Our local cable company, Comcast, doesn't carry FM radio signals; therefore,
I'm trying to improve my FM reception on my home receiver. I've had separate
VHF and UHF antennas up for HDTV several years. They work wonders for HD and
even analog TV, but the FM element on the VHF yagi surprisingly doesn't pick
up much. Part of my problem is that I'm on an east facing hillside in the
foothills directly north of one major metro market area and directly west of
another. Despite that, I don't understand why I can get decent TV reception
but no FM.

After limited success with a homebrew folded dipole, I picked up a high gain
three element FM yagi. No matter where I seem to point it, I'm not getting
any more signal strength than with the dipole on the back of the receiver.
You'd think that aiming it east, southeast, or south towards all those
transmitters would pull in something, but gain is very weak. However, if I
point it northwest, at about 45 degrees up the hill behind me, I can
actually pull in a few decent stations. Aiming the antenna in the opposite
direction of the stations just seems contrary to logic. I understand that
ground waves travel parallel to the earth, but could the signals be bouncing
off the hillside too, acting like a huge reflector?

The thing that really gets me is that I can get excellent reception on all
stations in my car sitting in the driveway, and driving around. Therefore,
I'm thinking of dumping the yagi and trying to find or build a vertically
polarized omni antenna. My car antenna does happen to be mounted at about 45
degrees. Any ideas on what might be going on, and how I might improve my
reception? Any antenna designs and dimensions would be helpful. I guess
worst case scenario is I can go down to the auto parts store, by a car
antenna, and put it on my roof.

Please help. Many thanks!

-Bob

No more calls please; we have a winner. Someone in
sci.engr.television.broadcast nailed it on the first try. There's a 99FM
xmitter a couple miles to the SE of me, lower in elevation, right in the
path of all the
other stations - & right smack in the middle of the FM band. Pointing the
yagi in the exact opposite direction yields the best results for all other
stations.

I'm still looking for some vertical omni antenna designs.

-Bob

I suspect that your home FM radio is very insensitive. Car radios are
usually very good since you drivee through all the worst-signal
places. Your home radio is either a poor design or is sick. Sit it
on top of your car and put a 19-inch wire on the "hot" antenna
terminal. It should receive about as many stations as the car radio.
If it doesn't, get a new home radio - it would likely cost too much to
fix what you have even if you could find someone who thought they knew
how to do it.

I wouldn't worry about antennas until the above test showed that the
radio works well.

bob c.

"butlercellars" wrote in message
...
Our local cable company, Comcast, doesn't carry FM radio signals;
therefore,
I'm trying to improve my FM reception on my home receiver. I've had
separate
VHF and UHF antennas up for HDTV several years. They work wonders
for HD and
even analog TV, but the FM element on the VHF yagi surprisingly
doesn't pick
up much. Part of my problem is that I'm on an east facing hillside
in the
foothills directly north of one major metro market area and directly
west of
another. Despite that, I don't understand why I can get decent TV
reception
but no FM.

After limited success with a homebrew folded dipole, I picked up a
high gain
three element FM yagi. No matter where I seem to point it, I'm not
getting
any more signal strength than with the dipole on the back of the
receiver.
You'd think that aiming it east, southeast, or south towards all
those
transmitters would pull in something, but gain is very weak.
However, if I
point it northwest, at about 45 degrees up the hill behind me, I can
actually pull in a few decent stations. Aiming the antenna in the
opposite
direction of the stations just seems contrary to logic. I understand
that
ground waves travel parallel to the earth, but could the signals be
bouncing
off the hillside too, acting like a huge reflector?

The thing that really gets me is that I can get excellent reception
on all
stations in my car sitting in the driveway, and driving around.
Therefore,
I'm thinking of dumping the yagi and trying to find or build a
vertically
polarized omni antenna. My car antenna does happen to be mounted at
about 45
degrees. Any ideas on what might be going on, and how I might
improve my
reception? Any antenna designs and dimensions would be helpful. I
guess
worst case scenario is I can go down to the auto parts store, by a
car
antenna, and put it on my roof.

Please help. Many thanks!

-Bob

"butlercellars" wrote in message
...
Our local cable company, Comcast, doesn't carry FM radio signals;
therefore,
I'm trying to improve my FM reception on my home receiver. I've had
separate
VHF and UHF antennas up for HDTV several years. They work wonders for HD
and
even analog TV, but the FM element on the VHF yagi surprisingly doesn't
pick
up much. Part of my problem is that I'm on an east facing hillside in the
foothills directly north of one major metro market area and directly west
of
another. Despite that, I don't understand why I can get decent TV
reception
but no FM.

After limited success with a homebrew folded dipole, I picked up a high
gain
three element FM yagi. No matter where I seem to point it, I'm not getting
any more signal strength than with the dipole on the back of the receiver.
You'd think that aiming it east, southeast, or south towards all those
transmitters would pull in something, but gain is very weak. However, if I
point it northwest, at about 45 degrees up the hill behind me, I can
actually pull in a few decent stations. Aiming the antenna in the opposite
direction of the stations just seems contrary to logic. I understand that
ground waves travel parallel to the earth, but could the signals be
bouncing
off the hillside too, acting like a huge reflector?

