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Easy and Practical D.I.Y. FM Antenna

VintageDutch

VintageDutch

Active Member
Hi,

Although there is ton of information on Great antenna's, the truth is that lots of First time Vintage-Audio lovers and Enthausiasts, are a bit overwhelmed by al the valueble information.

They need a simpel DIY solution witch can be made from some scrap materials and some handy work.

Now first of all.... I'm NOT no really NOT!!!!! a Antenna expert. I also need to get/find information left and right, and as ever it is my interpertation of found information so I might not be talking the truth and noth.... o wait that some other mans line in the near furture :).

Now thats out of the way... lets crack on..

You might be living in a City, or in the country side, high rise or where ever you live... chances are you get radio signals from a kind of central system (Cable)
Or maybe..... Maybe you listen to a DAB radio...
Anyway... now you have yor Beautiful Vintage reciever standing there, and you wonder radio stations can I pick-up whitout Cable, or DAB!
Or basicly you just need an FM antenna like I did....

This piece of info can help you out.

I have Cable signal thoughout my house... no problem, even in my Audio Mancave, I have cable and Internet.
SO why would I want an seperate FM Antenna??....Well...
1 for the fun,
2. To also recive other radio signals with are not provided for on the cable or DAB.
3. to find out if Real FM has better sound quality as Cable.​

For10 decades or so I had an old 27MC arial laying arround...from the days I drove a small 4x4 Vehicle in al kinds of mud and other muck....
sirio_turbo_blue_line_serie.jpg
My plan is to make use of this piece of personal "history"
I turned to the mighty Internet and found that for FM radio reception and length of 75 cm would be just fine but it was not critical...
SO I cut that old 27 MC antenna to 77 cm... so the thick piece is now scrapted....
I bought a PL256 plug set (also know as Amphenol antenna plug)
pl256 cable.jpg pl256 chasis.jpg
and Soldered that hard antenna wire in the MALE plug centre... I made sure that some shrink wrap isolated the Antenna wire from the Ground (outside) of the plug..

SInce my wife was not at home, I openend up a big tin can of green beans and eat them for dinner with a nice steak. (yes that men styl dinner when the lady is not home :) )
Cleaned that can, and made a nice hole where the Countpart chasis PL256 wil spent it's day's..

Ordered Some (20 meters) coax (you need to work out for your self how much coax cable you need. Just measure...it is not critical for reception)
coax.jpg
and soldered the core wire to the centre connection Of my female chasis plug PL256...A smal soldering eye helpt me to solder the coax ground shielding to the outside of the PL256 chasis plug using a 3mm nut and screw.

Made sure the cabel could not come of by using two tyraps .
Antenne.png
The tin can easely slips over a garden vence post...a little stone chip spray to prevent corrosion...
The cable was brought in the mancave and directly connected to a Reciever...this will change at some point in time..

The white line is the Coax cable, the other line are my summer terras lights...when bottles of wine are emptied in the evening :-)

The results are very good... lots more radio station signals then I had from just a piece of wire, and more stations then from my Cable provider...

This small 15 minute project shows that simple solutions can work perfect and do not have to cast lots of money..


To those Whoe even want to go more simple....
Just use the coax....strip the shielding 75 CM.... stick the "blank" piece in a Piece of Electro PVC tube... seal it... mount it... and done...
 
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One can also easily construct a simple dipole, the standard by which other antennas are rated, by using two elements (wire, tubing, rod) each 28.75" long. One element attached to 75ohm coax center wire near an end, and the other to the shielding of the coax near end of element. T-shape, with elements separated about 1.5". Can be used either horizontally or vertically.
 
El Rubio said:
I don't want to nit-pick, but when my wife is not home, "green beans" are never on the menu. J
Click to expand...

I like them....so why not! :-)

musichal said:
One can also easily construct a simple dipole, the standard by which other antennas are rated, by using two elements (wire, tubing, rod) each 28.75" long. One element attached to 75ohm coax center wire near an end, and the other to the shielding of the coax near end of element. T-shape, with elements separated about 1.5". Can be used either horizontally or vertically.
Click to expand...

You are so right, but a full dipole is way bigger and direction sensitiv. This little antenna is very almost invisible.... and does a nice job... A dipole will do way better reception job though!
 
I like green beans too and just giving you a hard time. I have been cooking fresh green beans lately with ham or bacon and small “new” potatoes in my instant pot.
I have made some antennas similar to yours. Although 1/4 wavelength is resonant, it really needs a counterpoise to operate best. I would remove 1/4 wavelength of just the outer jacket of the cable and then fold or peel the braided shield down over the full feedline. Afterwards you have 1/4 wavelength of center conductor and 1/; wavelength of shield down the cabling making a basic coaxial dipole.
 
VintageDutch said:
...You are so right, but a full dipole is way bigger and direction sensitiv. This little antenna is very almost invisible.... and does a nice job... A dipole will do way better reception job though!
Click to expand...

If you turn the dipole vertically, it's pattern is virtually omnidirectional.

I like green beans, too. Dice up a little onion, add other spices to taste and cook it for 30 minutes, and canned green beans taste better.
 
El Rubio said:
. I have been cooking fresh green beans lately with ham or bacon and small “new” potatoes in my instant pot.
Click to expand...

O man stop it right now! You are making my mouth water!

El Rubio said:
I would remove 1/4 wavelength of just the outer jacket of the cable and then fold or peel the braided shield down over the full feedline
Click to expand...
You got a great point there... Although I will not do it the way you say I will give it a 1/4 wavelength of "ground" testing it
 
musichal said:
f you turn the dipole vertically, it's pattern is virtually omnidirectional.
Click to expand...

Yes that will work perfectly.

musichal said:
I like green beans, too. Dice up a little onion, add other spices to taste and cook it for 30 minutes, and canned green beans taste better.
Click to expand...

Guys guys.... Lets do an International "Green bean Cook down with lots of Cumbaja Bum Fire Recipy exchange and cook right now" event :-)
Or is this a bit toooooo Muchhhhhh..... noooooo How could it be! :-);););):rflmao::rockon::wtf:
 
Welll.... I'm not holding you back... :-) Take two bean cans, get a piece of cord between them and you have a very analog Phone :-)

Making a new shopping list.... green beans, Steaks, Beer... My fridge will look like a mancave!
 
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