Radio antenna

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Shasta Bob

Shasta Bob

Active member
Joined
Apr 14, 2017
Posts
32
Location
Central Point, OR.
I am having a hard time finding good radio reception, and after looking at my radio the antenna is 24" 0f wire behind the radio . any suggestions for better reception.
 
What kind of radio? Is it a car radio (AM, FM, Cassette, ?) or a table top radio, or portable/pocket? What connector(s) are available on the radio? Perhaps a brand and model number?
 
Am Radio the longer the antenna the better the antenna up to a length you might find odd. (like a bit over 200 feet)  FM the ideal length is 1.5 Meters of TV flat lead. Ends shorted and ONE SIDE cut in the middle and flat lead to screws or two .75 Meter wires connected to coax. extended straight out from each others. THE all flat lead should form a "T" with the bottom of the T going to the radio.

NOW. if you want better you are looking at an outdoor Yagi on a post but that is not practical
The 1.5 Meter "Folded dipole" (That is what it is called) is the most common FM radio antenna for house radios.
 
24" behind the radio?  The dash radio?  is it the coax?  (little over 1/4" dia....) Usually the coax should lead up through the dash, and to the roof to some sort of regular looking antenna.  If a trailer, they will often have it mounted to the side.  If it is truly just a short piece of wire, you probably have a problem.
 
If it?s the radio in the GMC, have you considered plugging smartphone into radio and going that route? That?s what we do and listen to our local home stations no matter where we are.
 
If that is a "HOUSE" type radio the AM antenna is a wire wound ferrite rod which may be inside or outlside the case. (usually inside where it won't get broken) it is also part of the tuning system.

The FM. as I said. if the antenna connected to teh radio with two screws a 1.5 Meter folded dipole. if a coax connection of a single wire than a .0.75 Meter rod

The length is found by dividing 300 by the center of band frequency in MHZ. I used 100 MHZ to get the 3 Meter band. then dividing the wavelength (3 meters) by 1/2 for the dipole and dividing that by 1/2 to get the rod ... Standard best antenna I might add.
 
I read on another forum that some of the manufactures just cram the antenna behind the radio. It needs to be spread out if possible. I prefer to listen to Pandora. Depending on your location of radio and TV you may be able to put a splitter on your outdoor antenna and run it to your radio.
 
The FM band is located between TV channels 6 and 7.  You could put a two way splitter on the output of your TV roof antenna and run the second output to the radio.  This would give you very good FM reception, but you'll have to turn on the antenna preamp while listening to the radio.

For AM/FM reception, the best antenna is an automobile style whip antenna mounted on the roof of the RV.
 
Lou Schneider said:
The FM band is located between TV channels 6 and 7.  You could put a two way splitter on the output of your TV roof antenna and run the second output to the radio.  This would give you very good FM reception, but you'll have to turn on the antenna preamp while listening to the radio.

For AM/FM reception, the best antenna is an automobile style whip antenna mounted on the roof of the RV.
Click to expand...

Two comments.
1 Putting the antenna outside nad higher. Yes. Height is might (Story follows)

2: I recall reading that winegard puts a "Trap" on the OTA antenna to prevent the "Splitter" trick from working... that is quite possible. I've designed a few of those traps over the years and for frequencie not far removed.

The story
I once took a hand held 2-way radio and, haveing been trapped in the office by Ball Game Traffic. Got in the elevator to see what it could do.
1 watt. Short "Rubber duck" antenna (Slightly better than a dummy load) perhaps 1/4 watt Effective Radiated Power... 1/4 watt.. (many Broadcast station run a kilowatt or more).

This was in Downtown Detroit (1200 Fr. Kern) .. I found myself talking to some hams in Toledo Ohio via a repeater (Automatic relay station) In Adrian.

Well someone tried to join in but about all we got was the prefix of his call VE3 (Windsor ON Canada)

I was able to establish Direct chat (THe radio I had was frequency agile. Not "rock bound" (Crystal controlled). and relay for him.

Well after we switched to a direct frequency and chatted.. He told me what her was running. he had about 40 watts ERP at around 30 feet and he could not make the trip to Adrian...

OH, and I could see his house from where I was standing

I was making it with 1/4 Watt ERP... but I was on the 21st floor. about 220 Feet up in the air.

HEIGHT IS MIGHT.. he had easily 160 times the wattage I had.. but I made the trip due to HEIGHT.
 
Let's keep this simple. Can you see how the antenna is attached to the radio? Screw terminals or some type of connector?

If it's possible to find a model number for that Jenson stereo, that would be very helpful.
 
Okay, that's a bit odd. Unusual that there's no external antenna.

As you've discovered, a wire antenna inside tin can doesn't work very well. Is there an antenna on the roof that you can see, like a regular car antenna? I had one on my motorhome that wasn't plugged in at the factory. That took a little while to figure out.

If there's no antenna, maybe you can add one. An easy option might be to extend that wire so it's near a window. I've tacked a piece of wire to a curtain for a radio antenna, which kept it out of sight.
 
YOu said "A jack plugged into th back"  DOes the plug look like the one in the link???

Motorola Plug

If so that is a standard automotive antenna plug. Same as on many many dash radios. You an put an outside "universal" antenna on the RV. ONe hole and done.

 
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