AVS › AVS Forum › A/V Control & Automation › Tweaks and Do-It-Yourself › Best FM Antenna? (indoor)
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Best FM Antenna? (indoor)

post #1 of 21
9/24/06 at 11:23am
Thread Starter 
This is for my Denon 3802, hooked up to my AV system.

I currently use a terk am/fm plus (nonamplified) (model AF2500) but still do not get certain stations that I want clearly (although they sound great in the car).

Have looked around and come down to perhaps 2 I might try. (unless I get different suggestions here).

I did try the wire one that came with my Denon 3802 receiver. The terk (AF 2500)is better, at least for FM.

1) Terk FM 50, to be mounted inside, perhaps behind my Pioneer Elite RPTV so as to not be seen too much.


http://www.crutchfield.com/S-NfLZHme...=fm&i=209FMPRO


2) or the Crane Reflect antenna (this has the advantage of being smaller and much more inexpensive)

http://www.smarthome.com/973101F.HTML

The terk is about $70 (including the cost of a non-included cable) and the other about $20, and from what I have seen in comments, the terk works just as well for many without the amplification turned on.

Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions are appreciated.
Reply
Reply

AVS Top Picks

post #2 of 21
9/25/06 at 7:28am
If you receive the stations you want in your car, you should be able to receive them well with your stereo with a set of basic tv rabbit ears. Stay away from the RCA ones, which are junk, and only work about as well as the wire that came with your receiver.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 21
9/27/06 at 10:59am
That Terk antenna has here a very angry buyer http://terksucks.tripod.com/
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 21
9/27/06 at 1:58pm
I stuck a large antenna in my attic and ran the coax down to my AV rack. This gave me excellent reception and zero clutter. If you are handy it may be an option...
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 21
9/27/06 at 5:30pm
Thread Starter 
I live in a high rise condo, so that is not a possibility, but thanks for the suggestions. I just ordered the Crane Reflect antenna for my receiver to try. (and if it works well, I may buy another for a table radio I have as well.)

Any other suggestions still appreciated in case it does not work so well. I will try to update this post with how it does, once it arrives.
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 21
9/27/06 at 10:55pm
We use the Magnum Dynalab ST-2 Fm antenna, we just finished a job where we connected it to a 25 year old McIntosh Tuner and we get like 50 stations in a 20 station town

Its not a cheap antenna retails around 100.00 but it works well

http://www.magnumdynalab.com/fmantenna-st2.htm
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 21
9/28/06 at 5:35pm
Thread Starter 
That looks very similar and the same price as the fanfare fm-2g that I have seen. (which also seemed to get pretty good reviews). I stayed away, in part because I wanted to try the less expensive one first, and in part because mounting a 54 inch antenna inside, in my living room would not be that easy to hide.
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 21
9/28/06 at 9:03pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tachy View Post

That looks very similar and the same price as the fanfare fm-2g that I have seen. (which also seemed to get pretty good reviews). I stayed away, in part because I wanted to try the less expensive one first, and in part because mounting a 54 inch antenna inside, in my living room would not be that easy to hide.

One of the ones we have done was inside and was unseen...we actually removed the wallplate and slid it up inside the wall cavity...all gone...not seen
Reply
Reply
post #9 of 21
3/5/07 at 2:26pm
anyone else had good results with that crane?
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 21
3/21/07 at 7:44am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tachy View Post

This is for my Denon 3802, hooked up to my AV system.

I currently use a terk am/fm plus (nonamplified) (model AF2500) but still do not get certain stations that I want clearly (although they sound great in the car).

Have looked around and come down to perhaps 2 I might try. (unless I get different suggestions here).

I did try the wire one that came with my Denon 3802 receiver. The terk (AF 2500)is better, at least for FM.

1) Terk FM 50, to be mounted inside, perhaps behind my Pioneer Elite RPTV so as to not be seen too much.



2) or the Crane Reflect antenna (this has the advantage of being smaller and much more inexpensive)


The terk is about $70 (including the cost of a non-included cable) and the other about $20, and from what I have seen in comments, the terk works just as well for many without the amplification turned on.

