How To Make A Powerful Fm Antenna 52643h

How to Make a Powerful FM Antenna By David Stewart, eHow Contributor If you are not able to listen to your favorite radio stations because of signal reception problems, try making your own antenna at home. Making your own antenna is easier and cheaper than you think. You need a few essential materials that are readily available at any hardware store.

Things You'll Need   

2 wood rods String 13.5 feet insulated wire

Instructions 1. o

1 Cut the wood rods to 42.4 inches. Place both rods in an "X" shape on your work surface. Measure and adjust the distance between each of the four points of the X to 30 inches.

o

2 Tie the rods tight at the center. Adjust the points if they deviate from the 30-inch measurement. The measurement is necessary to ensure strong signal reception.

o 

Sponsored Links

Make a website for free Philippines' easiest website incl a personal domain. Try now for Free! www.simplesite.com

o

3 Cut the insulation on both ends of the insulated wire with a sharp knife. A piece of the inside wire is visible on both ends.

o

4 Wind the insulated wire taut around the X-shaped frame. To do this, run the wire from the bottom left of the X to the top left of the X. Leave the bottom cut end of the wire dangling. Secure the insulated part of the wire to the top left end of the X with tape.

o

5 Proceed with the wire across the top of the X to the top right corner. Secure the wire at the top right. Then run the wire from the top right to bottom right corner. Secure the wire at the bottom right corner. Next, run the wire from the bottom right to the bottom left of the X. You have a square-shaped wire wound around the X frame and two dangling ends.

o

6

Tie the dangling wires using electric tape and direct the excess wire toward the center of the X frame. o

7 Cut off the insulation of one end of the 300-ohm ribbon feeder. Place it vertically on the bottom side of the X frame that is adjacent to the side with the connected dangling wires. Connect the ends of the wire to the wires on either end of the ribbon feeder. Connect by twisting the wires.

o

8 Connect the other end of the ribbon feeder to your radio's 300-ohm antenna input. Turn on the radio and adjust the antenna by placing it in different positions to get the best signal.

Homemade FM Antennas By kapila, eHow Contributor Radios and other broadcasting instruments that receive electromagnetic waves from transmitters and convert them into electrical current, and vice versa, use antennas. FM, or frequency modulation, provides superior quality sound signals to the listeners. You can make an efficient and inexpensive antenna at home.

The Facts 

An FM radio -- whether a separate unit or part of a sound system -- uses a wire to detect radio signals that may give you better sound quality. A homemade FM antenna properly detects radio signals without the use of expensive materials.

Materials 

The supplies needed for an FM antenna include a coat hanger for making an electromagnetic receiver, 6 feet of wire for connecting it to the radio and an insulation tape.

Customization 

You can customize your antenna by selecting the frequency of FM channels you want to receive. The higher the frequency, the shorter the antenna; for example, a frequency of 87 to 90 requires about 10 feet of wire.

Considerations 

Geographical obstacles such as mountains and interference from other radio stations and communication devices such as walkie-talkies can disturb the frequency your antenna receives.

How to Calculate FM Antenna Length By Lon Quist, eHow Contributor The signal strength of your favorite FM radio station is determined by the effective radiated power of the station and the height above average terrain of the station's antenna system. If your distance from the station is great or if there is a hill or other obstruction between you and the station's transmitter, then you may need an antenna to strengthen the signal. For maximum effect, the antenna should be cut to the proper length.

