Copper Talk » Ask The Tech » Antennas » DUMB ANTENNA QUESTION « Previous Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Copper_Fan
Posted on Wednesday, May 16, 2001 - 9:22 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

For the longest time my ANT99 was mounted on my chimney and was about 20 foot high,,,,,well i finally got my tower up and im 55 foot high now and i have the ground plane kit installed.
My wife was never able to recieve "THE HOWARD STERN SHOW" on our home stereo system and we have lived here for 4 years,,,,,,Now since the tower install she can pick it up like she was at the transmitter in chicago and we didnt change anything on the stereo at all,,,,,heres the dumb question:

IS IT POSSIBLE THAT THE ANTENNA AND TOWER ARE HELPING DRAW THE STEREO SIGNAL IN??? OR WAS IT JUST A COINCIDENCE AFTER 4 YEARS OF NOT RECIEVING IT???????

its not a big deal i was just curious and was trying to understand,, any comments would help
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

307 (307)
Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2001 - 6:28 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Absolutely. The tower "MAY" help as an antenna in a near field to the Stereo. You would be surprized at the changes of "reception" just buy putting a large tall metal object up in your yard.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Copper_Fan
Posted on Thursday, May 17, 2001 - 3:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks 307 my wife also made the comment today that not only does she get that station she gets alot of other channels that she never even knew were there LOL ,,,,,so those with poor stereo reception put up a 60 foot tower in your yard it worked for me =)
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Sg569
New member
Username: Sg569

Post Number: 7
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Wednesday, January 05, 2005 - 4:16 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Here I another "dumb" antenna ? Let's say that we are building a quad. and instead of one reflector, and one driven element. We build it with one driven between TWO reflector elements.
Would that then reflect the signal back and forth, untill it radiates from the driven out the sides? Or would that just be a waste of time, energy, and materials???
And while we are at it, Would it be possible to build a baseload coil for a 102 ss whip, to then work like a 1/2, or 5/8 wave????
YES, I want a serious answer to this please, Thanks sg569
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Kid_vicious
Intermediate Member
Username: Kid_vicious

Post Number: 109
Registered: 9-2004
Posted on Wednesday, January 05, 2005 - 9:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

i dont know too much about beam antenna characteristics so i cant help with the first question, but as for the 102" whip question;
yes, it would be possible to build a loading coil to make a quarter wave antenna "look" like a half wave or 5/8 wave antenna. i doubt that there would be any benefit to doing this though. whatever you gain would most likely be lost in the coil as heat. a tech might confirm or debunk this, but i dont think that any design that utilizes a loading coil or "trap", will work as well as a radiator of the correct electrical length.
matt
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce

Post Number: 2000
Registered: 9-2003
Posted on Thursday, January 06, 2005 - 7:11 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

2 reflectors? it would have as best little gain and at worse the worlds bigest dummy load. i would like to see on a computer what this would look like ......

On the whip a 1/4 wave is THE BEST radiator out there. Now you can get gain with 1/2 or 5/8 wave antennas but to do this you must have a FULL size antenna not some loaded junk. Now a effective way is to cut a 5/8 wave antenna and load the bottom to it looks like a 3/4 wave it will look like a 50 ohm load to your radio with no other matching.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Sg569
New member
Username: Sg569

Post Number: 8
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Thursday, January 06, 2005 - 3:30 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

thanks alot, if anyone has a program to build & test ant. I would love to hear from them
sg569
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tech291
Moderator
Username: Tech291

Post Number: 30
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Thursday, January 06, 2005 - 8:10 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Sg569,do a websearch for EZNEC,a antenna modeling program.also search for w4rnl website
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tech291
Moderator
Username: Tech291

Post Number: 31
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Thursday, January 06, 2005 - 9:02 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

BTW Sg569,there are no dumb questions.The only dumb question is the one not asked!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Chad
Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 71
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Friday, January 07, 2005 - 9:10 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Copper_Fan

Post this in a high end audio board and you will have a bunch of audiophools arguing over which composition of metal tower sounds sweeter.

I see a new fad, all the audiophools will have a big pole in their back yard...... HA!

Chad
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833

Post Number: 933
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Friday, January 07, 2005 - 6:15 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Chad-

Watch it.. I am an audiophile myself, though I do not subscribe to the same voodoo that most of us do. I do have all tube stereo gear and vintage tower speakers, and there IS a difference between high end tube gear and solid state gear.

Back on point... Copper fan, this is called 're-radiation'. Your tower is reradiating signals. If you installed an FM antenna on top of your tower, you would hear the FM clear, but at ground level you do not. Simply put, the tower structure is capturing signals up high and carrying them down low where they re-radiate into your home.

