better FM reception?

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floydie

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Topic # 143825 28-Apr-2014 17:28

we live in Tauranga and i have a 4 year old onkyo HT amp. the FM reception is shocking. you would think that living in tauranga it would be ok...

ive read that you can hook up the amp to the Uhf tv aerial for better reception??
what the best way to maximise reception?

nintcore

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Reply # 1032715 28-Apr-2014 17:47

Where in Tauranga are you?

If you're able to plug amp into a TV aerial outlet I would recommend it as thats what I've done.
Im near Papamoa and Like to listen to George Fm on 107.4. I can't get George Fm on normal radio as it only broadcasts in the cbd and surrounding areas. Unless I have the radio plugged directly into the old VHF/Yagi aerial outlet I can receive George Fm..

Hope this helps..

B1GGLZ

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Reply # 1032752 28-Apr-2014 18:46

What are you using currently for an antenna?
UHF TV antenna would not be the best way to go as FM is around 88 - 108mhz and the UHF antenna is designed for much higher frequencies. An old VHF would be better. Ideally a dedicated FM antenna with slope polarisation (neither vertical nor horizontal but in between) is best.

myfullflavour

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Reply # 1032779 28-Apr-2014 19:13

Two questions:

1) what are you trying to listen to?

2) do you have line-of-site to Kopukairua ?

floydie

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Reply # 1033469 29-Apr-2014 21:10

myfullflavour: Two questions:

1) what are you trying to listen to?
HAuraki,and the rock and usual "big" network stations.

2) do you have line-of-site to Kopukairua ?
We are in brookfield, no line of sight to there, but reception was equally bad when we were in welcome bay which is right next to it.

is it just me or is FM just much worse than before? i would have thought that the big network stations would have better broadcasting grunt in NZ's fifth largest city.

ubergeeknz

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Vocus

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Reply # 1033500 29-Apr-2014 21:28

Rooftop TV antenna is a good bet. Even if it's only UHF it might work well enough. If not you could try making or buying a folded dipole like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjTshXYsRss / http://www.nsw.wicen.org.au/technical/projects/coaxial-folded-dipole-antenna to tune for 98Mhz you need to make the whole thing 152.8cm across and leave ~19.2cm bare at each end.

kiwitrc

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Reply # 1033604 30-Apr-2014 06:07

floydie:
myfullflavour: Two questions:

1) what are you trying to listen to?
HAuraki,and the rock and usual "big" network stations.

2) do you have line-of-site to Kopukairua ?
We are in brookfield, no line of sight to there, but reception was equally bad when we were in welcome bay which is right next to it.

is it just me or is FM just much worse than before? i would have thought that the big network stations would have better broadcasting grunt in NZ's fifth largest city.

As bigglz asked, do you have any antenna on the unit currently such as a wire from FM antenna connection? This may be all you need.

johnr

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Reply # 1033606 30-Apr-2014 06:49

floydie:
myfullflavour: Two questions:

1) what are you trying to listen to?
HAuraki,and the rock and usual "big" network stations.

2) do you have line-of-site to Kopukairua ?
We are in brookfield, no line of sight to there, but reception was equally bad when we were in welcome bay which is right next to it.

is it just me or is FM just much worse than before? i would have thought that the big network stations would have better broadcasting grunt in NZ's fifth largest city.

Odd you quote a post but don't answer any of the questions

B1GGLZ

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Reply # 1033637 30-Apr-2014 08:47

johnr:
Odd you quote a post but don't answer any of the questions

He did. Read the quote.
Still hasn't told us what's being used for an antenna now though.

ilovemusic

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Reply # 1033921 30-Apr-2014 12:23

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a dedicated antenna will go a long way to improving fm performance but what hasn't been said is that most avr's have crap fm tuners.

if you are a serious fm listener, get a separate high quality fm tuner.

floydie

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Reply # 1035094 1-May-2014 19:38

its using the original onkyo aerial. the fm port is a 300ohm, so will have a look at what else i can make up to suit the 300ohm port.

B1GGLZ

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Reply # 1035159 1-May-2014 22:03

floydie: its using the original onkyo aerial. the fm port is a 300ohm, so will have a look at what else i can make up to suit the 300ohm port.

Strange! It should be a coax 75 ohm socket and I would have thought no antenna supplied. Are you sure you're not using an AM loop antenna which would connect to what looks like 300 ohm terminals?
A picture of the terminals and antenna would help.

P.S. What model Onkyo is it?

bales

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Reply # 1035193 1-May-2014 23:21

ditto bigglz its only 4yrs old so should have 75ohm in.

raytaylor

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Reply # 1035196 1-May-2014 23:30

Normally they come with a 1m white wire with a female plug on the end that connects to the centre pin of the coax connector on the back of the amp/reciever.

You can usually connect them up to the TV antenna on the roof - I find even without an FM or VHF antenna, the cabing in the wall is enough to pick up a good signal. Though that does mean you will also pick up interference also - I find computers and routers to be a particular nuisance.

I install broadband routers in alot of rural homes in central hawkes bay. There is a small mountain range between a large rural area i work in, and the fm transmitter sites for the local radio stations. Customers will often have a dedicated FM antenna on the roof for their stereo. Switchmode power supplies for almost any brand of router seem to always cause noise that carries itself on almost every station on the fm band.
I have even seen people still using the old AM wall terminals and half wave dipole installed in the attic in the 40's-60's in their attic on a new reciever because as said above, they have crap reception using the built in tuners - almost all of them do.

Ray Taylor
Taylor Broadband (rural hawkes bay)
www.ruralkiwi.com

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floydie

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Reply # 1036588 4-May-2014 19:46

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sorry yes 75 ohm.. god knows why i wrote 300.