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Outdoor FM Antenna

Unlike a few years ago not much options are available for a dedicated FM Broadcast antenna. Forget TV antenna that have no gain on FM ALI has inexpensive FM antennas with many elements but shipping is $150 to $260 dollars- too expensive. Wilson sells an FM antenna for $350- again too expensive. The only reasonable 4 cost option is Stellar Labs four element on eBay for $68 shipped. This horizontal mount antenna will receive full power FM stationers away with full quieting up to about 60 miles away in flat terrain. Two antennas could be bought taking the first two elements of one and use a 3/4" EMT conduit coupling attaching the two front elements to the four element to get 6 elements. This should receive FM stations to perhaps 80 miles away. For four elements 1 inch EMT for 15 foot length should be ok with 50 MPH winds. A wooden dowel inside the conduit in top section with mounting clamp at bottom 5 feet from house will allow much higher wind speed. EMT conduit is expensive thus two sections of 2" EMT costs about $135. The wood dowel is mandatory with 6 elements or use a roof mount tri-pod.

jimbennet
realgoodsound
100 posts
 

An FM station antenna power and height vary by region. Most of the East down to Southern VA and over to Missouri as well as much of California are in Region II, where maximum power and antenna height is 50 kw ERP @ 150 M (492'). Much of the Southeast, all of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains and Pacific NW, max power is 100 kw at 600 M (1,968'). There are other classes of FM station that operate with lower powers and antenna heights - too many to go into here. Needless to say, a station with 100kw ERP at nearly 2,000 ft has a signal that will go much farther than one with 50 kw @ 492'. So, it all depends on where you live. If you want an estimation of FM coverage areas, check radio-locator.com, enter your market or the calls of a particular station and click on the yellow spot with the "i" in it for power and with an additional click, the typical coverage area. It will show whether the station is directional or not and give you city-grade, usable and fringe coverage contours. It's invaluable for FM listeners.

devinplombier
1,684 posts
 

@realgoodsound 

First time I hear of radio-locator.com. It's an amazing resource, thanks for sharing.

realgoodsound
100 posts
 

As you're in the Washington, DC area, here's a Radio-Locator map of WASH 97, a maxed-out Class B (50 kw @ 492') although WASH is 16.5 kw @ 794' - if the antenna is higher than 492' above average terrain, power is cut so the final coverage of the station is equivalent to 50 kw @ 492. Red is city-grade (3.16 microvolts/meter); purple is the "distant" (1 microvolt/meter) and blue is fringe (0.5 microvolt/meter). This is a good representation of most of DC/MD Class B''s coverage. Hope it helps. 

 

 

Post removed 
realgoodsound
100 posts
 
The website won't accept the map. Try the following: https://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/pat?call=WASH&service=FM
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