Strange(?) issue with indoor FM antenna

[voroddo]

Hi,

And please forgive the ignorance of this question! At my partner's house in Newcastle (a rented place where an outdoor TV aerial is not an option), we've been using an ancient Technics stereo receiver, with an internal dipole aerial (as I think it's called -- I mean the long pink plastic T-shaped thing) which connects to the receiver via two small metal horseshoe-like bits being attached to screw fitments at the back saying '300 ohm balanced FM aerial'. The BBC Radio 3 FM reception is good! BUT, we have recently replaced this unit with a NAD 2030 amp plus Cambridge Audio T-100 tuner. This tuner has two options for attaching an FM aerial, which the manual says 'should' be an outdoor aerial. The first is to attach it to a coaxial socket that says 'FM coax 75 ohms'. But beside this are two screw fitments, each saying 'FM 30 ohms/AM aerial', and for the moment I have put the above-mentioned 'horseshoes' of my plastic aerial into these -- with the result that the reception seems poor! (More precisely -- it's not that there's interference, it's just that Radio 3 sounds dull, as if the top frequencies were missing.) My question is, should I buy an aerial like the one I have but with a 75 ohm coax plug on the end and put that into the appropriate socket, or is it just that the Cambridge Audio tuner is designed to be no good without an outdoor aerial! (If the latter is the case, I have seen for sale a cheap s/h Denon TU 260 tuner, which also has the 75 ohm aerial socket -- but would this be any better?)

All help greatly appreciated! Sorry for long and tedious post!

 

[TrevC]

Look at the back of the tuner, and see if there's a switch for de-emphasis. For the UK it should be set to 50 uS. It mignt be inside.

 

[MajorFubar]

I wasn't quite sure what you meant but having Googled a picture of your tuner, it seems the indoor FM and AM aerial connectors share a common pair of binding-posts at the back, just like you said. First time I've ever seen that, to be honest. You might have some luck using your T-aerial connected to the socket via a 75Ω adaptor, like this one from Maplin's:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BALUN-300-75-OHMS-TV-FM-AERIAL-SIGNAL-ADAPTOR-COAX-PLUG-/400609660527?pt=UK_Computing_Sound_Vision_Video_Cables_Adapters&hash=item5d46324e6f

...but the truth is I just suspect your new tuner is a bit naff with indoor aerials unless you're lucky enough to live virtually on top of the transmitter.

 

[voroddo]

Many thanks for replies! In fact, having investigated things further, and contacted Cambridge Audio, I realise I was over-hasty and made a very silly mistake … The reason we’re getting duller sound than we should be (affecting CD listening as well as radio) is probably not down to radio reception at all, but to the loudspeakers! Since these are currently just an old JVC pair which came with an ancient JVC basic system and are mounted on short wooden floor-blocks, it’s no wonder!! (Curiously perhaps, they did sound fine with my old Technics SA-300L receiver, but perhaps that’s just because stuff of the same vintage goes better together whereas the NAD and the ancient speakers don’t gel at all?) I’ve written a separate post asking about good speakers to combine with the NAD 3020.

As for the indoor FM aerial I mentioned, I tried this with the C.A. T-100 (and A-100 amp) in my own house, where I normally use the TV aerial, and to my surprise noted only a small difference in radio reception! The C.A. support guy told me that their old manuals were much more ‘categorically’ worded than they are now, and that my current indoor aerial should be 9/10 or even 19/20 as good as an outdoor one. Of course, being a fusspot I’d still be interested to know if anyone thinks the X or any other sort of indoor aerial is likely to be ‘even’ better than what I’m using, but my main focus has shifted to the loudspeakers …

 

[sthomas048]

As for the indoor FM aerial I mentioned, I tried this with the C.A. T-100 (and A-100 amp) in my own house, where I normally use the TV aerial, and to my surprise noted only a small difference in radio reception! The C.A. support guy told me that their old manuals were much more ‘categorically’ worded than they are now, and that my current indoor aerial should be 9/10 or even 19/20 as good as an outdoor one. Of course, being a fusspot I’d still be interested to know if anyone thinks the X or any other sort of indoor aerial is likely to be ‘even’ better than what I’m using, but my main focus has shifted to the loudspeakers …

Ive tried those "amplified" indoor aerials and they are alright. But I use a ribbon aerial pink t-shaped cable thingie and it works great. Picks up all the BBC stations and all the local stations too with a full strength signal bar on my Luxman tuner, to note I am only about 7 miles from the transmitter.

 

[davedotco]

Indoor FM aerials are a pain in the backside though often, as in this case, the only option.

You need to find out where your transmitter is and having determined that mount your aerial so that it is at right angles to the broardcast signal, ie the direction of the transmitter.

Naturally this will not line up with any wall close to your system so you have to find a way to support the aerial in an extremely inconvenient position.

This is complicated by the fact that the broardcast signals (for different stations) that you receive in your home may well come from different transmitters, which will of course be in totally different directions.

You will need to experiment by moving the aerial about to get the best reception, this will vary with the weather conditions with, perversly the summer months being more difficult.

To get really good results require a fair degree of trial and error and it may well take you some time to get optimal results.

With any luck you should get it right a week or two before your local and national FM transmitters are closed down.

 

[sthomas048]

Ive been quite jammy in that respect, as my main transmitter (Wenvoe) is South East which happens to be the direction my window/house faces. I love FM and hope it sticks around for a few more years yet, for the sake of my ears !

 

[voroddo]

I too am hoping FM will be around for yonks. To judge by recent media reports, there could be one heck of a political battle shaping up ...

 

[MajorFubar]

] I am only about 7 miles from the transmitter.

lol you don't even need a radio let alone an aerial. You can probably pick up good reception on an old set of false teeth.

 

[chebby]

I too am hoping FM will be around for yonks. To judge by recent media reports, there could be one heck of a political battle shaping up ...

In the 'News' section yesterday...

http://www.whathifi.com/news/government-not-ready-for-digital-radio-switchover

... so at least another few years.

 

[mikeparker59]

I'm lucky I live within sight of my transmitter for TV and Radio and get perfect reception of both using loft mounted TV aerial and simple Dipole FM aerial I also have a DAB aerial in my loft if anyone went up they'd think I was trying to contact aliens with the stuff I have in there. Saves them getting blown off the roof or water entry into the cables though ! (the aerials that is not the aliens)

 

[sthomas048]

] I am only about 7 miles from the transmitter.

lol you don't even need a radio let alone an aerial. You can probably pick up good reception on an old set of false teeth.

LOL ! That made spit out my tea laughting !