FM Antenna

D id you have a favorite radio frequency you just love to listen to, but it disappeared overnight? A cause of that might have been the change in frequency. As gadgets have a tendency to evolve, so do broadcast frequencies, be they AM of FM. But fear not, as you can still access your radio channel with just a few minor changes to your equipment. All you have to do is to keep up with the upgrade and get yourself a new antenna. Confused about where to start? Too many options and you can’t decide? Don’t worry because we got you covered with our best recommendations that are guaranteed to get you out of your pinch.

Top 10 FM Antennas Compared

Photo	Product Name	Antenna Type	Signal Range	Connector Type	Reception Pattern	Built-in Amplifier	Price
Best Overall	1.ANTOP AM/FM Antenna	Indoor	50 miles	FM ‘F’ Female, AM spring clip	Multidirectional		Check Price
Our Choice	2. Fancasee FM Antenna	Indoor	N/A	FM ‘F’ Male	Linear		Check Price
	3. Stellar Labs 30-2435	Outdoor	50 miles	RG6 Female	Linear		Check Price
	4. Audiovox Accessories Corporation Terk FM+	Indoor	~60 miles	FM ‘F’ Male	Omnidirectional		Check Price
	5. Ancable OCA-7XH	Indoor	50 miles	FM ‘F’ Male	Linear		Check Price
	6. Winegard HD-6010	Outdoor / Indoor	60 miles	Yagi Style	Omnidirectional		Check Price
	7. ANTV Radio AM/FM Antenna	Indoor	50 miles	FM ‘F’ Female, AM spring clip	Multidirectional		Check Price
	8. DHCHAPU 12 Section	Indoor	N/A	FM ‘F’ Male/ DAB	Linear		Check Price
	9. Wlaniot 6543847912	Indoor	N/A	FM ‘F’ Male	Linear		Check Price
	10. Bose 17817368599	Indoor	N/A	1/8-inch jack plug	Linear		Check Price

1. ANTOP AM/FM Antenna

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With a large spectrum of radio waves, you can stay connected to both FM and AM broadcasting frequencies, thus giving you the opportunity to always be able to listen to your favorite music podcast. Ranging from AM 54 up to AM 130 and going from FM 88 to FM 108, it gives you several chances to keep yourself entertained with news, music, and traffic.

Reception versatility

Its compact size allows you to position it almost anywhere in your home, as it provides great reception from sports, news, music, and talk radio in your areas. Easy to connect and install, you will not have to worry about not being a connoisseur of electronic equipment. Stylishly designed, it will make your housework more interesting while keeping you company, and providing you with additional information and news.

Improved quality

It has a built-in amplifier which improves signal reception, its strength, and clarity, making it able to receive a multi-directional pattern with over a 50-mile AM/FM radio signal range while keeping noise away. With a balanced reception, you can listen to your favorite radio stations in seconds because thanks to its high and wide reception pattern, not only are you able to receive more channels, but there are fewer blind spots, as well.

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2. Fancasee FM Antenna

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It is designed to increase your signal power, thus offering you a larger and wider reception area. A great help in improving and stabilizing your 75 Ohm FM radio signal, the 4.9 ft. long cable makes it easy to connect with your radio. Created in the shape of a cable, however, this type of antenna has an F type push male plug, so you have to check if it fits. It works with several brands like Yamaha, Pioneer, Denon, Panasonic, Sangean, Onkyo, Sony, Luxman, Samsung and Sherwood Harman Kardon. However, it does not work nor does it fit with Bose Wave. Ideally placed in high areas for better reception, you can set it anywhere you want as it can work by standing on your tabletop, in your office and even inside your garage or basement without dropping the clear quality.

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3. Stellar Labs 30-2435

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Made to be used outdoors, it has omnidirectional pattern recognition, making it an outstanding reception tool for all FM broadcast stations. Able to pick up the frequency from 87.5MHz to 108MHz, it gives you the opportunity to listen to several music channels, news, sports and radio talk channels. An excellent antenna if your house is more on the remote side, near mountains or woods; or if you simply do not wish to keep an antenna indoors, it can receive signals from about 20 miles away. Moreover, if you wish to increase the signal’s power and clarity, you can stack more of them together to receive a better transmission. Simple to install and use, it comes fully assembled making it ready for immediate installation. Put it on an already existing mast pipe, or if your house allows you, in the attic, in order to be able to receive all radio channels around. Depending on the direction your stations are placed according to your house, you might have to rotate it in order to catch the radio channel at its highest quality.

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4. Audiovox Accessories Corporation Terk FM+

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It measures 7.8 inches in height, 6.3 inches in width and 1.6 inches in depth, thus it is extremely thin and compact, and it weighs 8 ounces. It has a frequency of 88-108 MHz, and it is only able to receive FM radio signals, thus you won’t be able to use it for AM signal. It does come, however, with HD radio signal, so you won’t experience any type of interferences while listening to your favorite post, while thanks to its 360 degrees, omni-direction reception, you won’t have to worry about interferences. It is made to be used only indoors, and it comes with two additional accessories, a 6-foot 75 Ohm coax and a 75 Ohm transformer. Its range is around 60 miles, so you will easily be able to access different types of channels.

