• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Antenna questions

S

sdh483

I'm looking into getting into more DXing for airchecks, music that NEVER gets played in SA, and what not. I have a Pioneer SX 636 receiver from 1974 which can pick up stations without an antenna, but not really well. I hooked up a Trek powered FM antenna, but that prooved to be too powerful for my reciever. I guess those antennas were made for those crappy Sony receivers they make today. I'm looking into trying to get more Austin stations, as well as Houston and Corpus Christi. So what kind of equipment do I need?
 
What really does well for me, and at a decent price is the Radioshack 12 element antenna FM ONLY antenna, not a TV/FM antenna the 12 element FM..., I can pick up Laredo stations even here just northeast of San marcos, I have a place in Southern Lavaca county, that I also dx in, I have that same antenna (Both of these are about 20' up in the air) I can pull in stations all the way to Lake charles, thats a 224 miles! I can pick them up most all the time! Its great to have more choices for free :), and the best part, once HD comes in more, you'll even get more! I can recieve the digital signal sidebands from the San antonio fm stations that are broadcasting in digital, I'm about 60 miles from San antonio (As a crow flys). But... during storms, dont forget to unhook your antenna. I got lazy and didnt do that, my hole stereo system got blown by lightling about 4 months ago. I had to re-wire everything, but hey its worth it! Its a pretty cheap hobbie really if you think of it.
 
Three truisms about antennas for DXing that should help you.
  • Higher is always better than lower.
  • Outside is always better than inside, except when there's lightning around.
  • Directional is better than omni-directional, but you have to be able to rotate a directional antenna unless you're only interested in receiving from one direction.
 
Remember also, you'll only be picking up Corpus over a skip or Houston, Mine here at my home, I could pull them in fairly good, but not very good. Go over at Radio-locator.com see what stations might be best to DX. I would say either Austin or Victoria might be your best shot at dx'n depending on what side of San antonio you live at. And yes Highth is the number one key to dx'n. Remember in a fringe area Highth is everything.
 
I have found that I have better luck DXing in my car. I managed to pick up Diva 92.3 in New Orleans LA off 281 and 1604 one night, and The Buzz from, not Houston, but SOUTH FLORIDA in Austin nearby 71 and 35. I've found that GM car stereos have much better reception than, say, Ford stereos. Sometimes as a kid, I would sit in my parents Chevy Astro van to listen to 101X, mix 94.7 and K-lite 96.5 in Corpus. At the time, I didn't know I could proabaly have received Houston stations-those are my favorites to pick up like 94.5 The buzz, 97.9 The Box, and sometimes 106.9 The Point and Magic 102.1-my all time fav. R&B station along with poor, neglected KSJL.
 
Your car antenna is outside, and your radio has a good filter in it, but remember, dont waste your money on those indoor antennas, dont get suckered into buying one, they are a waste of money. I know from experience, they just dont work like a oudoor antenna will.That terk was probably overdriving the local stations. The only thing is if you dont mind spending a few extra bucks and spend a little time, (putting the pole in, running the wire)it'll be worth it in the long run. The only antenna I have indoors is my AM, but that is about 100' long and I have it strung in the acttic with a few loops. It works pretty well.
 
Sounds like your receiver front-end overloaded when you connected that antenna, you must have transmitters nearby.

I remember that receiver and it will easily overload, your best bet is to check your area pawn shops for a classic tuner or receiver with a good tuner ("classic" in this case better than many of the ones currently made)
and get an outdoor directional antenna if you can put one up where you are.

These links provide mucho info on the subject:
http://www.anarc.org/wtfda/tv_web_links.htm

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/
 
If I hookup a TV/FM amp onto my reciever, a lot of the local channels will overload, those amps are useless really, but they can kind of help I gues if your out of no where. I quit using those amps because they just have to much static // overdrive in them.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom