Computers and modern gadgets

Instruction

For reception on long, medium or short waves, an outdoor antenna is good. It is a wire up to several tens of meters long, suspended at a height of about meters. It is rational to build such a structure only in rural areas. An outdoor antenna must be equipped with a lightning switch and grounded during a thunderstorm. Its operation without grounding and lightning switch is not allowed.

In the city, as well as in the absence of installing a lightning switch, you can use an indoor antenna for reception on the same ranges. This is a piece of wire several meters long, laid along the ceiling, and if you do not live on the first floor, even along the floor. It is not necessary to ground the receiver when using such an antenna.

A loop antenna for shortwave reception consists of one square coil of wire with a side of one meter. Connect a variable capacitor with an upper adjustment limit of about 350 picofarads to this turn. Connect one of the terminals of this capacitor to the antenna input of the receiver.

Reception on ultrashort waves on any receiver, except for a car, is possible using an antenna about two meters long. To do this, take a piece of wire of the appropriate length and solder a clamp to one of its ends. Attach this clip to the receiver's telescopic antenna.

The car radio is usually capable of receiving stations in two ranges: medium and ultrashort waves. In order to increase its sensitivity, you will have to use a special antenna with a built-in amplifier. It should be borne in mind that under the guise of such amplifiers, empty boxes are often sold, on which the LED is lit only for appearance. In order not to run into a fake, buy them in trusted places.

To improve reception, television antennas are equipped with amplifiers that are placed in close proximity to them. You can purchase an antenna that already has an amplifier, or you can buy such a device for an existing antenna.
Power is supplied to it not through a separate cord, but through the same cable with which the antenna is connected to the TV. The amplifier has a branching device, consisting of a choke through which power is supplied to it, and a capacitor through which a signal enters the cable. The same splitter is also available in a special antenna plug that is included with the device. Usually, a power supply is also attached to it, pre-attached to this plug. But the coaxial cable of the length you need will have to be purchased separately and laid from the TV to the antenna with the amplifier yourself, guided by the instructions for the device.

To make a cell phone work better, say, in a metal construction trailer, install a small television antenna on its roof without any amplifier. Lead the cable from it into the window of the trailer, unsolder the plug from it, and instead solder a piece of wire eight centimeters long to the central core. Use your phone by holding it next to this piece of wire.

Building a simple fm radio antenna with your own hands is a great way to improve the quality of the received radio signal. First, let's deal with replacing a standard antenna with a dipole one.

Most modern radio receivers are equipped with sockets for connecting conventional antennas - both built-in and external telescopic ones. You can make a high-quality radio antenna without resorting to high costs, just a single visit to a regular hardware store is enough, and, of course, you need to know what a radio antenna can be made of.

Work materials

  • Ceramic insulators and elements for their connection. They are necessary in order to prevent the antenna cable from shorting to adjacent surfaces. You can buy these devices at any radio market or find them in some abandoned building.
  • Thin steel wire for connecting insulators.
  • Roller blocks needed to fix the external radio antenna in a taut position.
  • Antenna connector.
  • A two-position switch designed to protect against thunderstorms.
  • A coil of copper wire with a diameter of 1.5 to 2 millimeters. You can, of course, use steel wire, but copper is much more pliable and more convenient.

Antenna type

Now let's decide on the type of radio antenna being assembled. There are three main types of antennas for an FM receiver suitable for DIY assembly, the diagrams of each of them are shown below:

  • Line antenna
  • Antenna with a traveling surface wave
  • Aperture antenna, that is, an antenna with a turn.


Instructions on how to make an antenna

The installation of any horizontal type antenna begins with the choice of a support, to which we will later attach the insulators. The first support should be on the roof of the house, and for the second, you can choose a tree with the appropriate height. We attach the insulators to the racks using steel cables.


The outer part of the antenna should not be pulled too tight, as when the air temperature drops, the wire shrinks and can break.


Roller blocks are used to reduce vibrations. To use them, you need to fix a small load on the opposite end of the wire, connecting it to the antenna.


The receiving element of the future antenna must be a single piece of a single material. If there is no whole piece of wire, then several elements can be combined from a single material by stripping and soldering with tin solder.


The mount for the vertical receiving element of the antenna is a stand that prevents the wire from changing its position during strong winds.


