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How do I make a radio antenna for my TV Tuner?

I have a good TV tuner (Leadtek) with good radio capabilities in the FM band. I would like to listen to the radio.

If I use the antenna supplied with the tuner, it is very ugly in my room, and the radio quality is not very good.

What I would need is an external antenna (outside the window), and a shielded cable to go to my tuner.

I have no idea how do build this. Are these kind of things available somewhere for sale?

Or, how can I build a quality antenna for FM radio?

Thank you!

Bill T.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Try a wire coat hanger.

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

You don't mention where you live. Radio Shack has FM antennas in all sorts of varieties (check the catalog, as the stores may only stock a few of the total of what's available, but any store should be able to order you anything that's in the catalog).

Brad Wilson (
Tuesday, June 17, 2003

You can use speeker wire.  You just have to strip it

Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Yeah FM antennaes are just big wires. Just get a bunch of wire that isn't shielded and attach it. Run it around floorboards and up walls and see where it gets the best reception.

If you're in a valley of some sort, and the signal goes over your head you may be screwed, but FM should still come in better than AM.
Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Winamp streaming

Anonymous Coward
Tuesday, June 17, 2003

Chain link fence, gutter, any old wire.

Any of these will ususally work, and I've used all of the above at one time or another.  Its simple: 

Take coax long enough to reach the gutter from your receiver.
Cut the end of the connector off the coax.
Strip back the copper braid and insulation to get to the center conductor.
Solder on a spade connector to the center conductor.
Drill a hold in the gutter near the end of an exposed downspout.
Scrap paint away from gutter so the spade connector will make an electrical connection.
Screw spade connector to gutter with a screw and nut and lock washer.
You might have to drill a hold in the wall of course.

Nat Ersoz
Wednesday, June 18, 2003

Nat - I was considering this for my mother when she asked me to help with her radio, but I was worried about lightning and such.

Actually, just yesterday the window fan attracted some serious lightning in my living room. It was spooky, white flashes eminating from inside my room!
Thursday, June 19, 2003

That is an excellent point.  You can run the coax through a lightning arrestor before running it into your house.  Basically, its a spark-gap type inline connector, with the spark-gap running into a ground stake.

Nat Ersoz
Thursday, June 19, 2003

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