Improving FM reception a home stereo

naddis01 · 22-09-2013, 11:13 PM

Ok guys, I have a stereo/hi fi out in the shed and the radio reception is terrible. It currently just has a single wire for FM and a loop for AM. How can I improve reception, moreso on FM? Is it possible to use a car antenna? I went into a local electronics shop and they pretty much said there is nothing.

duaned · 23-09-2013, 07:51 AM

A set of rabbit ears should do the job. $5 from your local cheap as chips shop. They are VHF so work OK on the FM band. Just make sure you also get a pal female - female joiner as well.

The Yeti · 23-09-2013, 10:57 AM

^^^^thanks, I'll also give this a go as I'm suffering the same problem

naddis01 · 23-09-2013, 11:44 AM

Thanks for the tip. How do I attach the rabbit ears? To attach the existing wire you just push it in and flip the little clip over to hold it. There are 2 of them for both FM and AM (4 in total) but the FM currently just has the wire in one of them.

I can post a pic later if that doesn't make sense.

**redxm** · 23-09-2013, 07:41 PM

The 2 connections for fm.. designed for coax cable. Inner conductor and braid. Chop chop on rabbit ears and use the inner and outer. I have a purpose made fm antenna for my shed radio, bit like a large tv antenna. An old vhf tv antenna would work too.

dave351cid · 23-09-2013, 10:52 PM

i had no radio reception at all inside my new house so i fitted a $19 car antenna to the roof with standard TV coax cable. tandy shop had a conector that i used to join the small coax from the antenna to the larger coax. tv coax goes to a normal tv wall socket and a lead from my sterio to the wall socket.
i have a panasonic sterio that has a provision at the back for a tv style antenna plug.

**ebxr8240** · 23-09-2013, 11:15 PM

If antenna can be outside it'll work better.. Esp if steel shed ..

naddis01 · 30-09-2013, 10:51 PM

Thanks for the tips guys. Dad recently pulled down a TV antenna so I permanently borrowed it for an experiment. I just tried it and the reception is much improved even with the antenna just lying on the bench in the shed. So looks like I will stick it up outside somewhere.

Thanks again! I have no idea what the guys at Dick Smith and another electronics shop were on about. They said there was nothing to really do it with.

aussie_rabbit · 01-10-2013, 01:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naddis01

Thanks for the tip. How do I attach the rabbit ears? To attach the existing wire you just push it in and flip the little clip over to hold it. There are 2 of them for both FM and AM (4 in total) but the FM currently just has the wire in one of them.

I can post a pic later if that doesn't make sense.

Two connections = think of them as left and right, use equal lengths of wire -

option 2 - antenna often seen on 4x4's with a spring base, attach to the outside of the shed

**Bundy** · 01-10-2013, 01:10 PM

A VHF antenna is perfect for the job, most will comfortable do a range of 30 to 300Mhz
The FM range is 87-108Mhz

Begin that the shed is a big metal box, mounting an external AE is the natural option.
Old coaxial tv cable is also well suited for the job, use the centre core and only connect the shielding at one end, ie the AE end.

aussie_rabbit · 01-10-2013, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bundy

A VHF antenna is perfect for the job, most will comfortable do a range of 30 to 300Mhz
The FM range is 87-108Mhz

Begin that the shed is a big metal box, mounting an external AE is the natural option.
Old coaxial tv cable is also well suited for the job, use the centre core and only connect the shielding at one end, ie the AE end.

While a pre-digital TV antenna works well you do need to face it in the general direction of the source as they are directional.

Simple antenna such as these -
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/SPRING-BA...-/251011892996

are easy to fit, cheap and work well.