EV's Best Top Rated FM and HD Radio Antenna Guide & Reviews

[Damon Hill]

Just discovered the Wade (Jerrold) QFM-9 is still stocked, according to their online catalog, for about $75 plus shipping. My old haunt in Atlanta, Ack Radio Supply, 1-800-282-7954. Quantity may be limited, as I understand Wade no longer manufactures consumer grade FM antennas.

It's a nine element log-yagi; five active elements, one reflector and three directors.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Nice find Damon.

I spotted this Sony AN-10 and will add it to the guide of discontinued antennas.

 

[Jim]

Best ATTIC antenna for Boston suburb FM reception? WCRB 18 mi away (27 kw), WHRB college station (1.7 kw) 15 mi away. Must use attic ant. Recommendations? Winegard HD-6000 or HD-6010? Fanfare FM2-G, Dynalab ST-2, FM DX Indoor Rhombic? Like to avoid the 7' long yagis due to space.

Thanks,
Jim
Jim

 

[Damon Hill]

Best ATTIC antenna for Boston suburb FM reception? WCRB 18 mi away (27 kw), WHRB college station (1.7 kw) 15 mi away. Must use attic ant. Recommendations? Winegard HD-6000 or HD-6010? Fanfare FM2-G, Dynalab ST-2, FM DX Indoor Rhombic? Like to avoid the 7' long yagis due to space.

Omnidirectional antennas are pretty much the same in performance, ie, low. A short-boom yagi-type antenna will outperform them and may still fit and even be rotatable in your attic. The Antennacraft FM-6 and Winegard HD-6000 should work best, but even an omni may work for you at your relatively short range. All bets off if your roof has metal shingles. Check FMFool.com and see what numbers your address gives.

 

[Damon Hill]

Looks like Antenna Performance Specialties has gone out of business; we've lost the last top-of-the-line maximum performance FM antenna. In this declining market, I don't see any new suppliers for high gain antennas apart from professional (and extremely expensive) models.

For consumer grade antennas, we're pretty much down to the Winegard HD-6055 and Antennacraft FM-6.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

Thanks for the heads up Damon! That is sad news. Id like to collect comprehensive drawings and measurements on some of these old commerical designs, so that they can be built in the future, perhaps by DIYers.

 

[piphi]

That is great!

That 5 element with the sloping driven element, I like a lot.

 

[scandiskwindows9x]

well is nice this,

currently the chilean government is researching what system of Digital radio could works better in Chile the candidates are DAB, IBOC,DRM, ISDB-TSB (sound broadcast) and here goes the main things about those systems

BANDS THAT USES EVERY SYSTEM

[TABLE="class: outer_border, align: center"]

system

AM (modulated amplitude

SW (SHORTWAVE FREQUENCIES)

FM( Modulated frequency)

Others

Modulation of signals

DAB

NO

NO

NO

1.452-1492MHZ-TV

?

DRM

YES

YES

NO

 

OFDM

IBOC

YES

NO

YES

 

OFDM

ISDB-TSB

NO

NO

NO

USES VHF BAND used in TV broadcast, the unused band by the ISDB-T system

OFDM

      
[/TABLE]



well that is all , what could get from some powerpoints of the engineers union of Chile, already the stations of radio are not showing interest in gets in the digital era

by the way got an good idea for what to use my old 8 element antenna, lol

best regards

Francisco

.

 

[EscapeVelocity]

I need to upload some more manuals and the APS antennas are no longer available, so need to be moved to the discontinued category.

 

[Damon Hill]

Found a FM antenna manufacturer of modern Yagi antennas that should especially appeal to DXers; they range from 8 to 18(!) elements and feature low noise and very low sidelobes. Prices range from $250 up to $440 but construction seems robust. The site's an interesting one about their use of rectangular folded dipoles mounted horizontally on the boom.

https://www.innovantennas.us/index....category&virtuemart_category_id=22&Itemid=177

 

[Fringe Reception]

Damon,

Great find and thank you for sharing it!