The thing that really gets me is that I can get excellent reception on all
stations in my car sitting in the driveway, and driving around. Therefore,
I'm thinking of dumping the yagi and trying to find or build a vertically
polarized omni antenna. My car antenna does happen to be mounted at about
45
degrees. Any ideas on what might be going on, and how I might improve my
reception? Any antenna designs and dimensions would be helpful. I guess
worst case scenario is I can go down to the auto parts store, by a car
antenna, and put it on my roof.

Please help. Many thanks!

-Bob

I have had some experience with rooftop antennas when I lived in Troy, NY.
During the early 1970's there were not too many local FM broadcast stations
in the area. When I put up the antenna, I was receiving signals on a regular
basis up to 125 miles, and sporadically up to 200 miles. As the number of
local stations increased, my ability to receive distant signals decreased.
This was both from the fewer number of channels unoccupied by local
stations, and the tendency of strong signals to desensitize my receiver. I
used a rather lengthy Channel Master Yagi FM antenna, which I don't think is
still on the market.

Perhaps you are in an area with strong local FM signals. You should try to
drive around and see where you can pick up distant signals from your car. As
an example, the Poughkeepsie / Kingston, NY metropolitarian area has only
one or two UHF TV stations, but many local FM radio stations. Most residents
rely on cable TV for stations from New York City or Albany, NY.

TRY WWW.KZQX,COM FOR RECEPTION TIPS. PLUS HEAR SOME GREAT MUSIC.
"butlercellars" wrote in message
...
Our local cable company, Comcast, doesn't carry FM radio signals;
therefore,
I'm trying to improve my FM reception on my home receiver. I've had
separate
VHF and UHF antennas up for HDTV several years. They work wonders for HD
and
even analog TV, but the FM element on the VHF yagi surprisingly doesn't
pick
up much. Part of my problem is that I'm on an east facing hillside in the
foothills directly north of one major metro market area and directly west
of
another. Despite that, I don't understand why I can get decent TV
reception
but no FM.

After limited success with a homebrew folded dipole, I picked up a high
gain
three element FM yagi. No matter where I seem to point it, I'm not getting
any more signal strength than with the dipole on the back of the receiver.
You'd think that aiming it east, southeast, or south towards all those
transmitters would pull in something, but gain is very weak. However, if I
point it northwest, at about 45 degrees up the hill behind me, I can
actually pull in a few decent stations. Aiming the antenna in the opposite
direction of the stations just seems contrary to logic. I understand that
ground waves travel parallel to the earth, but could the signals be
bouncing
off the hillside too, acting like a huge reflector?

The thing that really gets me is that I can get excellent reception on all
stations in my car sitting in the driveway, and driving around. Therefore,
I'm thinking of dumping the yagi and trying to find or build a vertically
polarized omni antenna. My car antenna does happen to be mounted at about
45
degrees. Any ideas on what might be going on, and how I might improve my
reception? Any antenna designs and dimensions would be helpful. I guess
worst case scenario is I can go down to the auto parts store, by a car
antenna, and put it on my roof.

Please help. Many thanks!

-Bob

"Frank Benton" wrote in message
...
| TRY WWW.KZQX,COM FOR RECEPTION TIPS. PLUS HEAR SOME GREAT MUSIC.
| "butlercellars" wrote in message
| ...

| Our local cable company, Comcast, doesn't carry FM radio signals;
| therefore, I'm trying to improve my FM reception on my home receiver.

One of the antennas I use with some success is what I call my "picture
frame" antenna, as it's mounted on a picture frame with the standard
dimensions of about 3 by 4 feet (with a "painting" by a Starving Artist or
whatever) which gives you a circumference of about 14 feet, or about the
wavelength of an FM signal. Buy sufficient *unsheilded* twin-lead from
your local electronics supply store, cutting a length sufficient to mount
it around the frame, using nails, glue or whatever works to keep it wrapped
around the frame.

Taking the excess (you DID buy excess, didn't you?) attach one wire to one
of the wires of this loop. Follow the loop around the frame, to assure
then that you have the other end of this wire at the other end of the loop.
Connect *it* to the remaining wire on the side already connected to your
feeder, and then connect the last wire to the free wire on your feeder.
The end result is you'll have two loops, at about the correct wavelength
for FM. Hams and CB'ers use a similar design, called a cubical quad, which
you might see on towers...they're squares, mounted some distance apart, and
are very directional.

This antenna is somewhat directional as well. If you have problems with
some local strong stations, it might be possible to reduce their strength
if your antenna is properly oriented. You can hang the picture directly
over your receiver (assuming you don't mind showing an Elvis on velvet) or
simply place it behind your stereo cabinet if you have one. Using this
antenna I've pulled in stations from over 120 miles away consistently with
a good line of sight (Erie PA to Toronto, where most of the FMs were at
lower than normal power, high atop the CN Tower), on a receiver not
particularly sensitive. Your results may vary.
--
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Men born to freedom are naturally alert to repel invasion of their liberty
by evil-minded rulers. The greatest dangers to liberty lurk in insidious
encroachment by men of zeal, well-meaning but without understanding." --
Justice Brandeis
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