If there is very little space for placing the antenna, then the design can be modified: we cut the wire into several pieces and connect the end of each of them with molten tin to the cable. The place of soldering must be securely isolated. Below is a photo of a homemade antenna suitable for fm radio.


The best replacement for the trap would be a homemade indoor antenna. In this case, the insulators are mounted indoors, while as close to the ceiling as possible (this is recommended to improve signal reception), and the wire is pulled horizontally or folded into a spiral.


Fabrication of a resonant frame antenna

Such antennas are often used by mechanics to receive shortwave signals. For directional signal reception, the antenna is simply turned in the right direction. Such designs allow you to receive radio signals much more clearly thanks to magnetic elements.

So, how to make a similar antenna for fm radio at home? First you need to find a hoop made of aluminum with a diameter of 77 centimeters and a cross section of 17 millimeters, you can get one in any sporting goods store.

If the hoop could not be found, you can use plumbing pipes made of plastic and metal, or a copper tube with a diameter of 1.6 cm.

The assembly sequence of such a design is extremely simple:

  • We solder the central core, the winding and a piece of coaxial cable to the contacts of the capacitor with a variable capacitance.
  • We solder the other end of the cable, the central core and the winding to the aluminum hoop. You can also use a car clamp, which must first be cleaned at the mating site.
  • The dimensions of the structural elements are calculated in such a way that the length of the frame, in this case the hoop, is five times the length of the connection loop.
  • From one end of the cable and from the central core, we remove the insulation layer by about one centimeter.
  • We remove the insulation in the middle of the cable, having previously canceled 5 millimeters from it in each direction. Then we remove the cable braid, since the above actions will lead to its rupture.
  • We adjust the range of our radio receiver so that the design has a resonance of 5-22 MHz. With a different value of the capacitance of the capacitor, the parameters of the receiving-transmitting device can be changed.
  • Depending on the desired received range, you can change the frame parameters. So, for receiving low frequencies, we select the diameter of the hoop within one - one and a half meters, and for receiving high frequencies - 70 centimeters.

These simple rules will allow you to build a device that can operate in different ranges.

conclusions

We have presented to your attention the simplest and most popular ideas and drawings of antennas for fm radio, suitable for self-assembly. Most of these designs are extremely simple both in installation and operation, and will allow you to easily solve many household tasks.

Photo antenna for fm radio

VHF FM broadcasting provides much higher quality than traditional broadcasting on low frequency bands using amplitude modulation. However, the frequency range in which FM radio stations operate provides a relatively small radius of confident reception, at the boundary of which its quality drops sharply.

You will need

  • - a piece of wire a few meters long;
  • - plug;
  • - metal clip for curtains;
  • - soldering iron, solder and neutral flux;
  • – OIRT-CCIR converter;
  • – antenna amplifier or energetic antenna.

Instruction

1. In some cases, unstable reception in the VHF range is due to the low susceptibility of the receiver or radio. It should be noted that there is no dependence of this unit parameter on its price. Try to receive the same station in the same room with several receivers - one of them, the one that provides a particularly convincing reception, is the most emotional of them.

2. It is possible to implicitly determine the mediocre quality of the radio path of the receiver by the presence of an antenna socket in it, despite the fact that it has a telescopic antenna. If there is such a socket, the manufacturer may have added it precisely in order to compensate for the low susceptibility.

3. The external antenna is a piece of wire several meters long. It should be completely unwound. To one end of the wire, solder either a plug, the type of which matches the type of socket on the receiver, or a metal curtain clip that fits on a telescopic antenna. So that such an antenna does not need to be equipped with lightning protection, in no case do it outdoor.

4. Occasionally, the following adaptation will help improve FM reception. Wind about 20 turns of insulated wire directly over the sheath of the coaxial cable going to your TV. Combine one of its ends with the receiver using the method indicated above.

5. Pocket players, mobile phones use a headphone or headset wire as an antenna when receiving FM radio stations. Change this accessory to another one that has a longer wire, or independently build it up if you know how to do it. The quality of reception and the number of received radio stations will be greatly enhanced.

6. Often, even in the city center, the receiver receives a very few radio stations just because it is designed for the VHF-1 band (65 - 74 MHz), while many stations today operate in the VHF-2 band (88 - 108 MHz). Rebuilding the unit from one range to another is a very caring operation, therefore, it should be taken on only if you have the skill necessary for this. In the absence of such a skill, a special prefix will help - the CCIR-OIRT converter. This device is commercially available on radio markets.

7. It is possible to improve the quality of reception in the FM band at the car radio with the help of an antenna amplifier or an energetic antenna. When choosing this device, it should be remembered that repeatedly, under the guise of such amplifiers, "dummy" ones are sold, in the cases of which there is nothing but a resistor and an LED. Therefore, they should be purchased only in company stores.

8. Some people like to use the car radio at home by connecting it to the power supply and speakers. There is a false judgment that in this case it will work perfectly even without an antenna. But by attaching even an extremely short antenna to the radio, anyone can verify the opposite.

Every country has its craftsmen, inventors and easy inventors. It would seem that in order to improve reception wi-fi signal equipment, you will need to purchase the appropriate equipment or move to places of the best reception signal, but it is allowed to enhance the quality of the signal by improvised means. You do not need to run to the hardware store for these materials, rather each, you have them at home.

You will need

  • Aluminum can, sharp knife, scissors, wi-fi equipment.

Instruction

1. You have probably heard many times that aluminum cans are used as reflective and receiving elements of systems that are capable of processing signals. It is not known why, but banks are excellent for capturing a passing signal. The very first non-standard application of banks is their mounting on antennas. The signal is greatly increased several times. For a TV antenna, each 2 cans are enough, which should be soldered to the contacts of the coaxial cable.

2. It turns out that you will need any wi-fi equipment, it is advisable to take modems or routers that have a small antenna in their presence. It is to it that an empty aluminum can will be attached. Take an empty jar. If you don't have an empty one, get it from the store and empty it by pouring the contents into a glass. The jar can be from under any drink: a cocktail, beer or sparkling water. It is desirable to buy a jar with a capacity of 0.5 liters.

3. First you need to make two large cuts with a sharp knife. One cut on the bottom, another cut will be parallel to it on the opposite side. After making an incision, you need to cut off the bottom completely; use scissors to perform this operation. The top part is not completely cut. Also, do not tear off the can opener, it will be used as a holder.

4. Straighten the edges of the can, it should take the shape of an arc. Put the jar on the antenna and try to connect the wi-fi device to the network.

Many cell phones in modern urban environments often cannot cope with good signal reception, even if they are expensive models. You should take care of the quality of reception by performing a few simple steps.

Instruction

1. Check your battery power phone. It uses much more energy during calls than when idle. Often the battery can be strong enough to make it loud, but unsatisfactorily strong in order to set the signal at the same time. Be diligent in always keeping it charged.

2. Change your location. Buildings and other large structures can block your mobile signal. phone. Try going outside or going to a window while on a call. If you're having trouble with outdoor reception, try to find a free wide area and climb up to a natural elevation better.

3. Try to use special devices to amplify the signal. It can be a hybrid amplifier or a repeater for personal use. They can be used with virtually any phone, don't require a lengthy setup, and really work.

4. Upgrade your antenna phone. Some cell phone manufacturers do not make the best antennas for their devices, which are cooler to change immediately in a store or at home. A new antenna will cost you relatively little and provide better reception.

5. Try to positively tune the network. Many operators work independently from each other, applying their own frequencies and influencing the cellular signal in different ways. phone. Rather than anyone, if the phone is not in good contact with one network, then it is allowed to primitively replace the operator. Many of them at the same time allow you to save the previous number phone .

6. Hold your phone correctly. Traditionally, when the mobile phone is in a vertical position, the signal is received better. But if you tilt it too much or hold it in an unusual way, say, tightly squeezing your hands, then this will interfere with the operation of the antenna. Hold the phone straight so that it catches the signal of the operator without problems.

Reception of radio signals at a distance from the transmitter is not always satisfactory. It is allowed to improve it by using high-quality antennas and special amplifiers.

Instruction

1. Remember the rule: collectively with receiving paths it is allowed to use amplifiers invariably, and collectively with transmitting paths it is almost never possible, because this can cause the power of the emitted signal to go beyond the possible limits. The exception is amateur transmitters of the highest categories, where significant powers are allowed, but even there it is impossible to use amplifiers with an increased tier of out-of-band radiation. Remember also that the amplifier located in front of the receiving path cannot be entered into the generation mode; on the contrary, it will begin to radiate.

