From some help here and research I've done it looks like VHF and FM antennas are the same design. I've obtained a large (10' long by 9' wide) VHF antenna and I'm going to attempt to hook it up to my FM radio to get better reception. The antenna has elements that are tapered from 9' on one end to about 3' on the other end. Does it matter which end is pointed towards the source?

 

The shorter elements would point towards the source.

VHF refers to the frequencies.
FM refers to the mode, you can have UHF FM, VLF FM, as well as VHF FM, and many many more. But I think for you project it will work fine.

Nice and wet in OH these days!

Clint

 

That's Ohio weather for you. Just wait a few hours and it'll change.

 

The FM radio frequencies reside between VHF TV channels 6 and 7.

 

FM can be anywhere people are permitted to use it.

Common on 26.xxham) megahertz, 50.xham), 88-108(commercial broadcast), 144(ham), 220(ham), 440(ham), 930(ham)... etc.

Some cordless phones use FM, or phase modulation if they go cheap.

I was just pointing out FM isn't limited to consumer FM bands.

Clint

 

That's a pretty large antenna for VHF, (it's called a Yagi - pronounced like Yogi bear, but with a Yaa at the beginning, soft a. Do a google on yagi for info, calculators.)

The short director elements to the front are there to "channel" the signal and the more you have, the greater the gain.

When you look at it you'll see that the feedline really only hooks to one element, second from the last, second longest. This is the radiator element and is the meat and potatos of your Yagi. It's just a simple dipole, but you want to show this element the most care when you put it up and try not to bend or kink it. Make sure your connections are on there well. On your online antenna length calculators, this is the element to measure.

The long element behind this one is called the reflector element. It helps to bounce the signal forward to the radiator and blocks the signals from the rear.

On your better TV antennas you'll have a bunch of shorter elements on the front that split off in a "V" shape. Does this have this? Or are all the elements on the same flat line? If it is a TV antenna with this feature, the short elements at the front are for FM radio.

In either case it'll probably work.. The elements won't be the right length, but will be close enough to receive what you want. If you find a Yagi calculator, (again google "yagi calculator"), and want to modify this antenna a regular tubing cutter is the way to go to do the cuts. Fortunately, it sounds like this antenna is for a lower freq., so you'll have room to cut down. Easier to cut than to add....

I'm usually on the other end of things when I do broadcast work and FM broadcast transmit antennas are my least favorite. They are interesting to look at.

How many total elements do you have?

 

The antenna needs to be grounded! Don't overlook that important detail. Pound a six foot metal rod into the ground and run a 12 guage wire up to the antenna mast. You can use the electric company ground also, it should be near the electric service or electric meter. If ungrounded the lightning tends to come into your house, if grounded, then it will stay outside where it belongs.

 

I double checked my antenna and it is only 8' long but it is 9' wide with the longest pair of elements folded out. The antenna is entirely flat and their are seven pair of fold out elements. The widest pair of elements are on one end and they are connected, as are two pair on the opposite end, to the square tube that runs from one end to the other. The other four pair are connected to the two teminals with half connected to one terminal and half connected to the other terminal. There are also three or four shorter (12") pairs of elements connected to the square tube. I'm not going to be mounting this thing outside but rather up in the attic of my shop.

 

If it's a VHF/UHF/FM antenna the very front of it is the FM part, then I believe UHF, then VHF.

 

YIKES!

You guys are burying me - they current types seem to be blade antennas (*for non-satellite")

Dipoles are the old standard - if they are pointed right, they should pick up, if the range is within reason (Figure thirty five miles)

Check out:

http://www.antennaweb.org

This website can give you exact co-ordinates to steer your various NON DISH antennas to....

(BEE LINES to the broadcast station!!!)

Check it out...


~Wolf

 

You've got a pretty decent TV receive antenna there. The short stubbies way up front are for your UHF stations. You've got your long reflector in the back and two directors up front. The four elements tied together in the middle is what receives the VHF signal, (what you want.). You basically have 4 separate dipoles set at different freq. These interlaced elements can cover the entire VHF TV freq. range well. (This is a receive only antenna, for those CB guys getting ideas.) You'll have pretty good gain on this, so you'll tune it by turning it by hand toward where ever the towers are.

Oh, come on Wolf, a 2 element yagi has a better than 3dB gain over a 1 element yagi, (lol..aka - dipole). Who knows what this thing is, maybe 6 or 7dBd? If he has a distant station that's not coming in well, all he has to do is go up in the attic and turn the thing til it comes in - and hopefully not overload on something too local...

 

If your using RG59 you can get a cheap receive amp and boost your receive between 10 and 20 DB. Don't know if they have them for flat twin lead anymore.

 

Not for the flat cable no, but they do still make adapters.