dipole antennas

[jras20]

Funny I can DX to Houston just about as good with a dipole antenna 84 miles away almost as good as my outdoor antenna could, maybe a few static drops but not much. Now I can DX to Corpus and also DX to houston and Bay city with my dipole I'm not using the reflect dipole antenna, just a cheap dipole antenna that came with one of my radios.

 

[DXER1]

Are you using an HD reciever or a regular tuner. I have noticed that for me I can get up to about 100 miles using my dipole in my room I have it mounted up close to where the celing and wall join. most stations come in pretty clear. I am using a regular tuner I have not steeped into the whole new HD world yet

 

[rbrucecarter5]

Funny I can DX to Houston just about as good with a dipole antenna 84 miles away almost as good as my outdoor antenna could, maybe a few static drops but not much. Now I can DX to Corpus and also DX to houston and Bay city with my dipole I'm not using the reflect dipole antenna, just a cheap dipole antenna that came with one of my radios.

I find that dipoles stop at about 100 miles. Up high, aimed right, and with a very low noise front end. My current listening location is pretty much: dipole = local and yagi = distant. Frequencies that are completely blank with a dipole come alive with a deep fringe yagi. The Yagi has several benefits:

(1) Gain - figures are specified compared to a dipole. There is no doubt whatsoever that more gain brings in more stations, and brings in weak signals with more quieting.

(2) Directionality - there is no hope from my present location of receiving a smooth jazz station on 95.7 from Houston with just a dipole - all I will get is a weak signal on a low power country station 50 miles away in Greenville. But add gain towards Houston AND directionality, and the weak signal from Houston overrides the closer station easily. In my previous listening location in Florida - aiming my antenna in Palm Bay South netted WAYF 88.1 in perfect stereo. Aiming it Southwest netted me an entirely different station on 88.1 in Sarasota - in perfect stereo. The capture ratio effect on FM signals is amazing.

From your location - a good yagi on a rotor could probably net you stations from Houston when pointed that direction, and stations on the same frequencies in Dallas / Ft. Worth when pointed North. You might double or triple your listening options. I kind of envy you your location - I can get a couple of Houstons 280 miles distant, some Oklahoma City stuff - I used to get a couple of Austin stations - but IBOC and new locals wiped them out. But the reliable 200 to 300 mile stuff is really limited because the _____ stations from other cities are on the same frequencies as locals. I haven't had that problem in other listening locations. I had reliable San Antonio, Austin, and Dallas reception in Midland, reliable Dallas reception in Lubbock, in Florida I had a rich variety of stations from up and down the coast. Miami was a comparatively easy DX from Palm Bay - because the towers were only 180 miles away. It would be comparable to your situation with Dallas stations. Some fading, but for the most part very reliable.

 

[vibe]

I once hooked up the home stereo (with only a so so tuner) to the large outdoor VHF antenna and nearly doubled the range from about 60 mi to 100 plus real easily. And yes you can get multiple channels on some frequencies. And this was in New England with lower powered stations, at least compared to FLA and TX.