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5. Ancable OCA-7XH

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It is created to improve the stability of your signal. Designed like a cable, rather than in a more ‘solid’ form, it is an F type male connector. It is a bit pretentious when it comes to what it can match as it will fit only certain brands like Yamaha, Pyle, JVC, Sherwood, Pioneer, Denon, Panasonic, Onkyo, Sony audio systems, and tabletop stereos. That does not make it any less effective than the others. On the contrary, by receiving FM signals, it will guarantee you a high-quality sound experience with several channels to listen to. Be sure it fits your device before you buy it. Plus, be sure to place it as high as possible, in order to get the best signal there is. With no extra noise or other surrounding signals standing in its way, it will offer you crisp reception. Moreover, the 1.5 m long cable will be enough to reach most tuners.

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6. Winegard HD-6010

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Made to be used outdoors, on a 2-inches diameter pipe for better signal, it can, however, be mounted in the attic as well, if you don’t want to have your house exterior perturbed. It is designed to receive signals from all directions, while thanks to its turnstile construction it features a simple and easy installation. It measures 67 inches in width and 10 inches in height, with the element diameter of 3/8 inches. It has a turning radius of 41 inches, and it weighs 1.5 pounds. It is able to receive all types of radio signals, including the newer, HD ones, and it doesn’t need programming. It has 2 active elements, with screw terminals, and an output impedance of 300 ohms, or 75 ohms with a transformer. It has a boom length of 10 inches, it is recommended to use it if you live in an urban or semi-urban area, and it comes with a 90-day warranty from the moment of your purchase.

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7. ANTV Radio AM/FM Antenna

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Designed with a slick and fashionable form, made to fit all places as it stands vertically, it comes with a series of benefits that will enhance your overall radio experience. Firstly, it comes with two signal recognition patterns, as it is able to distinguish both FM and AM frequencies. With its 50 miles reception range, you can receive several HD stations with great music, interesting news and radio talk.

Secondly, the built-in amplifier makes your radio listening experience high quality. Lowering the noise while amplifying the signals, it improves radio reception with just a cable plug-in. Using its stereo antenna you have free channels as it can connect to music, news and sports podcasts. No matter the model or the radio brand you use, it is a perfect match with it, as it has several ports and connectors like screw-type, 2-pin or 3-pin, making it a fit for all radio types. With its multi-directional pattern reception and its 6 ft. cable you can move it wherever you want, in order to take advantage of your room’s space. However, be sure to put it as high as possible to prevent any kind of external interruptions, like trees, tall buildings or mountains.

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8. DHCHAPU 12 Section

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It is easily attachable to your radio, giving you more variety in what broadcasts you can listen to. When fully extended, it can reach up to 28.5 inches, with the F connector length included as well, made to fit lots of radio and TV models. Some of the main brands it is compatible with are Sangean, Tivoli, Music system, Sony, Yamaha, Denon, Teac, Pioneer, Panasonic, Onkyo, Marantz, and Sansui. Easy to use and install, all you have to do is to make sure your device’s plug matches the antenna’s plug. You can attach it as it is if it doesn’t bother you, or, if you’re looking for more stability and safety, you can attach it through its installation tool. Thanks to its groove ability to extend up to 12 sections, you can simply enhance your signal by expanding it, as a higher-placed antenna will be able to catch more waves.

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9. Wlaniot 6543847912

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It is made for indoor use, and it comes with a 22AWG, UL certified, cable, which has a length of 6 feet, to allow you to extend it as much as possible in order to get more FM radio channels. It has an impedance of 75 ohms UNBAL, and it has a dipole style, with 2 thumbnails, each measuring around 31 inches in length. Thus, you can easily spread it in a ‘T’ shape for more coverage.

It comes with a male connector type, thus it is compatible with female connectors, as it can work with several brands like Yamaha, JVC< Sherwood, Pioneer, Denon, Panasonic, Onkyo, Sony, and several tabletop stereo and radios. Additionally, it comes with a PAL female F Jack RF coax adapter, so it can be used with even more radio models. It has a limited 1-month replacement warranty and a 100% satisfaction guarantee from the moment of your purchase.

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10. Bose 17817368599

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It will help you improve the FM radio frequency, so there will be more channels you can listen to. It features a 1/8-inch plug, which looks like a headphone jack, so you can easily connect it to your system. It measures 9 feet in length, so you can easily stretch it up as high as possible, and it has two 2-1/2-foot Y-extensions. As soon as you create the ‘T’ shape with all the sides extended as far as possible from one another, then your signal will be enhanced and the quality of your reception will improve. Additionally, it is compatible with any Wave Music System, any Acoustic Wave Music System or Wave Radio II. However, the signal length is highly dependent on your location, so make sure you place it as high as possible, so it will not have any obstacle or building in its way.

