South coast NSW antenna for ABC radio

bullpeters · 27th December 2012, 07:11 AM

Need to make an Antenna for my "new" troughline. Roof mounted, simple, probably only listening to JJJ and classic FM. (101.5 and 102.5? something like that) and I am assuming coming in from the same direction. Anyone else like me prepared to share there set up?
I see heaps of stuff on the net, big question is directional or not? I am sure they come from the same repeater, so maybe a YAGI?
Happy holidays

davidsrsb · 27th December 2012, 08:27 AM

You do want directional. Tuners work much better with the antenna ignoring reflected (multipath) signals coming in from the sides. Yagis are good, I had a 6 element back in the UK in a poor signal area.

freax · 08:45 AM

a masthead amplifier won't go wrong if you have gain issues.

I just use a discone for mine, I never listen to FM bcb tho, only aircraft on approach on the air bands.

Aside from that its shortwave whenever I can get the chance to listen in on a 80/40/20 meter inverted vee.

Speedskater · 10:18 PM

For everything you need to know (and much more) about antennas in (and near) the FM broadcast band:

88–108 MHz
http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/index.html

EV's Best Top Rated FM and HD Radio Antenna Guide & Reviews
http://www.dtvusaforum.com/dtv-hdtv-...e-reviews.html

counter culture · 10:55 PM

You need to assess the conditions.

If you're getting a strong signal you don't want a (very) directional antenna (they're all directional in horizontal polarization). They have a narrow beam and are more difficult to point.

You can ask somebody local to you.

You can test.

How to test:

Get one made from a piece of 300 ohm ladder feeder. Connect it up and see what you get. See if there's any difference between the channels you're interested in. Rotate it. You can buy a ready-made dipole or build something on a piece of board: http://www.wryr.org/Antenna_instructions.pdf

Try indoor first.

In the worst case you resort to an outdoor yagi with an antenna rotator and masthead amp.

That's it, really...

Oh, elevation makes a difference too.

bear · 28th December 2012, 03:44 AM

Distance from transmitting source?

Terrain between it and you?

Your height above sea level, and the transmitters?

Your position - the highest point you can put an antenna - compared to the nearby terrain and/or buildings?

Power of the transmitting station(s).

Your area is: A) urban B) suburban C) rural

_-_-bear

27th December 2012, 07:11 AM	#1
bullpeters diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Right next to beach, a potatoe toss to the whitewater	South coast NSW antenna for ABC radio Need to make an Antenna for my "new" troughline. Roof mounted, simple, probably only listening to JJJ and classic FM. (101.5 and 102.5? something like that) and I am assuming coming in from the same direction. Anyone else like me prepared to share there set up? I see heaps of stuff on the net, big question is directional or not? I am sure they come from the same repeater, so maybe a YAGI? Happy holidays

27th December 2012, 08:38 AM	#3
freax Owner and operator of irc.tenettenba.info diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: NSW	a masthead amplifier won't go wrong if you have gain issues. I just use a discone for mine, I never listen to FM bcb tho, only aircraft on approach on the air bands. Aside from that its shortwave whenever I can get the chance to listen in on a 80/40/20 meter inverted vee. __________________ Last edited by freax; 27th December 2012 at 08:45 AM.

27th December 2012, 10:16 PM	#4
Speedskater diyAudio Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Lakewood, Ohio	For everything you need to know (and much more) about antennas in (and near) the FM broadcast band: 88–108 MHz http://ham-radio.com/k6sti/index.html EV's Best Top Rated FM and HD Radio Antenna Guide & Reviews http://www.dtvusaforum.com/dtv-hdtv-...e-reviews.html __________________ Kevin Last edited by Speedskater; 27th December 2012 at 10:18 PM.

27th December 2012, 10:40 PM	#5
counter culture diyAudio Member Join Date: Jun 2011	You need to assess the conditions. If you're getting a strong signal you don't want a (very) directional antenna (they're all directional in horizontal polarization). They have a narrow beam and are more difficult to point. You can ask somebody local to you. You can test. How to test: Get one made from a piece of 300 ohm ladder feeder. Connect it up and see what you get. See if there's any difference between the channels you're interested in. Rotate it. You can buy a ready-made dipole or build something on a piece of board: http://www.wryr.org/Antenna_instructions.pdf Try indoor first. In the worst case you resort to an outdoor yagi with an antenna rotator and masthead amp. That's it, really... Oh, elevation makes a difference too. Last edited by counter culture; 27th December 2012 at 10:55 PM.

28th December 2012, 03:44 AM	#6
bear expert in tautology diyAudio Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: New York State USA	Distance from transmitting source? Terrain between it and you? Your height above sea level, and the transmitters? Your position - the highest point you can put an antenna - compared to the nearby terrain and/or buildings? Power of the transmitting station(s). Your area is: A) urban B) suburban C) rural _-_-bear __________________ _-_-bear http://www.bearlabs.com [...2SJ74 Toshiba bogus asian parts - beware! ] -- Btw, I don't actually know anything, FYI --


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27th December 2012, 08:27 AM	#2
davidsrsb diyAudio Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Kuala Lumpur	You do want directional. Tuners work much better with the antenna ignoring reflected (multipath) signals coming in from the sides. Yagis are good, I had a 6 element back in the UK in a poor signal area.

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