C. Crane FM Reflect Antenna
by C. Crane
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Our Price: $30.96
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Category: CE
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Digital product summary information
Manufacturer: C. CraneRelease Date: 2006-09-29
Model: FMW
Color: White
Product features:
- Can increase FM Recption by 200%
- Best, affordable indoor-FM antenna
- Excellent for new HD digital radio reception
- 213% more effective than standard dipole antenna
- Easy to install
Digital camera reviews of C. Crane FM Reflect Antenna
Digital camera Review: A Powerful Dipole Antenna
Summary: 4 Stars
A couple clarifications, first, over previous reviews and the product description:
1. This antenna is NOT rigid! It will not stand up on its own, hold its shape on its own, etc. The description and other reviews suggest this antenna will hold its shape on its own; it will not. The cable is thick and somewhat stiff, but it is not rigid.
2. This is a simple dipole antenna made of high-quality coaxial cable, the same kind used for cable TV. It has the same basic length as a 300-ohm dipole antenna you would buy at Radio Shack or Wal-Mart.
3. The cross-T section is basically two lengths of coaxial cable, one atop another. Its ends are plastic with pinholes, which would allow you to hang the ends via a tack or brad inserted through the hole.
4. The connector is a standard 75-ohm F-type screw-on, the same type of connector used for cable TV connections. If your radio uses the smooth-type 75-ohm connector or the twin-lead, 300-ohm type connector, you'll need to purchase an adapter. I am using a 75-ohm to 300-ohm adapter I got from Radio Shack.
This antenna is basically a more powerful version of a dipole antenna. In my area -- suburban Maine, atop a ridge -- this antenna did an extraordinary job of pulling in distant stations and a great job of isolating the strongest frequency (depending on where the antenna was placed and how it was shaped) in places where station signals overlapped.
Because it is so powerful, how you position this antenna has significant effect on how well it works for the station you want to tune. That is true for all dipoles but especially for this one. Something as simple as whether the center cable has a loop in it, or curves on the way up, can have a huge effect on whether a particular station comes in well.
What is a good antenna position for one station may not be the right position for others, especially, as the documentation notes, if you are trying to bring in many different kinds of stations at different positions on the dial. Be prepared to play with the shape of the antenna and to fix its position with a bit of tape or twist ties.
There's one term I can't apply to this antenna, and that's "aesthetic." It is thick and it is clunky. If you don't want to have a big, white cable hanging around your home, or you don't think you can effectively conceal this antenna, don't get it.
And again, since this antenna is powerful, it is very sensitive to positioning -- where you might want it to go may well not be the place it wants to be. Keep that in mind when planning how you will mask this thing.
Overall, I am very pleased. I'm not sure it was worth the $30 I paid for it -- an 18-foot length of double-shielded coax and an RF connector, which is all this thing really is, would cost about $12 at an electronics store -- but it does work, if you are willing to invest the time to position it properly, live with where it decides it needs to be, and don't mind (or can hide) its industrial appearance.
Summary of C. Crane FM Reflect Antenna
Whether you listen to a portable radio or a top-of-the-line stereo receiver, the quality of sound coming from an FM station is dependent upon the station's signal strength in your area. Adding an FM antenna can help greatly, so be sure to select the best FM antenna for your needs. The FM Reflect Antenna will work with any portable or stereo receiver. This antenna incorporates a new dipole design for maximum gain across the entire FM broadcast band. Up to 213 percent more powerful than a standard dipole antenna, it covers the entire FM band with an almost flat response, where standard dipoles start to fall off near the end of the band. Many FM stations now broadcast their signal with circular polarization. The FM Reflect Antenna is the only FM antenna that can be adjusted to take advantage of this. It is not affected as much by surrounding objects and people as other FM antennas are.Radio Antennas
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