Any thoughts, comments, or suggestions are appreciated.


I built my own FM/HDTV antenna out of hangers(yes hangers), 2x4, screws and washers, and a UHF/VHS/FM transformer. My total cost was under $1.50!

hyghwayman
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 21
4/10/07 at 5:36am
I know this is a little late to the party but I have the Fanfare / Magnum Dynalab FM-2G antenna (they are pretty much the same) and It is an excellent antenna.

The advantage over the Terk (I have no experience with it so can't speak for/against it otherwise) is that the FM-2G is a passive design - no power supply to plug in.

The Crane is just a dipole and if you can make it work for your stations, great, but it is just a dipole antenna. I'm not buying the "new dipole design" at all - that is marketing hype imho.

The advantage of the Fanfare is that it is an omnidirectional design so it doesn't have to be pointed anywhere to get different radio stations.

When I first got the antenna I stuck it behind some curtains (didn't even raise it off the floor) and it worked great. After I bought a house, I mounted it on the roof and I am pulling in stations from all over the place!
Reply
Reply
post #12 of 21
8/16/11 at 8:50am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Greg_R View Post

I stuck a large antenna in my attic and ran the coax down to my AV rack. This gave me excellent reception and zero clutter. If you are handy it may be an option...

What antenna did you choose for your attic? I was thinking about doing the exact same thing.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 21
8/16/11 at 5:59pm

That last post was from about four years ago.
But anyway:
One of our forum members has everything that you need to know about FM antennas:

http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/index.html


Edited by Speedskater - 12/18/12 at 6:14pm
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 21
8/17/11 at 8:07am
I have a UHF antenna mounted on my roof. Will UHF work for FM reception or do I need an FM specific antenna?
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 21
8/17/11 at 8:33am
Not likely. FM is between VHF channels 6 and 7.
Reply
Reply
post #16 of 21
8/17/11 at 9:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Colm View Post

Not likely. FM is between VHF channels 6 and 7.

Thanks for the reply...that's kind of what I thought. So I know every situation is different, but in general, should I get better FM reception mounting a Magnum Dynalab ST2 antenna on top of my 3rd story roof near my UHF antenna and using an antenna joiner to combine the UHF and FM signals or mount the Magnum Dynalab ST2 in my 3rd story attic and have it on it's own dedicated coax line? One of these is significantly easier than the other!
Reply
Reply
post #17 of 21
8/17/11 at 11:14am
Should have better results outdoors, but you knew that. IIWY I would try the attic first. IIW putting an antenna on the roof, I would go for something bigger.
Reply
Reply
post #18 of 21
8/17/11 at 3:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by MurrayW View Post

I have a UHF antenna mounted on my roof. Will UHF work for FM reception or do I need an FM specific antenna?

FWIW, I have a UHF-VHF antenna on my roof for OTA tv. I use an FM separator at the base of the antenna and run the cable thru my attic and to my receiver. The video signal goes to my HDTV. I get tons of FM stations, crystal clear, regardless of outside weather conditions.
Reply
Reply
post #19 of 21
8/28/11 at 9:59pm
I live in a valley and I've tried a lot to get a good signal on the local PBS station coming from a city 40 minutes away but no good. Isn't my situation helpless if there just isn't a clear signal coming in no matter what antenna I get?
Reply
Reply
post #20 of 21
8/29/11 at 11:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by GoClippers1969 View Post

I live in a valley and I've tried a lot to get a good signal on the local PBS station coming from a city 40 minutes away but no good. Isn't my situation helpless if there just isn't a clear signal coming in no matter what antenna I get?

Enter your location info at the excellent FM Fool site and it will give you a host of great info including the maximum signal strengths you can expect from all the stations around you. It will also give you a 360 degree view showing the compass locations of those stations.
.
Reply
Reply
post #21 of 21
12/16/12 at 1:09am
Thanks GoClippers1969,

excellent site.....excellent fourm.....^^wink.gif
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Tweaks and Do-It-Yourself

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › A/V Control & Automation › Tweaks and Do-It-Yourself › Best FM Antenna? (indoor)