This phenomenon can be researched with the technical discussion regarding the C.Crane company AM and SW passive antennas.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Sg569
Junior Member
Username: Sg569

Post Number: 12
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, January 07, 2005 - 9:56 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks tech291, I just like to warn others, so that they don't get mad. An old habit I picked up with short tempered persons, who might or might not forget simple things i.e. good ground.

sg569
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Sg569
Junior Member
Username: Sg569

Post Number: 13
Registered: 12-2004
Posted on Friday, January 07, 2005 - 10:34 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tech291, Thanks for the search info, the moxon rectangle looks like fun to build, just for a lark :-) I'll have to see about downloading a couple of those programs, and study up.
73's to ya

sg569
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Chad
Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 72
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 12:26 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tech 833,

Same here, much vintage JBL, Scott, and homebrew tube here. I like making fun of people that buy $300 IEC cables :-)

My job is audio, starting live and touring for a while. Did studio and broadcast audio, dabbled in RF. Went back on the road and retired from the road last year. I now work as an electronics/audio engineer at the local university for the school of music.

I've seen a lot of trickery, but, I feel we think the same!!!

Best
Chad
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tech833
Member
Username: Tech833

Post Number: 56
Registered: 12-2001
Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 6:26 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Chad,

Yes, but have you seen the $1000 wood knobs for your amp that are supposed to magically reduce fatigue from the audio re-radiating through the pot shafts into the electronics? Now, THAT is voodoo!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Chad
Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 73
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Saturday, January 08, 2005 - 7:19 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Tech 833,
I have the link bookmarked. I like the ultra precision volume control with left and right pots for an incredible price. No ganged stepped attenuators here folks. Even my old Crown IC150 has that :-)

BTW on that website check out the price for the laquer they use on those knobs.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833

Post Number: 936
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Sunday, January 09, 2005 - 1:27 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Ha!!

I'll stick to my 1960 Kenwood (Trio) receiver/amp with stock plastic knobs, thank you very much.

Funny this should come up, Mrs. 833 and I were listening to some 45's tonight on the Technics SL-1200 turntable through the Kenwood. What a dreamy sound!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Chad
Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 74
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Monday, January 10, 2005 - 10:37 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I just bought a Shure V15VxMR (get one quick) cartridge for my 1200 and bulit up a preamp with some telefunken 12AX7's I had around for a rainy day. Kinda neat, just the preamp with a setpped volume control to a pair of homebrew KT88 monoblocks. That became my favorite room in the house till Sunday NET :-)
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Tech833
Moderator
Username: Tech833

Post Number: 944
Registered: 8-2002
Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 2:20 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My Kenwood has a pair of Tele 12AX7's in the phono preamp. They sure sound definitive and nice.

I always liked the receivers over the monoblocks and components. I know the true audiophiles prefer the seperate component approach, and they make fun of stuff like mine, but I can't help it. Schmatically speaking, the setups are the same. Just without the spacial seperation. My preference is the 'all in one' box. With a properly set up power supply circuit, it is just as clean or cleaner that seperate components.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Chad
Member
Username: Chad

Post Number: 77
Registered: 11-2004
Posted on Tuesday, January 11, 2005 - 10:30 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Agreed, My fave is an old Scott 299C Unhacked with 7591's. The reason I like seperate amps/preamps in this particular rig is that I like to tinker so I can swap amps/preamps around.

This rig is also in my studio and is used for Hi-Fi reference, my nearfeilds are active and my midfeilds are passive L/R Sub. With the nearfeilds powered and the mono's close to the Hi-Fi speakers I have a Patchbay that I can swap out different configs. I can test new preamp designs in the nearfeilds and get a feel etc. I can also route the mastering rig thru anything so that I can kick back and enjoy what's on the computer thru the Hi-Fi rig. There's a lot of wire in that room, it's set up like a radio station in the fact that I actually have an "Engineering room" with the computers, drives, ethernet, SS power amps, and punchdowns. My old house was not this way and I'm really glad I went through the work to do it "right" Most of the cabling and punch blocks came from a radio station rebuild and I rescued them from the dumpster, along with other cool stuff. You know thse old EAS receivers the radio guys pitch? They are loaded with really nice Jensen transformers! Nothing like Perfect Paul through a $100+ tranny :-) Guess what's doing iso in my PA rig sends? Canablizing (sp?) outdated broadcast equipment is a great way to get obscure (read expensive) parts!

So I agree with you on the receiver/integrated amp thing but I prefer them in a system that is there to stay. In fact I am working on combining the same design of my mono's as a stereo power amp for my brother as I type. Should start punching metal in a couple weeks, I'll get some pics.

Chad
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Mikefromms
Advanced Member
Username: Mikefromms

Post Number: 511
Registered: 6-2003
Posted on Saturday, March 19, 2005 - 10:22 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Replying to the original question, there's another possibility. The antenna on the house could have been blocking the signal she never could receive. Antenna placement can do weird things to stero and tv reception.

I had an Astroplane just above the roof. I have cable for tv and it run through the attic. After I installed the A/P on the roof, we started receiving the city police over our TV guide channel on our TV! I mean it was like a scanner. It wasn't the clearest in the world, but you could make it out.

mikefromms

Add Your Message Here
Post:
Username: Posting Information:
This is a private posting area. Only registered users and moderators may post messages here.
Password:
Options: Enable HTML code in message
Automatically activate URLs in message
Action: