1. Home
  2. analog
  3. 196516-208513

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
 

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
crsnead
2 posts
 

This reads like an 80’s blog. FM HD is no longer line of sight.
The FCC mandated FM HD years ago,with analog set to sundown by 2028.
I use the same HD antennae for TV and FM. Reception on both is excellent.
Even my car will pull my local FM HD a 100 miles away..

jimbennet OP
199 posts
 

Most FM stations use 1500 foot antennas for greater line of site and 100 KW power.

More to discover