FM Tuner Reception (1 Viewer)

[Thira]

I just added an addition to my home which included a media room. When the room was built, I had an antenna mounted in the attic of the two story addition. A Harmon Kardon TU-930 AM/FM Tuner is connected with the antenna. THe antenna was purchased at Radio Shack & is for HDTV an FM reception. It is a full directional antenna. The flat brown wire runs from the antenna to the tuner.
I am very disappointed with the reception.
FM is used when I work outside in the yard or relax in the pool. I occasionally use AM during football season. BTW, is there a way to increase the reception of AM for at night reception from distant stations in other states? I do use internet for this but it would be more convient with the tuner.
Thanks
Thira

 

[Allan Jayne]

Are you having problems with both AM and FM reception?

An FM antenna is not meant for AM reception, not because of amplitude/frequency modulation but ragher the carrier frequency. An antenna for AM stations should be a vertical wire or pole about 500 feet long (tall), most radio enthusiasts use about 100 feet of wire if they can, strung horizontally. THe best way to connect it to the radio (receiver) depends on the circuitry, some folks have had good luck taking the lead in wire and wrapping it around the AM antenna (which on some receivers looks like a carrying handle at the rear), sometimes there is a single screw terminal to attach the antenna lead in wire.

(For AM radio stations, the entire tower is the transmitting antenna, often there are two or more towers used for a directional propagation pattern, preventing transmission towards other stations on the same frequency. For FM stations, the transmitting antenna consists of metal bars about three feet long and often mounted at the top of the station's AM antenna if the station broadcasts both)

Video hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/video.htm

 

[Grant B]

It is a full directional antenna.

Well if it is pointed in the wrong direction you get nada.
Directional antennas give you more distance in one direction; it also rejects signals from the side and back.
A rotor helps unless you only want 1 station

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Grant its right. Depending on your location (in regards to your local stations), you might try this
omni-directional FM antenna from Radio Shack. I live on the outskirts of Houston and it works great for me.



Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Thira]

Thanks. As my present setup is unsatisfactory, I am interested in the antenna recommended by Wayne or a Terk FM 50 ( http://www.terk.com/pdfs/FM50.pdf ). Already in place to my attic are both a twin lead and coaxial cables.
The two cables run to my second story attic to my tuner. If I use the coaxial cable for FM and connect it to the antenna, can I use the twin lead cable (not connected to the antenna) as an AM antenna? As there is probably 15 feet of twin lead cable laying in the attic, is there a way for this to function as an AM antenna. Any recommendations as to the best way to do this?
Thanks

 

[Grant B]

can I use the twin lead cable (not connected to the antenna) as an AM antenna?

It might work, if it does not; hook up some copper wire to it.
generally for am; the longer the better.
when I was a kid, my yard looked like a repeater station. I picked up stations on the east coast all the time from ohio.
antennas are fickel, if it doesn't work at 1st...just move it a bit.
Wayne, RS has got out of the antenna biz (at least here in California. I wanted an omni directional and couldn't find one except for $$$$ ones. A rotor was cheaper ...at least I have better ramge that way

 

[Mark Shannon]

This thread actually may help me...

My reciever has an FM and AM tuner on it. It came with both an AM antenna, and an FM one (which was simple a single strand of 18 guage wire).

I've lost the FM wire though, and was thinking, could I just use half of a speaker wire (one poliarity) or whatever. The speaker wire is about 14 or 16 guage. Would there be any problems doing this?