2. The adage that the best amplifier is the best antenna has a real basis. Connect an external antenna to the receiver, TV (even without any amplifier) ​​instead of a room one, and you yourself will make sure of this.

3. In the case of transmission paths, the output power of which is limited by regulatory documents (GSM, WiFi, CB, PMR, etc.), the use of an external antenna is an exceptional solution, since the use of an amplifier is unacceptable. Of course, the unit must have a connector for connecting such an antenna, and it must be designed for the range in which it operates.

4. A directional antenna can both worsen and improve reception - it all depends on the correct use of it. Direct it as it is permitted, or rather - only then will it fully manifest its properties.

5. If the unit does not have a socket for an external antenna, in some cases solve the problem of an uncertain reception allowed by moving it. Place the receiver closer to a window, balcony, move the 3G or WiMax modem on a USB cable to a point where reception is better, or place a parabolic reflector aimed at the base station at the focus. A GLONASS or GPS receiver indoors, even if its walls are not reinforced concrete, will only work next to a window or balcony.

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In modern conditions, uninterrupted listening to radio broadcasts becomes possible even in a moving car. To achieve good and stable reception, you need to understand how to set up the radio in the car.

Basic radio settings

Before setting up the radio on the radio, you should make sure that the antenna is installed on the car. Its choice depends on the conditions of admission. In large cities where there are powerful transmitters or repeaters, you can install a cheap and simple whip antenna.

In the event that the radio tower is located at a distance of 20-70 km from the place of reception, an in-salon active antenna with an amplifier should be installed to improve radio reception. Japanese radio receivers receive stations in the range of 76-90 MHz. Before connecting the radio to such a device, a converter is installed. The accessories that come with Pioneer radios will help you set up and connect the device to any car.

To perform automatic tuning on most radios, press the right key. The tuner will scan the band until it finds a station with a strong signal. All radios have memory cells in which you can save your favorite radio stations. To do this, press and hold one of the buttons on the front panel with numbers from 1 to 6. The number of the stored radio station will appear on the display.

If the radio signal strength is insufficient for the desired station to be found during auto search, you can resort to manual tuning. In some radios, it is turned on through the settings menu, and in others, by pressing and releasing the left or right buttons. You can determine which stations will be well received in the car at home, at the music center. You can also perform auto search with memorization. On the Pioneer player, to perform this procedure, press the Func key until BSM mode is selected. After that, the "up" or "right" key is pressed.

In this case, the tuner will scan the entire band for stations with strong signal strength. Each of them will be written to its own memory cell, starting from the first one. On many radios, the stations found in this mode are played for 2 seconds, after which the scanning will continue until the end of the range.

Possible causes of poor signal

You can easily figure out why the radio does not pick up the radio. Reception degradation is most often caused by problems with the antenna. If the cable shield is damaged, then reception will be accompanied by strong interference. If the antenna wire is broken or broken, or the plug inserted into the radio itself has come off, then the radio does not work at all. If an active antenna is used, then the receiver does not pick up the radio well due to the fact that power is not connected to the amplifier, or the receiving dipoles have poor contact with the amplifier module due to oxidation or damage.

Another reason for a poor signal is the remoteness of the repeater or radio tower from the receiving place and the presence of natural or artificial obstacles that stand in the way of the radio channel. Noises from the atmosphere, power lines, trolleybus and tram wires penetrating the radio air degrade the quality of reception, which is why the timbre floats on some radio tape recorders and an unpleasant hiss appears that cuts the ear. Japanese-made devices do not pick up radio well because of their range, which differs from that adopted in Russia.

If interference appears when the wiper, heater or washer is turned on, then the problem is related to sparking between the brushes of the motors.

On cheap Chinese radios, radio interference can appear from various electronic devices, such as video recorders. Another reason why the radio in the car does not work is a malfunction of the tuner itself. You should also check the speakers, the malfunctions of which cause wheezing and crackling, making tuning difficult.

How to improve the radio signal

There are several ways to improve radio reception in your car stereo. For example, you can put an active antenna equipped with an amplifier. To eliminate interference, you can make your own power filter. To do this, wind several turns of thin wire around the ferrite core. Power is supplied to one end of the resulting inductor from the machine. To the other, you should connect the oxide capacitor and the positive plug of the radio.

