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Dipole Antenna questions

Bigyank

Bigyank

Long time Member
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For the heck of it, I spliced together some 300 ohm wire and built an antenna. I used this site as a reference:

http://www.kgnu.org/howtohear/antenna.html

Current Tuna, a Sansui TU-D99X, was used for reference. My indoor antenna, a Godat FM-1A, which is okay performed worse then my 1.97 cent antenna!

Makes one wonder why I even bought the damn thing to begin with! Now I think I am going to sit down and try to build a "real" one since my first attempt really looks like s&*t!

Yank
 
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I'll give it a try! Another thing I've been thinking about making but haven't gotten around to lately.

I'll post a follow-up question for the FM antenna gurus...

Would it work if I made two standard FM dipole antennas, and mounted them at 90 degrees to each other, and then connected both to the receiver? I'm thinking of trying to make the antenna relatively omni-directional that way. Just curious!

Clay
 
Kinda makes you wonder, doesn't it?

Fisherdude said:
I'll give it a try! Another thing I've been thinking about making but haven't gotten around to lately.

I'll post a follow-up question for the FM antenna gurus...

Would it work if I made two standard FM dipole antennas, and mounted them at 90 degrees to each other, and then connected both to the receiver? I'm thinking of trying to make the antenna relatively omni-directional that way. Just curious!

Clay
Click to expand...
Good antennas don't have to be expensive, just well designed. I get riled when I hear people saying what a bargain theat $100 Fanfare is but it's hard to buck a cult.

Yes, your "two dipoles" idea is viable. check out the "FMSS" at this site.

http://antennacraft-tdp.com/FM.htm

That's what I'm using and, in my location, I'm more than satisfied.
 
Plain old dipoles are awesome. The 300-ohm wire ones never worked great for me, but one time I came across an old VHF TV antenna. I cut up the trombone section into two pieces, connected the top of the halves together, made a dipole 54" long with twin-lead in the middle, and that thing blew away everything I've used except the setup I have now... a TV/FM combo with a rotator and amplifier!
Tom
 
The link above to the Antennacraft site shows there FM-6. it is the same antenna that Radio Shack use to sell. If you shop around the internet you can find them for as low as 19.95 +shipping.
Ed
 
Radio Shack still has them for $24.95.

I just got mine hooked up this morning... and am pulling in from all over the state. It is only 5' above the peak of my roof but is REALLY performing for me.

(Update- I have about 35 good FM stations in my 40 memory presets, the other 5 for AM. These are stations I like, I can get many more.

Tuner is an Onkyo T-4500 with filter mods and is really working for me. :D
 
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I found that web site a few weeks ago myself.
I made a dipole dedicated for the frequency of 91.5MHz with the formula from the site.
For KANU in Lawrence Kansas. 91.5 divided into 468 minus 5%= 58.30 inches. Nailed it on a 1x2... then put it behind the couch. Works great... though it's the only antenna I have put on the CT1010 since I've had her.... so no A-B comparison has been done.

The one thing I didn't know is that the T part is to be aimed perpendicular to the line of the signal.

Andy.
 
I've made a couple of 75 ohm half wavelength dipoles and they work wonderful. I just used some spare 12 gauge copper wire and stripped the insulation off. Cut to appropriate lengths, (about 24" each) straightened, stapled them to a small piece of wood (1"x2"x8") and soldered to the stripped end of a 10' piece of RG-6. Not pretty, but it picks up stations that are more than 60 miles away.
 
Every antanna (A.K.A. wave trap) is tuned for a given frequency. That is why an outdoor antenna has multiple elements.

A rat shack dipole is good for a frequency, and your dipole is good for another. But, here is the key, the station you want to hear most is the one you should tune your antenna for.

Simply put, make a dipole for each station you want, and parallel them. That is what a multi-element antenna is.

Kind'a nice to customize your listening!
 
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