The scuzzy little wire that came with my Yamaha receiver just can't pull FM very well. Any suggestions? Anyone have any experience with powered/non-powered antennae? I am NOT a do-it-yourselfer, so ease of connecting and mounting the antenna is preferred.

DB

Yeah, I'd be interested in hearing recommendations, too.

Jeff

I would recommend an indoor/outdoor antena. They are easy to install if you choose an indoor installation and the connect with coax.

Make sure to mount on an outside wall and on an upper level of the house if you can. This will give the best reception.

If your tuner doesn't have coax, that is no problem, just strip one end of the cable, twisting the braid together, you now have a dipole wire, like your normal 'scuzzy little wire'. You could also get an adapter, but do not get one that changes the ohms.

I would avoid powered or amplified antennas, they will amplify the noise as well as the signal resulting in poor sound, and not much better reception than what you currently have.

I use a Magnum Dynalab ST-2 indoor/outdoor FM antenna, mounted indoors. I have great reception with it.

Try your local Radio Shack, or audiophile shop, or even search the internet for them. They should run you between $50 and $100.

Mount an outdoor antenna and run coax.

As a side benefit you will also receive OTA DTV/HDTV signals if available in your area.

For me, I knew I wanted the TV signal and got the excellent radio signals as a bonus.

$100 will buy all the material you need (antenna, mount, coax, etc.). If you don't want to install it yourself, it's not so good a deal as expect to pay someone an additional $150 to do it for you.

I live on a mountain in north NJ. With the antenna that came with my 950, I get 2 stations locked in when doing a scan. Total.

I'm going to head to Radio Shock and pick up one of their outdoor/attic antenna and put it in my attic. Once I get it all hooked up, I'll post the results.

-Joe

------------------
Remember the Intellivision?
http://www.gotmaille.com/nostalgia/

If anyone's interested, here's what I'm going to try. For $22 it's worth a shot:

High-Gain FM-Stereo Antenna

$21.99
Catalog #: 15-2163
(Pricing and Availability may vary outside
the contiguous 48 United States.)

Where to Buy
On-line No
In Stores (Store Locator) Yes
1-800-THE-SHACK No


Increase your FM receiver's reception range.

PRODUCT FEATURES:
• Triple-drive directional antenna picks up signals from as far as 110 miles away
• Can be attic mounted without signal loss
• Preassembled for easy installation

-Joe

------------------
Remember the Intellivision?
http://www.gotmaille.com/nostalgia/

Oddly enough, I replaced my dipole antenna with a standard rabbit ears from Recoton for $9.99, and the reception improved dramatically. I wouldn't have expected this. Must be something weird about the reception in my location. (Maybe my brainwaves are causing weird cancellations or somethin'...)

Jeff