Radio Road

Which tuner to get and getting the most from it. Thank God, for the radio!

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Original Message

RE: new data and things tried

Posted by user510 on June 18, 2017 at 13:45:26:

Yesterday I tried some things. Above photo shows some additions to my collection of antennas.

Here's another pic:

Featured in the above photo is the RadioShack 2-way signal amplifier. (clamped to the back of the shelf behind the Laptop.) Strapped to the upright member of the steel rack is a RadioShack FM-Trap (about which I know nothing). At this point, after experimenting via trial and error, antenna input is now at the FM-Trap, which in turn connects to the 2-way signal amplifier, which connects to the FM tuner (Carver TX-11b) above. The tuner has only one input for FM, 75 ohm F-type.

I dug the FM Trap and 2-Way amplifier out of a box of stuff I've had for years. In that box will be found spare coax, spare network cable, spare telephone cable (now almost obsolete) and a variety of artifacts like 2-way splitters, 4-way splitters, video connectors and AV cables of different types, etc.

So far the best reception is via the Dipole antenna which connects at the FM trap noted above. Signal strength is clearly the best I've received yet. Also, I find this quite a bit more listenable. That sibilant noise I've been hearing with broadcast voices and music is almost entirely gone. When using the Noise-reduction switch on the Carver tuner, there is a reduction in this noise. When using the multi-path reduction switch on the tuner, noise is further reduced to almost negligible amounts. It seems as if I'm almost there. I can add that weather plays a part in this. Overcast days, often times, provide cleaner signals than do sunny days.

Yesterday I did try a few things. In the top photo it can be seen that I tried an HDTV amplified antenna. While this type of antenna is not for FM radio reception (those frequencies are below that of FM radio) it did work. Better, I'd say than that Parsec amplified beam antenna.

I also tried an automotive antenna (solid, does not telescope) with solid stainless steel round rod 30 inches long. this I modified by clipping off the oem plug and soldering a 75 ohm balun/coax cable connector. running coax from the balun to the input side of that FM trap I found signal strength and clarity that bettered the Parsec Beam Booster that now has been retired. I mean to try some further mods to this vertical antenna to see if I can't make it tunable (vertical antennas must resonate, someone said). I have much to learn about this but I have found on the web some interesting tutorials on antenna design.

I'm not done. I am recording my notes and ideas at the link below for those who want to follow this little journey. For me this is fun stuff. At the moment what I'm discovering here is that the dipole, as picture on the wall, brings in the strongest signals in this somewhat mountainous and fringe area where I now reside.

More stuff will be tried.

-Steve