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Radio Waves and Their Use

As technology evolves more and more, new gadgets appear. Making our life easier with smart appliances, we tend to take them for granted, as they are, without understanding the concept on which they operate.

Radio waves, for example, are almost everywhere in our life, without us even noticing them, but using them on a daily basis. AM and FM radio broadcasts, garage door openers, wireless networks, radio-controlled toys, GPS receivers and cell phones, all are just a few examples of the technology we use every day, based on radio waves. It might seem extremely difficult to use these waves, at first. But the concept behind it is so simple, that you can make your own radio just with a few, cheap, electronic components.

Do It Yourself

To make your own ‘radio’ is easier than you might think. All you need is a 9–volt battery and a coin. Tune an AM radio to static and put the battery near its antenna. Quickly tap the two terminals of the battery with the coin, to connect them together for just an instant. If you hear a crackle on the radio is because you connect and disconnect the battery.

Your home-made item is called a transmitter. While you cannot transmit anything useful with it, just statics, as it is not optimized to do more advanced things, you can use the Morse code to communicate a few inches around. This might not be useful in a city where other, more modern and efficient methods of communication are around, but in dire situations when a radio signal might be the only thing keeping you alive, it might show its usefulness.

Practical Use for Radio Transmitters

• Baby monitors – a transmitter is put in the baby’s room while the parents, using the receiver, listen to the baby.
• Cell phones – an almost indispensable item nowadays, they come in different shapes, sizes and colors offering a wide range of features according to their models and brands
• Compasses – using the electromagnetic waves, they will always point north. Extremely useful when you go hiking, traveling or exploring, it is a trusty friend in need as long as other magnetic waves do not interfere with it.

The Difference between AM and FM waves

While both are ways to broadcast radio signals, and both of them transmit the information in the form of electromagnetic waves, they work in different ways. AM (audio transmission) is the ‘carrier wave’ modulated in amplitude by the signal which is going to be transmitted, while the FM (frequency modulation) is modulated in frequency.

With poorer sound quality compared to FM, AM is cheaper and can be transmitted over long distances. In addition, AM is more susceptible to noise, as it affects amplitude whereas FM is transmitted through a varying frequency, making it prone to less noise.

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How To Make An FM Antenna Booster

Depending on your location, the radio station you’re trying to reach might not be clear enough to listen to. So, to remedy this situation, you need an antenna booster. While you can surely opt to buy it, you might want to make it yourself. There are two types of boosters you can make at the leisure of your home. The first type resembles a dipole antenna, which once hooked to your radio’s antenna will increase the signal, while the second type requires a circuit diagram.

Tools Needed

For the first booster type, while there is no need to use any specialized electronic equipment, you will, however, need a few items:

• An electric cord made from two-conductor insulated wire
• Wire stripper
• Electrical tape
• A Phillips screwdriver
• Your radio

For the second booster type, there are other items you’ll have to acquire:

• 2 capacitors of 470 pF
• A biasing resistor of 1 megaohms
• A wire or a rod of 18 inches
• An inductor of 470 microhenry
• A 9V battery

Process

Type 1
Depending on how far your radio is, or where you wish to place the antenna booster, the length of the electric cord will vary. From one end of the electric cord, measure 28 ¾ inches and mark the place with some electric tape. Then, split the cord in two, from the end to the tape, and spread the two resulting wires as far away as possible from one another. These will represent the antenna poles and will help you achieve that ‘T’ shape.

Next, use the wire stripper and remove 1/2 –inch of insulation from the opposite side of the cord, to reveal the two wires. Then, using the screwdriver, loosen the screw terminals from your radio’s antenna. Depending on your radio model you have two options: wrap the wires directly onto the screws and tighten them back into the radio, or wrap each wire around the antenna’s wires and then back onto the screws.

For the last step, you’ll have to adjust the place and position of your radio. Change the location and orientation of the radio, its antenna as well as the two new poles, and search for the clearest reception. When you’ve found the place, secure the poles with additional tape or other hardware support.

Type 2
While you can use any type of circuit diagram you like, this diagram is simple and easy to make.

The heart of the entire circuit is the MPF 102 amplifier. To it, you will have to link the input section, which is made up from the 18-inch rod/wire linked with the first capacitor 470 pF and the biasing resistor. The output section, which consists of the 470 microhenry inductor linked to the 9V battery, and the output capacitor, will have to be connected to the MPF 102 amplifier, as well. Once the entire circuit is linked together, all you have to do is connect it with the antenna from your radio and it will boost its signal.

All in all, no matter which of the method you decide to try out, you can rest assured that your FM antenna signal will be boosted, and you’ll be able to receive clear and interference-free reception.

Verdict

The type of antenna you need is highly dependant on your your location and what type of channel do you wish to find. Moreover, you’ll have to consider its range, so, ANTOP AM/FM Antenna is a great choice if you wish to be able to not only reach all the FM channels in your vicinity but AM as well. Plus, thanks to its multidirectional signal, you won’t have to worry about it being blocked by tall objects. However, you will have to keep in mind your device’s plug type and your house structure before deciding which one fits your needs best.