Antenna recommendations

PhilNYC · « **on:** 3 Sep 2005, 01:18 pm »

I recently picked up a vintage Kenwood KT-7500 tuner...any recommendations for a good antenna to work with it? I'm probably not looking for something roof-mounted...

Gordy · « **Reply #1 on:** 3 Sep 2005, 01:37 pm »

Indoor or exterior???

I have never had any luck with the Fanfare/MD "whip" style antenna's, they've been consistenly outperformed by a simple $2.00 ratshack wire dipole.. but that could well be my location(s) as others seem to like them

The FMreflect antenna is the best I've been able to find for indoor use, a tad hard to hide though... http://ccrane.com/antennas/fm-antennas/fm-reflect-antenna.aspx

Antenna Performance http://www.antennaperformance.com/ has very highly regarded outdoor antenna's, I believe, as does Wineguard. Hopefully DougS/Tunaman can chime in!

PhilNYC · « **Reply #2 on:** 3 Sep 2005, 01:59 pm »

Thanks...I'm looking for an indoor antenna...I'll check out the recommendations!

orthobiz · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Sep 2005, 10:53 pm »

My antenna from antennaperformance.com works well INSIDE my attic. You just have to know where you want to point it...

biz

doug s. · « **Reply #4 on:** 4 Sep 2005, 04:06 pm »

hi phil,

as biz sez, a directional yagi can work well indoors, if you have room, like in an attic, etc... but, it will not offer the ability to change its direction. if you wanna go this route, i would suggest the winegard hd6065 - while not quite up to the specs of the ~$230 aps-13, it's as good or better than the ~$150 aps9, & it usually sells for ~$75. or, if ya wanna go this route & space is an issue, the ~$25 yagi as sold by rat shack is still better than most any other typical indoor antenna solution. this guy is quite a bit smaller than the others mentioned.

re: indoor antennae, definitely awoid the whip sold by m-d. most everyone who has tried it (w/a few exceptions), has found a $5 cheap dipole to work better. myself included!

while i have not tried (or heard from others who have), the crane fm-reflect antenna, this does look like a quality re-take of the standard dipole. i cannot say whether or not it's worth the difference. a lot of folk on the yahoo fmtuner site say a rabbit-ear tv-style antenna is good for indoors, & it offers adjustability for different stations. i've never tried one, i think i'd go nutz trying to orient it!

if you *do* try one, be sure it doesn't have an fm trap, or that it's defeatable if it has one. otherwise, it will be blocking yust the signals yure trying to receive. if you have strong signals, but multipath interference issues - wery possible in nyc - ya may wanna search out a used bic beam-box. these don't have the best gain, but they do allow change of antenna orientation at the flick of a switch. and, they are tunable to the station. i have one, but have never tried it, as it seems my present location has no multipath issues. there's one ending soon on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/BIC-The-Beam-Box-FM-Tuner-Antenna_W0QQitemZ5804370057

for indoor use, i have had good luck w/the nla radio shack (archer) tunable antennae, like the 15-1833 & 15-1821d. (stay away from the standard powered antennae, they will introduce more noise than anything else.) tunability is the key - so the antenna itself, is optimized for the frequency yure trying to receive.

here's what the 1821d looks like:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5800083782

here's a pic of what the 15-1833 looks like:

http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=2016

also... i don't wanna rain on yer parade, but... the kt-7500 tuna, in stock iteration, is a pretty mediocre sounding tuna, if quite good at reception. i owned a stock kt-9900. (bonze-faced iteration of the kt-8300.) it, too, sounded pretty mediocre, & it's a better tuna than the kt-7500 is. modded, it's a whole new ball game; these things sound fantastic when modded. i owned a kt-7550 (bronze faced iteration of the kt-7500) that was modded by bill ammons, & it *was* an excellent sounding tuna. as good as the tunas i am presently selling, but not quite as good ultimate quieting.

and, no - i am *not* trying to sell tuna here. if you like, i can recommend several tunas that routinely sell for $100 or less, that will sound quite a bit better than the kt-7500.

regards,

doug s.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #5 on:** 4 Sep 2005, 11:00 pm »

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm going to take this in steps...just ordered the FM-Reflect antenna and will see how it does. If it doesn't do the job, then I'll start moving up.

And yes, I realize the 7500 isn't anything special. I'm not a big radio guy...just wanted something to have to tune into some local stations every now and then, and especially something I could use to burn in new gear without running my transport. Maybe if I get into enough, I'll have it modded. Something about this vintage stuff is pretty cool...just sent my dad's old Fisher 400 receiver to a guy to get re-built...

SET Man · « **Reply #6 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 01:33 am »

Hi,

Phil, I don't know if you know this site but here is a link about FM tuners. Excellent info on vintage tuners.

