Check the packing box again. Any new sstereo reciever should have come with
an AM loop antenna. (My Onkyo did). Check the manufacurers website and see
if they sell one. Crutchfield sells one
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Fni7Kht...rch=am+antenna

Antennas need to be designed for the frequencies being recieved. FM signals
are between TV Channels 6 and 7 (88 to 108mHz) and a TV antenna works good
for them. AM signals are way lower in frequency (.54 to 1.7 mHz) and need a
different antenna. Long wire antennas work good for AM signals but almost
nobody has the room for a hundred foot piece of wire. So they make loop
antennas for AM signals (about cigar box size).

TO truly get the best reception of FM signals you need to turn the TV
antenna sidewaks.(TV signals are horizantally polarized, FM signals are
vertically polarized) but for 99% of the cases a plain old TV antenna,
mounted normally will work.


"Mak Wilson" wrote in message
oups.com...
I have a relatively new hi fi stereo reciever. I also have regular
(properly grounded) TV Antenna (because I'm too cheap to afford cable).
The reciever has a hookup for an FM Antenna into which I run my
regular TV antenna and it works great for FM radio.

Now, I'd like to pick up AM stations. For some reason there is a
different hookup on the reciever for AM stations. Also, there is an
outgoing ground hookup on the back of the reciever which is supposed to
be just for AM Antenna ground.

I'm curious as to why there are separate antenna hookups for FM and AM,
but mostly I just want to know if I can safely and effectively use my
regular TV antenna for both FM and AM, ignoring the AM ground because I
know the antenna is already properly grounded.

Any help? Thanks.