The whole structure is placed in a small box made of stainless steel or tin. The body is connected to the ground; you also need to solder the negative terminal of the capacitor to it. The more turns and the higher the capacitance of the capacitor, the better the filtering. This filter will suppress electrical noise coming from power circuits. Now you can figure out what to do to suppress interference from electric motors and gadgets. To do this, shunt the devices with a capacitor. After that, the noise level should decrease.

Acquisition and replacement of the antenna

This method is one of the easiest. Modern active antennas are small in size; they are mounted together with receiving elements on the windshield of a car from the inside, without being exposed to precipitation. The disadvantage is that if the glass is damaged, it is necessary to change the antenna along with it.

After purchasing the antenna, you must properly connect and install it. To do this, the base is glued to the windshield from the cabin side together with the receiving elements. The distance to the body frame must be observed. It must be at least 25 mm, otherwise reception may deteriorate. Then the active antenna module itself is installed. The power wire is connected to the blue wire with a white stripe on the car radio.

Amplifier Installation

This method will help improve reception quality at a great distance from the transmitter. The use of a standard whip antenna, coupled with an amplifier, increases the sensitivity of the car radio. Disconnect the plug from the radio and insert it into the amplifier. Power is supplied to it from a blue wire with a white stripe or directly from the battery through a switch. The connector coming from the amplifier is inserted into the radio.

Replacing the radio

This method is suitable if the radio turned out to be of poor quality and does not have sufficient sensitivity even with an active antenna. Keep in mind that Winamp can be used to listen to Internet radio in the car on an Android media system.

Radio amateurs and ordinary radio listeners regularly face two problems. This is an uncertain reception and interference. Both can be fought with. True, different methods are used on different waves.

You will need

  • Copper or aluminum wire with a cross section of 3-5 mm.
  • Enamelled wire with a diameter of 0.3-0.5 mm
  • Cardboard or wood

Instruction

  • For radio reception on all bands, one rule applies. The receiving antenna should be located as high above ground level as possible. If there is no receiving antenna, it must be made. For the LW, MW and HF bands, a long bare copper or aluminum wire can serve as an antenna. The length of the antenna can be up to 40m.
  • If the receiver has an antenna socket, there is no problem connecting the antenna. If there is no antenna socket, proceed as follows. From improvised materials (for example, cardboard or wood), make a box or frame in which to place the receiver. Wind 5-10 turns of enameled wire around the frame. Ground one end of the wire (for example, to a central heating battery), an antenna is connected to the other. The frame in this case provides an inductive connection with the internal antenna. Select the position of the receiver relative to the frame empirically.
  • On VHF, you can also use an external antenna, for which the Wave Channel multi-element television antenna is quite suitable. Such antennas were used as antennas for collective television reception. Sometimes they can still be found on the roofs of residential buildings. Connection to such an antenna is carried out using a coaxial cable, and the antenna itself must be directed to the radio transmitting station. In any case, the reliable reception area of ​​even a powerful VHF station will not exceed 50 km.
  • Interference can be dealt with in three ways. The first option is a directional antenna. The method is applied on all bands. At medium and long wavelengths, for receivers equipped with a ferrite antenna, this is achieved by rotating the loop antenna or the receiver itself in search of the best reception with the least amount of interference.
  • To get rid of interference on medium, long and short waves, make a loop antenna. It is a wooden rhombic or square frame with a side of 50 cm. Wind a copper enameled wire with a diameter of 0.3-0.5 mm around the frame. The number of turns can be about 10. Such a frame is either included in the antenna and ground sockets on the receiver, or, if there is only one antenna socket, the second branch of the frame is connected to the metal chassis of the receiver or grounded. By turning the frame, you can accurately tune in to the station and tune out from interfering interference.
  • You can also use external "anti-noise" antennas. They are a concentrated capacitance to which a vertical drop (wire) is connected, leading to the receiver's antenna jack. As such a concentrated container, you can use, for example, a metal rim of a bicycle wheel with spokes and a sleeve, mounted on a vertical insulated mast - for example, on a wooden pole.
  • In any case, the quality of the signal relative to interference is determined by the value of the signal-to-noise ratio. And the more powerful the received signal, the easier it is to tune out the noise by simply reducing the volume. A directional antenna for the VHF band usually looks like a TV antenna. In the receiver itself, try to cancel out interference by narrowing the receiver's bandwidth. Some receivers have a dedicated switch for this. This method is suitable for radio communication and is not very suitable for receiving artistic broadcasts.
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