he has won't work, nothing will.
Frozenoem1
New Member
Who or what is a Denny?
I tried locating the antenna in the attic, after finding and replacing pieces, it was unhappy with the steel/tin Metal roof above it. Or old timber frame.
Thanks again
I tried locating the antenna in the attic, after finding and replacing pieces, it was unhappy with the steel/tin Metal roof above it. Or old timber frame.
Thanks again