I have an original Finco FM-5, ten-bar FM Yagi that I have used to receive (clean) FM Stereo from about 250 miles away: Seattle receiving Eugene, Oregon. It is currently in storage and the next time it appears on my roof I'll have made these changes. Finco FM-5

Jim

 

[Damon Hill]

These aren't actually folded dipoles, are they? The antennas are 75 ohms and the driven elements is what I might call a half-Moxon. Can't recall having seen this used outside of amateur radio circles before now.

 

[Damon Hill]

Vortex Antenna Systems of England makes a professional grade FM band antenna; it's going for about $400 on Ebay. Appears to be very ruggedly built. 9-10 dbi gain and very good F/B ratio across the band, a log-periodic design.

Vortex Antenna Systems Ltd – Radio Communication Antenna Manufacturer and Supplier of Antenna Hardware » Shop » Catalog Products » 88-108Mhz 7 Element Log Periodic<br>(Band II) LPA Commercial Antenna

Wishing I could get some of those Stauff clamps for mounting dipoles; haven't yet located a US distributor. They are used on the popular DIY Korner FM yagis.

 

[nbound-au]

well is nice this,

currently the chilean government is researching what system of Digital radio could works better in Chile the candidates are DAB, IBOC,DRM, ISDB-TSB (sound broadcast) and here goes the main things about those systems

BANDS THAT USES EVERY SYSTEM

[TABLE="class: outer_border, align: center"]

system

AM (modulated amplitude

SW (SHORTWAVE FREQUENCIES)

FM( Modulated frequency)

Others

Modulation of signals

DAB

NO

NO

NO

1.452-1492MHZ-TV

?

DRM

YES

YES

NO

 

OFDM

IBOC

YES

NO

YES

 

OFDM

ISDB-TSB

NO

NO

NO

USES VHF BAND used in TV broadcast, the unused band by the ISDB-T system

OFDM

      
[/TABLE]



well that is all , what could get from some powerpoints of the engineers union of Chile, already the stations of radio are not showing interest in gets in the digital era

by the way got an good idea for what to use my old 8 element antenna, lol

best regards

Francisco

.

A bit late, but Ill just point out that DAB normally uses VHF High Channels and is OFDM.

 

[Damon Hill]

A kit version of the Korner 9.2 Yagi is available here at a somewhat reasonable price (site is in German):

3H-FM-9 - UKW / FM Antenne 9 Elemente mit Dreifachreflektor, Bausatz,

 

[Damon Hill]

Innovantenna has released three new log periodic antennas for the FM band; one is described in detail here:

9 element 88-108MHz High Performance Log Periodic

9 elements, very high F/B ratio, roughly 9 dbi gain across the band. I estimate about US $250, so it's not cheap but appears to be very well built. No idea what the other two models are like, but I assume this is the midrange antenna.

https://www.facebook.com/InnovAntennas/photos/pcb.670802462999306/670802212999331/?type=1&theater

I'm attempting to build Brian Beezely's 10 element hybrid log periodic-Yagi antenna, which has three reflector elements spaced vertically and has an exceptional 40 db F/B average across the entire FM band. Finding the Stauff polypropylene hydraulic tube clamps was a bit of a challenge; I'm starting out with the reflector array to verify I can build this design. Making the feedline harness for the three active elements looks like a bit of a challenge.

10-Element Log-Yagi

 

[Guest]

I found two brand new Magic Carpet antennas in original shipping box. Looking to sell them both. I am not a dealer or collector. Can you give me any suggestions?
Mary

 

[Tvip]

My guess is that APS had some requests for custom designs, or their designer had done some one-offs and decided to market them. Since it's difficult to get a Yagi to have consistent broadband characteristics (directionality as well as gain), and Brian Beezley has shown that optimized Tv8 Yagis can have excellent gain/directivity for their size, I'm not too surprised. Note how closely-coupled the active dipole and first director are and the construction of the matching box; that seems to reflect recent design concepts.

+1 bob.

 

[widgie59]

I have one of those Jerrold Magic Carpet antenna. Its never been used or unwrapped. I'd like to sell it . Any idea how much I could get for it? I saw one old listing on eBay that was asking a ridiculous $249.

 

[Guest]

Jerrold Magic Carpet

I found two of these unopened in my dad's house. I'd like to sell them. Do you know of any collectors that may be interested?