Home Repair forum - Re: AM stereo receiver hookup

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Re: AM stereo receiver hookup

Roger Taylor

2005-08-31, 2:21 am

"Mak Wilson" <mydeadpresidents@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1125461481.414703.207910@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>I have a relatively new hi fi stereo reciever. I also have regular
> (properly grounded) TV Antenna (because I'm too cheap to afford cable).
> The reciever has a hookup for an FM Antenna into which I run my
> regular TV antenna and it works great for FM radio.
>
> Now, I'd like to pick up AM stations. For some reason there is a
> different hookup on the reciever for AM stations. Also, there is an
> outgoing ground hookup on the back of the reciever which is supposed to
> be just for AM Antenna ground.
>
> I'm curious as to why there are separate antenna hookups for FM and AM,
> but mostly I just want to know if I can safely and effectively use my
> regular TV antenna for both FM and AM, ignoring the AM ground because I
> know the antenna is already properly grounded.
>
> Any help? Thanks.

Antennas have to be designed for the kind of radio frequencies and
modulation that are quite different for am and fm. It just so happens that
tv and fm signals need very similar antennas, so you can hook up your fm to
the tv lead in. You can buy a small desk or sill mounted AM loop antenna
that hooks up to the am antenna connections on the back of your receiver.
Often stereos have no internal am antenna, as most folks use them for fm,
due to better sound, low noise, and stereo reception. Sometimes I have
found a separate ground does indeed help reduce interference typical of am
reception.
>

maradcliff@UNLISTED.com

2005-08-31, 3:21 am

For AM, all you really need is a long piece of wire.
The proper length will get the best reception, but a piece of bell
wire about 50 feet long will do the trick. Run it out you window to a
pole or something and hook to radio. Yes, a ground will greatly help.
A metal water pipe will work too. Wrap wire around pipe and clamp it
with a hose clamp. Hook wire to radio ground. However, to eliminate
all that wire, you can buy premade coils at Radio Shack.

There is a ham radio newsgroup. Not sure of name, but look for "ham".
Those guys are always experts at antennas and that stuff.

I dont have cable tv either. I dont watch it enough to justify the
cost. The antenna gets me the news and a few other things. That is
all I really need.

PS. The sound on your tv is actually FM. Thats why the same antenna
works. I used to live where there was a channel 6 tv. I could get
the sound from channel 6 on the lowest end of the FM band. I used to
listen to the tv programs in my car on the radio. (That's back in the
old days when having a tv in the car was not even considered). Now
they got dvd in cars (not my old beater).

Mark

On Tue, 30 Aug 2005 21:41:27 -0700, "Roger Taylor"
<spamfree@yokel.net> wrote:

>
>"Mak Wilson" <mydeadpresidents@yahoo.com> wrote in message
>news:1125461481.414703.207910@g14g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
>Antennas have to be designed for the kind of radio frequencies and
>modulation that are quite different for am and fm. It just so happens that
>tv and fm signals need very similar antennas, so you can hook up your fm to
>the tv lead in. You can buy a small desk or sill mounted AM loop antenna
>that hooks up to the am antenna connections on the back of your receiver.
>Often stereos have no internal am antenna, as most folks use them for fm,
>due to better sound, low noise, and stereo reception. Sometimes I have
>found a separate ground does indeed help reduce interference typical of am
>reception.
>

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