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/

By the way. Like you, I just picked up myself a Sansui TU-317 off eBay this past June. Cost me about $55 shipping included, 2 lights burned out of which I already repalced them. Hmmm... maybe this is why it was cheap. But the thing sound great! Sure beat my modern Denon digital type tuner. I think I will upgrade some parts according to the FM Tuner site soon.

As for as antenna. I use the old TV rabbit ear hooked up to the 300ohm in the back of the Sansui and this seem to work just fine.

Take care,
Buddy

doug s. · « **Reply #7 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 04:14 pm »

Quote from: PhilNYC

Thanks for all the suggestions! I'm going to take this in steps...just ordered the FM-Reflect antenna and will see how it does. If it doesn't do the job, then I'll start moving up.

And yes, I realize the 7500 isn't anything special. I'm not a big radio guy...just wanted something to have to tune into some local stations every now and then, and especially something I could use to burn in new gear without running my transport. Maybe if I get into enough, I'll have it modded. Something about this vinta ...

re: tuna, unless/until you hear a quality broadcast on a quality tuna, you may never know what yure missing - perhaps why yure not "a big radio guy"?

once you *do* hear it, you will be amazed - the sound i get from fm easily rivals that of my digital & analog gear, which is none too shabby...

regards,

doug s.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #8 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 04:23 pm »

Buddy...thanks, I've seen that website and found it to be very useful! Maybe at one of our Raves, we can do a tuner shootout.

Doug...sound quality is not the issue for me to be a radio guy; there are just very few radio stations in my area that I find consistently play music that I like (am primarily a jazz and classic rock guy). That said, I have definitely heard some very high quality tuners (some stock, mostly modded) and do know they can achieve a good level of performance....

doug s. · « **Reply #9 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 04:42 pm »

Quote from: PhilNYC

Buddy...thanks, I've seen that website and found it to be very useful! Maybe at one of our Raves, we can do a tuner shootout.

Doug...sound quality is not the issue for me to be a radio guy; there are just very few radio stations in my area that I find consistently play music that I like (am primarily a jazz and classic rock guy). That said, I have definitely heard some very high quality tuners (some stock, mostly modded) and do know they can achieve a good level of performance....

no good jazz & rock in nyc? hmmmm...

here's a website ya mite find a bit handy:

http://www.radio-locator.com/

doug s.

PhilNYC · « **Reply #10 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 05:19 pm »

Thanks doug. I listen to the radio quite a bit in the car, and I usually end up changing stations every 10-15 minutes because I can't seem to find anything that keeps me listening for more than that. Usually end up switching to AM and listening to the news or sports...

doug s. · « **Reply #11 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 05:23 pm »

Quote from: PhilNYC

Thanks doug. I listen to the radio quite a bit in the car, and I usually end up changing stations every 10-15 minutes because I can't seem to find anything that keeps me listening for more than that. Usually end up switching to AM and listening to the news or sports...

i rarely listen to radio when i drive. i prefer to listen to the engine, & to drive. italian cars will do that.

most home serious listening is done w/one tuna or another.

regards,

doug s.

ctviggen · « **Reply #12 on:** 5 Sep 2005, 05:51 pm »

Do you drive in traffic? Do you take long trips? Regardless of the type of car, sitting stopped on the freeway or local roads is a very frequent occurrence here in CT, and I personally need my iPod. I drove from AZ to CT without any radio of any kind, and my truck still does not have a radio. Nonetheless, were the truck not a POS, I would add a radio with an iPod input to it, as I can no longer not have tunes in the car.

SET Man · « **Reply #13 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 01:22 am »

Quote from: PhilNYC

Buddy...thanks, I've seen that website and found it to be very useful! Maybe at one of our Raves, we can do a tuner shootout.

Phil,
Sure! That's sound like fun

As long as the host of the Rave is okay with this.

I'm thinking of doing some parts upgarde to it. I don't know when we can do the shootout. So, my Sansui could be in stock or mod/upgraded form when we do the shootout.

Take care,
Buddy

doug s. · « **Reply #14 on:** 6 Sep 2005, 12:40 pm »

bob, considering that the metro dc area's traffic is considered 2nd worst in the nation behind los angeles, ya, i would say i drive in traffic.

i also take trips. i yust became disinterested in toons & driving almost 30 years ago, & i never got back into it. a combination, i guess, of really getting into listening in the "sweet spot", & also appreciating driving more.

buddy, while i haven't heard the tu-317, i am familiar w/the tu-517/717/719, & tu-9900. i would say that's an excellent prospect for modding, & i would imagine it doesn't sound too shabby as-is.

enjoy,

doug s.