Easy solution for penetration problems into buildings

[Len14043]

As I mentioned before, I purchased a JVC HD radio and am very pleased with the performance. But as some of the anti-IBOC posters have pointed out, there may be a problem with HD signals penetrating into buildings. Had I purchased an indoor radio, I may have not been as happy with the performance. When I pull into my garage, there is no problem receiving the local HD stations, but the semi-local HD signals, mainly from Dayton, can't penetrate. I can understand the frustration when someone who lives in a suburban or rural area buys an indoor radio, takes it home and plugs it in, only to realize that few or none of the HD stations could be received. Here is a simple remedy. The radio manufactures could provide a small outdoor antenna that could be placed somewhere inconspicuously, and connect it to the radio with a remote control device provided. This would allow portability throughout the house. The cost and size would be minimal and the remote control device could resemble the type that is provided with outdoor thermometers. The transmitter could be a small unit and part of the antenna assembly, and the receiver for the remote control could be incorporated into the radio. The transmitter could run for 2 years on 2 AA batteries. A perspective HD radio purchaser probably wouldn't want to go through the trouble with installing a rooftop antenna, and running wire to the receiver. But if the radio manufacturers make it easy for the customers, they will be happy and more likely to buy the radios.

 

[IBOCRocks]

As I mentioned before, I purchased a JVC HD radio and am very pleased with the performance. But as some of the anti-IBOC posters have pointed out, there may be a problem with HD signals penetrating into buildings. Had I purchased an indoor radio, I may have not been as happy with the performance. When I pull into my garage, there is no problem receiving the local HD stations, but the semi-local HD signals, mainly from Dayton, can't penetrate. I can understand the frustration when someone who lives in a suburban or rural area buys an indoor radio, takes it home and plugs it in, only to realize that few or none of the HD stations could be received. Here is a simple remedy. The radio manufactures could provide a small outdoor antenna that could be placed somewhere inconspicuously, and connect it to the radio with a remote control device provided. This would allow portability throughout the house. The cost and size would be minimal and the remote control device could resemble the type that is provided with outdoor thermometers. The transmitter could be a small unit and part of the antenna assembly, and the receiver for the remote control could be incorporated into the radio. The transmitter could run for 2 years on 2 AA batteries. A perspective HD radio purchaser probably wouldn't want to go through the trouble with installing a rooftop antenna, and running wire to the receiver. But if the radio manufacturers make it easy for the customers, they will be happy and more likely to buy the radios.

But don't you know, you need a seven foot dipole!!

Anyway, it all depends. I live 30+ miles away from the HD stations in town. I have a Receptor and use the short wire antenna...I have no problems getting the HD signals.

I think that if you need to pull in stations from real far away, you'll need some sort of outdoor antenna. Then again, you'd need one to pull in the analogs as well. Granted, the HD signal doesn't travel as far as the analog, but the signal strength only needs to be 1/10 of the analog to decode. I have two Receptors (early ones) that didn't come with the dipole...and I have yet to call and get one, because I haven't needed it.

One person here, however, insists that I have one in my attic. It's not true, if that tells you anything.

 

[SayNoToIBOC]

Very few people are going to be willing to fool with any type of external antenna, especially with analog receivers just needing the supplied internal ferrite-bar and whip antennas. The BIG rollout in NY at Radio Shack, for the Receptor HD, is going to be a joke, when consumers find out they have to deal with a dipole antenna. This ridiculous predicament will just drive consumers over to the iPod, cellular phone, and Satellite Radio displays. Hey, were are just talking about humdrum AM/FM radio, which very few people care about.

 

[I.B. Iquity]

Very few people are going to be willing to fool with any type of external antenna, especially with analog receivers just needing the supplied internal ferrite-bar and whip antennas. The BIG rollout in NY at Radio Shack, for the Receptor HD, is going to be a joke, when consumers find out they have to deal with a dipole antenna. This ridiculous predicament will just drive consumers over to the iPod, cellular phone, and Satellite Radio displays. Hey, were are just talking about humdrum AM/FM radio, which very few people care about.

