Antenna placement (radio)

[dh]

So, where do you guys put your radio antennas for the car stereos in your tears? Can it be (simply) tapped into a powered digital TV antenna? I have a flat pannel TV antenna I like, and have no problem tucking this away in a super secrete spot

Please help

EDIT

I was thinking about going trick on this, and putting in a power retracting antenna, but wiring that and trying to keep is sealed would be more work than it would be worth.

[eamarquardt]

I have a flat pannel TV antenna I like, and have no problem tucking this away in a super secrete spot

Do you want a "stealth" antenna so the "thieves" don't go looking for your stereo or is "in plain view" ok.

In general an antenna should be tuned to the frequency that you are trying to recieve. Also the impedance of the coaxial cable should match the antenna and your radio. The bigger the antenna the better (again tuned to the right frequencies) and the higher the better.

HOWEVER, if you are in an area where the signals are strong, acceptable perforrmance can be obtained by an antenna that is far from optimum

I'd try hooking up your radio to your tv antenna. Perhaps with a splitter. If it works, great. If not you'll want a dedicated antenna. AM frequencies wave lenghts are so long that virtually no antenna is optomized and almost any antenna will work. The longer the better. FM frequencies wave lenghts are considerably shorter and easier to build an antenna of the correct dimensions. If the FM reception is marginal, I'm sure you can improve the reception with an antenna good antenna.

I'm sure your library has books on antenna design. If not let me know and I can send you a basic design for a dipole (two horizontal elements of equal lenght fed from the center). Fabricating one is easy and you can use stuff that is easy and cheap to find.

So, first, just try what you have. If it doesn't work, you can build a better one. You won't hurt anything by trying the easy way first.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Gus

[dh]

I don't know what I was thincking, my house stereo has a piece of wire for an antenna. How do I make the connection from a wire to the plug in the stereo?

[eamarquardt]

If you don't have an old antenna cable handy maybe a local auto parts store has em or a junk yard (beware of JY Dogs) will surely have an old cable.

The outside of the connector is grounded. Get rid of the original wire/cable and solder your wire into the center of the prong/pin/pointy thing. You can open up the pin for the new wire by heating it with a soldering iron or gun and blowing (use compressed air not your mouth, burns hurt!) out the molten solder or a drill. Then you can solder your wire into the plug.

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Gus

[Engineer Guy]

This ex-Ham Radio geek will echo what Gus sez.

Life is a series of compromises, as I like to say. And, so it is with antennas.

One 'magical' number in the Auto world is to supply an antenna 31" long. This length is 'tuned' to the middle of the FM Radio band. It also provides a fair amount of 'metal' to receive AM station frequencies. A cardinal rule in the Radio world is that it takes 'metal' to send or receive signal. So, a connection to a TV antenna might work, but not optimally.

I own a bunch of multi-wave Receivers. One neat trick of Sony's is to have a lil reel-out antenna that clips onto the tiny Receiver. It provides the necessary 'metal' to receive shortwave signals at night.

You could run a 'stub' connection to your TD exterior, and then clip on and 'deploy' such a home-made antenna too. I'm guessing my reel-out antenna is ~20' long, and I've used it worldwide with several Cassette-sized Receivers. The [insulated] wire size is #30 or so, and it all fits onto a disc that's ~3" in diameter. Think about thin, insulated wire on a Fly Fishing Reel, and you're spot on.

Only the center, 'hot' antenna lead connection matters. The outer coaxial cable braid, that is signal 'ground', is not important. So, get a connection to the outside of the TD frame, and connect a 'reel-out' antenna to just the center lead. You'll hear immediate signal improvement, especially at night.

[eamarquardt]

[quote="Engineer Guy"]This ex-Ham Radio geek will echo what Gus sez.
quote]

What be your "name" stranger?

I be AB6KS.

Cheers,

Gus

[Shadow Catcher]

Ours has a rubber flexible antenna that works well the length is wound inside. Considering the other stuff in the tear having some one go after the radio is minor.

[Engineer Guy]

Formerly WA6DMU in the late '60s in the lovely Orange Groves of Riverside CA... It made for a good background in all things electronic until retirement recently here in CO.

[dh]

Ours has a rubber flexible antenna that works well the length is wound inside. Considering the other stuff in the tear having some one go after the radio is minor.

I'm not woried about somebody steeling a $60 radio, I just don't care for the way an external antenna looks on a tear. I'm not even going to bother with a TV antenna. Just a movie before going to bed is all I need, if I wasn't putting speakers in the hatch, I wouldn't even bother with a radio, and just play CD's through the 12V TV/DVD combo.

[dh]

This ex-Ham Radio geek will echo what Gus sez.

Life is a series of compromises, as I like to say. And, so it is with antennas.

One 'magical' number in the Auto world is to supply an antenna 31" long. This length is 'tuned' to the middle of the FM Radio band. It also provides a fair amount of 'metal' to receive AM station frequencies. A cardinal rule in the Radio world is that it takes 'metal' to send or receive signal. So, a connection to a TV antenna might work, but not optimally.

I own a bunch of multi-wave Receivers. One neat trick of Sony's is to have a lil reel-out antenna that clips onto the tiny Receiver. It provides the necessary 'metal' to receive shortwave signals at night.

You could run a 'stub' connection to your TD exterior, and then clip on and 'deploy' such a home-made antenna too. I'm guessing my reel-out antenna is ~20' long, and I've used it worldwide with several Cassette-sized Receivers. The [insulated] wire size is #30 or so, and it all fits onto a disc that's ~3" in diameter. Think about thin, insulated wire on a Fly Fishing Reel, and you're spot on.

Only the center, 'hot' antenna lead connection matters. The outer coaxial cable braid, that is signal 'ground', is not important. So, get a connection to the outside of the TD frame, and connect a 'reel-out' antenna to just the center lead. You'll hear immediate signal improvement, especially at night.

A little complicated for what I'm trying to do. Everybody already thinks I have lost it after seeing what I am building, just imagine if I was "fishing" in the camp ground

[Engineer Guy]

Actually, the Sony sort of reel-out antenna is incredibly simple and deploys in 30 secs. or so. Vs. the other campsite set-up things we all do, like chocking wheels or putting up a tarp, or putting up outside tables and things, the antenna reel out takes no time at all. Clip on the antenna and give it an optional heave over a tree limb, etc.. But, it's all gotta work for you, not someone else.