Things You'll Need   

Calculator Pad and pencil Ruler

Instructions 1. o

1 Check the space you have available. A full wave antenna for 98 Mhz, the center of the FM band, would be 119 inches. This length of wire may not be practical for an apartment or some subdivision locations. Thus, a quarter wave or half-wave antenna may be better for you.

o

2 Calculate the space available for your antenna to determine whether you should use a quarter wave or half wave antenna. A quarter wave antenna for 98 Mhz would be 29 inches long. A half wave would be 59 inches. These are approximate figures that are close enough to realize the desired increase in signal strength. The longer antenna wire will provide the best reception.

o 

Sponsored Links

Make a website for free Philippines' easiest website incl a personal domain. Try now for Free! www.simplesite.com

o

3 Calculate the proper length for your antenna according to where your favorite stations are on the dial. Public radio stations are usually located from 88 Mhz to 92 Mhz. The best length for a quarter wave antenna would be 26 inches. A half wave antenna wire would be 53 inches.

o

4

these antenna lengths are approximates. There are many web sites where you will find the mathematical formulas for precise measurements. Listeners who have more than one preferred station may choose to use one of the following lengths. For a quarter wave antenna on the low end of the dial, 26 inches; mid dial, 29 inches; and upper dial, 33 inches. o

5 Cut your antenna for the mid dial position to give you reasonably good reception for stations above and below the mid point and is in most cases the best overall choice.

Tips & Warnings 

Check the location of your favorite station and be sure your antenna location and direction will work for that station.



In difficult reception areas, a more precise calculation may have to be made for stations located between the midpoint and the upper or lower ends of the dial. For most areas, an antenna cut for the upper, lower or mid point will be sufficient.



Cutting your antenna for the mid dial position will give reasonably good reception for stations above and below the mid point and is in most cases the best overall choice.



Stay away from power lines when installing antennas

How to Make a Simple FM Antenna By Nichole Liandi, eHow Contributor , last updated December 21, 2012

The quality of FM reception is dependent upon the design of the antenna. The dipole antenna design is both easy to make and is an excellent choice for the FM listener who wants to improve reception and receive radio stations more clearly and with better signal strength. The materials for this antenna are easily obtained and it can be built in a minimum amount of time.

Things You'll Need   

Stiff wire or coat hangers Wire cutters Plywood

Instructions 1. o

1 Cut two pieces of stiff wire to 28 inches in length with wire cutters. You can actually use coat hangers for this step if you want--just be sure to straighten them out well and sand off any paint or coating on the ends of the wire where you'll make connections.

o

2 Cut a small piece of wood (plywood works well for this step) into a 1-inch square. Sand the edges with medium-grit sandpaper if desired.

 3 Screw two round-headed 1/4-inch sheet metal screws into the wood about half way into the wood, separated from each other by about 1/2 inch.

 4 Make a small open loop, like a "U" on each end of the stiff wires. Needle nose pliers work well for this step. The loops should be small enough to fit snugly around the threads of the sheet metal screws.

 5 Slide the loops around the sheet metal screws and position the two wires so that they're in a straight line with each other.

 6 Slide the u-shaped terminal ends of a 300 to 75-ohm matching transformer under the screws, one under each screw. Tighten the screws so they're securely holding the wires and the terminals.

 7 Connect your antenna to your receiver by plugging the transformer into a coaxial cable with F-type connectors on both ends. Then plug the other end of the cable into the receiver.

 8 Experiment with antenna placement to get the best signal. Generally the higher the antenna, the better the reception.

Types of FM Antennas By an eHow Contributor

There are a variety of FM antennas on the market, including outdoor and indoor antennas. When choosing an FM antenna, you must take your location into . If you live in a town or suburban area, most indoor antennas will be sufficient, but if you are in the country, an outdoor antenna will probably be your best option.

Turnstile Antenna 

This type of outdoor antenna gets reception from various directions without you having to move the antenna.

Multi-Element Antenna 

This outdoor FM antenna must be moved at times to get reception. The multi-element antenna can get reception from longer distances than other outdoor FM antennas.

Half Wave Vertical FM Antenna 

This is one of the best types of indoor FM antennas. It has a higher reception rate than most other indoor antennas.

Bidirectional Dipole 

This is the most frequently used indoor FM antenna. It usually comes standard with most electronics built for FM reception.

Amplified Indoor Antennas 

This type of antenna has one of the highest noise interference factors of all indoor FM antennas. The reception it gets is poor in quality.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/facts_5016655_types-fm-antennas.html#ixzz2ltoQXv00