This just shows that you know absolutely nothing about NY. Come to the big city one day and take a look at the rooftops of most apartment buildings.

 

[Len14043]

IBOCROCKS WROTE: But don't you know, you need a seven foot dipole!! Anyway, it all depends. I live 30+ miles away from the HD stations in town. I have a Receptor and use the short wire antenna...I have no problems getting the HD signals. I think that if you need to pull in stations from real far away, you'll need some sort of outdoor antenna. Then again, you'd need one to pull in the analogs as well. Granted, the HD signal doesn't travel as far as the analog, but the signal strength only needs to be 1/10 of the analog to decode. I have two Receptors (early ones) that didn't come with the dipole...and I have yet to call and get one, because I haven't needed it. One person here, however, insists that I have one in my attic. It's not true, if that tells you anything.

Well, thats good news. But my point is this, if indoor signal penetration is an issue in rural areas, the manufacturers should acknowledge that problem and make it as easy as possible for the consumer. At my location, I would not see it as a problem if the semi-local HD couldn't be receiced in my house seeing that it is difficult to receive them in analog as well.

 

[IBOCRocks]

I do find it funny that the people saying that consumers won't mess with an external antenna think that the consumers will mess with one to receive WiFi, Satellite Radio, or wires for iPods.

Let's see...I won't put a small wire antenna on my radio, but I will configure a wireless router and other electronics to listen to internet streams. Or put a satellite antenna by a window, or try to pull in a WiMax signal without an antenna (good luck!).

I fail to see the difference between a rod antenna and a wire antenna, or why someone would use one, but be against using the other. Looking at all the technologies, the radio is still the easiest, antenna or not, to use. You don't need a computer, you don't need a cellphone plan (or wires to connect your phone to a decent set of speakers), or a deep knowledge of electronics. You plug it in, connect the antenna, and go.

Of course, the anti-IBOC crowd will "embellish" the facts to make it sound like you need an Engineering degree to work one, but alas, it's not true.

 

[Chuck]

The radio manufactures could provide a small outdoor antenna that could be placed somewhere inconspicuously, and connect it to the radio with a remote control device provided. This would allow portability throughout the house. The cost and size would be minimal and the remote control device could resemble the type that is provided with outdoor thermometers. The transmitter could be a small unit and part of the antenna assembly, and the receiver for the remote control could be incorporated into the radio. The transmitter could run for 2 years on 2 AA batteries. A perspective HD radio purchaser probably wouldn't want to go through the trouble with installing a rooftop antenna, and running wire to the receiver. But if the radio manufacturers make it easy for the customers, they will be happy and more likely to buy the radios.

What you are proposing would probably cost as much, if not more than the radio. I'm not saying it couldn't be done. There are antenna repeater systems used for other purposes, like making doctor's pagers work inside hospital buildings. A good system takes a lot of very careful engineering or it can cause more interference problems than it solves. These are usually active systems that are powered off of regular house current. If it ran from batteries, I doubt it would work for very long without replacing them

Major Armstrong always intended that an FM receiver would be connected to an outdoor antenna. It seems HD brings back that expectation of FM radio’s inventor. You can buy an outdoor FM antenna from about $25.00 and up to several hundred dollars. A TV antenna will also work in most cases. Hardware to mount it and cable to connect it will be about another $50, but that will vary with each installation. Unless you use an omni directional antenna (which usually has lower gain than a directional type like a Yagi or Log Periodic) you may find that you want to be able to move the antenna so it can pick up stations from various directions. That's about another $100.00 or so for a cheap rotor and cable. Of course, there is a lot of labor to put this together. It's not a bad "do it yourself" project, but a professional would probably charge $150 or more to install it. Labor rates vary around the country, so YMMV.

