FM

[JoelSim]

Is there any way to boost an FM signal without playing with the outdoor aerial (live in townhouse of flats so would be too expensive). FM reception is just about ok, better on some stations than others. Just want a way to amplify the signal without going for one of those nasty aerials from places like Maplins.

 

I'm just using a T-aerial at the moment. Can I get a splitter and hook it to the TV aerial for instance? 

 

Any thoughts?

 

 

[Anonymous]

Short of a signal booster from Argos I don't know how you would do it. Decent hifi FM relies on an external aerial. How about...

1) ...running one to the front or rear of the house, wall-mounted, instead?
2) ...running one into the garden, mounted in a corner on a post
3) ...running one into a loft or high cupboard

EDIT I think the TV aerial idea won't work as the aerial at the end of the cable is the wrong type. Simple as. You could always try it.

May the force be with you...

 

[chebby]

JoelSim:Can I get a splitter and hook it to the TV aerial for instance?

Presumably you have already tried your TV aerial coax in the FM tuner. If it works well then try the splitter.

However this table (from ATV Aerials and TV) does not look very promising for TV aerial use with FM reception.....

 

[JoelSim]

chebby:JoelSim:Can I get a splitter and hook it to the TV aerial for instance?Presumably you have already tried your TV aerial coax in the FM tuner. If it works well then try the splitter.However this table (from ATV Aerials and TV) does not look very promising for TV aerial use with FM reception.....

ÿ

Er I don't have any idea what that table means, technical stuff isn't my forte or passion I'm afraid - my TV aerial won't reach my hifi at the moment o would have to extend. Ideally I would just get something I could hide behind my rack.ÿ

 

[chebby]

Basically that table shows results of tests that ATV conducted, using lots of different types of FM, DAB & TV aerials for radio reception.

The TV aerial section (towards the bottom of the table) showed FM performance was either Variable/Poor/Moderate/Nothing depending on the type used.

 

[JoelSim]

Thanks Chebby

 

[Anonymous]

Hifi sound doesn't actually depend on an external FM antenna. Although it can't hurt.

To be honest the 'T' you are already using is a form of half wave dipole and is about as good as it gets for indoor FM aerials. It's also pretty much what gets put outside too! There are omni directional aerials too but my faith in them is limited.

The trouble with signal amplifiers is that they amplify crud and signal at the same time. There are ways to filter this but it tends to flatten the sound.

I'm not sure what you can do it might be possible to install an external FM antenna on the roof on the same line as the TV aerial and use a splitter. There will be some loss this way too, plus the bother of getting it done . My landlord did this for me a number of years ago when living in Dublin perhaps it's more affordable than you think.

 

[chebby]

You may find (as I did before having an FM roof aerial installed) that your Digital Freeview box will give you very good radio results.

I am of course assuming Freeview reception is OK in your premises.

Swing a set of phono leads from your Freeview TV/DVD (or set top box) audio output over to your amp and give it a go.

The major radio channels (including BBC Radio 1, 2, 3 & 4) come through in 192kbps quality and sound very respectable (far better than DAB bit rates)

The same goes for radio quality from Sky and Cable if you have either of those.

Freeview/Sky/Cable radio will be way preferable to the best FM tuner with a poor aerial in a poor reception area (or in your case no chance of installing a good one) and far better than DAB and internet radio.

 

[chebby]

laugh:I live in a strong signal area (free line of sight from the transmitter), so it skews my perceptions.

Same here. I live in direct line of sight and only a few miles away (as the seagull flies) from Rowridge. However the signal strengths on all the stations went up from 4 or 5 to 8 bars (max) on my Arcam Solo-Mini when I got a an FM roof aerial in place of an indoor dipole. Not only that, but half a dozen previously un-receivable local FM stations are now loud and clear with the lowest signal strength one being 7 out 8 bars.

Just edited my signal strength figures. I sit a long way away from my hi-fi and could not see the bars clearly from here when I was writing. I don't look at my signal strength any more so forgot the number of bars of the scale.

 

[JoelSim]

Just bought one of those £10 booster aerials. We'll see what happens

 

[chebby]

Best of luck

 

[Anonymous]

chebby:laugh:I live in a strong signal area (free line of sight from the transmitter), so it skews my perceptions.

Same here. I live in direct line of sight and only a few miles away (as the seagull flies) from Rowridge. However the signal strengths on all the stations went up from 4 or 5 to 8 bars (max) on my Arcam Solo-Mini when I got a an FM roof aerial in place of an indoor dipole. Not only that, but half a dozen previously un-receivable local FM stations are now loud and clear with the lowest signal strength one being 7 out 8 bars.

Interesting - and definitely worth investigating, although here in N. Ireland we're badly served by radio stations apart from the BBC and Classic FM. The others, are the tattiest form of local radio.

 

[chebby]

Here is a photo I took a while back. If you look carefully you can see Rowridge transmitter just left of the middle....

 

[Dave_]

as you live in a town house of flats, i would assume that your on a communal system, if so there should already be an amp/booster on system, so if your getting a weak signal, its possibly coz your in a weak signal area, or aerial is not aligned properly or its a cheapo aerial set up, as they often are in communal system,