Indoor FM antenna that actually works

I just got a new FM tuner and want to see what it can do. We have a fairly decent but weak college classical station nearby (12 miles) and I would like to tune my antenna specifically for this station at 90.3 MHz.

Does anyone have good experiences with an indoor FM antenna?

 

Amplified Indoor HD TV Antenna Signal High Gain 36db UHF VHF FM Digital Black 01 | eBay

This would be a decent choice........ I use a Radio Shack amplified antenna on my receiver in my garage with great success. I've had it for years.

 

Somehow I had gotten the idea that an amplified antenna would likely amplify noise along with signal and should be avoided. Is this idea incorrect?

 

I've never heard any added noise with my antenna..... I don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

7 dollars shipped on ebay. I use one with my Fisher 500. Small enough to hide in the back when not in use.

 

I really like the C. Crane FM Reflect Antenna. It’s a somewhat advanced dipole design. It’s available from Amazon.com here. It’s provides very good gain, indoors, and is not a standard, lightweight dipole. The FM Reflect dipoles can be kept straight or angled or shaped into different configurations and then oriented in the general direction of your favorite FM station’s transmission tower. The dipole shaping is great because you can even make open circles to customize them for signals with circular polarization.

I’ve tried three different Terk powered indoor antennas, but they all added noise to FM signals, including moderately distant ones that should have been reasonably quiet with a good quality, well positioned passive antenna. I also tried using the powered Terk antennas passively (i.e., without plugging in their wall warts). Unfortunately, reception was still only marginally less noisy. The main problem with most home, consumer, powered FM antennas is that the wall wart power supplies are just junk - noisy junk.

Another good bet I particularly like for a passive indoor FM antenna is the Magnum Dynalab SR100. It’s very versatile, and it’s blades can be adjusted for ominidirectional, directional, and for circular polarized reception. The adjustable blades also make it easier to use the multipath meter on your tuner while making positional adjustments to both the SR100 base and its blades to find the strongest signal orientation (that is, if your home location presents multipath issues).

The C. Crane and the Magnum Dynalab have 300 ohm connections but are also both supplied with a balun for tuners that only have a 75 ohm connection.

As usual, the higher you can position the antenna in your house or apartment, the better. The C. Crane FM Reflect has a long lead, while the MD SR100 needs an additional length of 300 ohm twinlead to extend its unusually short, stock lead for better positioning in some setups.

Always ensure that, whatever antenna you choose, the lead runs straight down for at least 18” before you turn/curve it to make the run to the back of your tuner.

 

I just ran over to Walmart and bought a $30 amplified antenna made by GE so I could do a little experimenting. The unit is called a Pro Bar HD 200 and is designed to pull in TV stations including VHF.

The results so far are disappointing. Station after station with music I don't care for comes in loud and clear. The classical station I want to listen to is spotty at best and cuts out entirely with the antenna in many positions. It would appear that this station is weaker than I had thought.

 

i lucked out. In my house there’s a yagi antenna in the attic that runs into the living room. For years I used an amplified antenna for my 800c that did a really good job. No interference either

 

I use the one that UHF (ultra high fidelity) magazine makes. It's basically a modified set of rabbit ears. Works great.

 

i use the cheap plastic thing that comes with the tuner, just move it around until you get what you want and leave it there. cheap and easy to use.

 

I also recommend this one < C. Crane FM Reflect Antenna > especially nice if you are a renter and mod the property, like adding an outside antenna.

 

I’m interested in this also. My Pioneer SX 1250 picks up a lot with speaker wire, but I want something more substantial, I’m even up for rooftop mount if need be.

 

According to a BMW antenna engineer I spent 3 days testing Sirius radio with, that is incorrect. He talked about amplification as though it was the Savior become hardware. Provided the amplification is CLEAN, I'd qualify. And of course everything has its limitations, but his basic point was some amount of clean amplification can boost FM etc into a range where the tuner can actually work with it.

 

these work great!

 

The Dynalab is quite good too. Do NOT go amplified...

 

Rabbit eras give some directional gain, thus rotate the antenna for best signal to noise. Also adjust angle of each antenna. Or, the simple folded dipole antenna is another option. But, I suspect you may already have that antenna. Only high gain option is a rotatable outdoor Yagi FM antenna.

 

BTW- what is the model of your FM tuner? Not all tuners perform weak signal reception well.

 

Best indoor FM antenna I've used is a Magnum Dynalab SR-100. I have tried the dipole that comes with your receiver, Terk amplified and a Godar Super Antenna II. And the MD SR-100 did the best job of picking up my favorite college station (88.1 KNTU), which is ~20 miles away.

 

I have 2 of these

 

Magnum Dynalab FT101A

 

You said it. There are several powered models from Terk that work very well un-powered. As soon as you plug in the wall wart power supply, reception strength improves along with a startling increase in background noise on any solid but distant stereo signal locks. Non-powered, purpose-built FM antennas are the way to go unless an audiophile is prepared to source a high quality replacement for those cheap, unacceptably noisy wall warts.

 

Unh, VERY good point. I wonder if that is why a number of the 1ByOne TV antennas have USB power supplies?

My antenna quest has become more urgent now that my wife asked "Can't I hear radio through the big stereo when I work at home?"

I feel kinda paralyzed between the C. Crane FM Reflect, and something with an AM coil. Hmmm, I wonder if the connections are separate on the back of the receiver...and if an AM loop is in the box in the garage...guess I better take a look tomorrow!

 

Your tuner is 75 ohm input. If you use a twin lead antenna it needs a 300 ohm to 75 ohm balun for best reception. For more antenna gain Magnum Dynalab offers an amplified antenna called the model 205.
Your tuner is 13.2dBF sensitivity or slightly over 1 microvolt sensitivity for minimum noise free reception in mono. Stereo is about 5 microvolts for noise free reception. That is not the most sensitive of tuners available. A Sony XDR-F1HD is the most sensitive tuner ever manufactured and produces good sounding audio. I am fairly sure (but not guaranteed) the Sony will pick up your local FM station noise free on your existing antenna. Other recommended ultra sensitive tuners are Onkyo T-9090 II, Onkyo T-4711, Yamaha T-85 and Kenwood KT-6040. But, I do not know of the audio quality.

 

Radio Shack 16 Gauge Speaker Wire

 

The C.Crane FM Reflect is excellent for FM reception of stations all the way out to middle distances. Very versatile. If you find the original AM loop in the box, consider the C.Crane. Works quite well.