I can't see a lot of people doing this. It seems that Radio Shack can't either, since they just discontinued their outdoor FM antenna. It only $25.00 or so, and is a pretty decent design. It's even made in the USA by Antenna Craft. If you can still find one at your local Rat Shack, it will help your HD radio pull in those not so close by stations.

I think it is ironic that they chose to drop their FM antenna line at the same time they decided to market the BA Receptor. Another cunning plan comes together….

 

[SayNoToIBOC]

IBOCRocks wrote: "I do find it funny that the people saying that consumers won't mess with an external antenna think that the consumers will mess with one to receive WiFi, Satellite Radio, or wires for iPods. Let's see...I won't put a small wire antenna on my radio, but I will configure a wireless router and other electronics to listen to internet streams. Or put a satellite antenna by a window, or try to pull in a WiMax signal without an antenna (good luck!). I fail to see the difference between a rod antenna and a wire antenna, or why someone would use one, but be against using the other. Looking at all the technologies, the radio is still the easiest, antenna or not, to use. You don't need a computer, you don't need a cellphone plan (or wires to connect your phone to a decent set of speakers), or a deep knowledge of electronics. You plug it in, connect the antenna, and go. Of course, the anti-IBOC crowd will "embellish" the facts to make it sound like you need an Engineering degree to work one, but alas, it's not true."

For the Receptor HD a 7-foot dipole antenna is needed, that is a far cry from having to use small antenna (funny, I don't need an external antenna for my AM/FM Pll radio) - even you wrote that your antenna is hidden. Point being, cell phones are portable and get radio channels, and Wi-Max will bring Wireless Internet and Internet Radio to portable devices and automobile radios by 2008 (iRadio on Motorola cell phones is already in the field overseas, and will be coming soon). Even the Bridge Ratings were reevaluated, because of Wi-Max, and has Internet Radio and Wireless Internet many, many times ahead of Satellite and HD Radio. Sprint just added 50 radio channels to their cell phones, and Cingular has 50 channels, likewise. People do not come home and listen to AM/FM radio - they watch TV and DVDs and get on the Internet. AM/FM radio is listened to, just because it is there - to and from work and errands, BFD !

BTW, the HD Radio Cartel must have set a threshold for the Receptor HD on Amazon, because it drops to $240, when it drops to 5,000 on the electronics rankings. See, what public demand there is for HD Radio, even after heavy advertising on the radio for Amazon.com/hdradio - it's dead !

 

[IBOCRocks]

Funny...there is one guy who tried the Receptor for 3 minutes stating, as fact, that "a 7-foot dipole is needed."

Then there is me (and others) who actually own the radio who say the 7-foot dipole is not needed.

Who's telling the truth? The one guy who doesn't own the radio, or the several people who do.

The dipole is provided in addition to the short-wire antenna to use if you need it!

 

[SayNoToIBOC]

I tried the Receptor HD in Best Buy, with the supplied long-wire antenna, and could only pick up 2 FM stations - the Receptor HD is now being shipped with a 7-foot dipole antenna.

"... So what will be the appeal of HD? The answer is the additional programming channels on the HD2 and HD3 channels. However, there is a serious flaw. We were told back in the beginning that the HD coverage would be equal to the analog signal. Unfortunately, the industry is now finding out this is not the case, that the HD coverage is considerably less, something like 60% of the analog coverage. We've also found that even in a strong HD signal area, a dipole antenna is required...."

 

[SaynotoIB0C]

the receptor's antenna is easier to hide since its a peice of wire...the satellite antenna needs to be in plain view in order to work.

any attempt to hide the little pesky antenna causes imediate drop outs

 

[SayNoToIBOC]

SaynotoIBOC, you have been reported to management for masquerading as, SayNoToIBOC.

 

[SayNoToSayNoToIBOC]

SaynotoIBOC, you have been reported to management for masquerading as, SayNoToIBOC.

Guess I will have to follow you as you are spamming this board still.