Hi guys I'm new here and I just wanted to know if there is a circuit I can build that will increase the range of my FM radio antenna? Right now in my car I get a station usually in the mornings around 6:30-7:00 then in the afternoon I get a very slight signal. I can hear what is going on but there is a lot of static. In my house on my clock radio I get nothing. So I just wanted to know if there is a circuit that will work in this type of case. Any help will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You
Sammy

 

The first step would be to get the best antenna you can for the car. Just changing the antenna can boost performance.

After that, you can 'boost' the signal recieved by the antenna.

PepBoys here in the USA used to sell an antenna booster for car radios.

You simply plug the antenna into the device then the device into the radio. A pair of wires supply the device power from the fuse box.

[ed]
Here is a device like the one I was describing. It boosts the antenna signal by 4.5x
http://www.solidsignal.com/pview.as...ganic&utm_source=google_base_03_Antenna_Traps
[/ed]

 

these no way I can build one? because I have a really good attena. A while ago I saw a circuit online but now I can't find it so I thought someone here might know ablut it?

 

Sure you can build one.

http://www.sentex.ca/~mec1995/circ/activant.html

 

I think thats the same one I was looking at before, thanks alot for helping me find it.

 

No problem.

 

A cheap radio has poor selectivity and is overloaded easily so its sensitivity is best when it is low so that it is not overloaded by strong local stations. My cheap Sony Walkman radio has a local distant antenna attenuator switch. It cannot receive weak distant stations because in the "distant" position the strong local stations are smeared across the dial. In the "local" position then all stations are attenuated and it does not pickup weak distant ones.
A signal booster will also amplify (or be overloaded by) strong local stations so its results will be one or more strong stations smeared across the dial.

Get a better quality radio instead.

 

A cheap radio has poor selectivity and is overloaded easily so its sensitivity is best when it is low so that it is not overloaded by strong local stations. My cheap Sony Walkman radio has a local distant antenna attenuator switch. It cannot receive weak distant stations because in the "distant" position the strong local stations are smeared across the dial. In the "local" position then all stations are attenuated and it does not pickup weak distant ones.
A signal booster will also amplify (or be overloaded by) strong local stations so its results will be one or more strong stations smeared across the dial.

Get a better quality radio instead.

So that circuit will not work?
I'm just not rich enough to get a new radio thats the only problem but it's all for my dad so he can listen to his stations may I can try to get him one for father's day

 

Does your fathers radio have a digital tuner?

 

Does your fathers radio have a digital tuner?

I don't think so does, it work better on one then the other one?

 

Well some digital tuners will "lock" onto signals better.

If it is a standard wheel-type tuner, it will become VERY sensitive. A little movement will switch stations.

It is worth a try.