Hi, From a New Member

[a2c39a]

Hi Folks,

I've just joined this community and here's my 'Hi' to the TV/FM DXers.
I don't do much TV DX now as I only have a loft mounted Band III 5 element beam fixed on a SE heading. RTBF on E8 & BRT on E10 are usually just about there with syncs just visible at any time on my JVC CX610GB (still going strong!!). Most of my TV reception now is via satellite using an 80cm dish, two LNB's (13E & 19.2E), a DiSEqC switch and a DM7000 STB.

I'm not really a true DXer, I just like to receive things that are a bit more difficult than the local stations.

I live in Norfolk and the FM stations I want to receive are in Belgium & Netherlands. Stations like Slam! FM (Netherlands) on 88.4MHz & 91.1MHz, Crazy FM (Belgium) on 107.7MHz & Topradio (Belgium) on 91.3MHz, Radio 538 (Netherlands) on 102.1MHz & 102.7MHz, anything that plays Dance music!
I also use Info (France) on 105.2MHz, Radio 2 (Belgium) on 98.6MHz & Radio 1 (Netherlands) on 98.9MHz (and others), as propagation indicators as they are quite high power and appear before any of the others. They are usually audible even under flat conditions (very weak and fluttery).
I do not have a home reception system, only car and portable.

My car system was either a Pioneer with their D4Q DSP system or a Blaupunkt Bremen Twinceiver (with two 1/4 wave whips). I have just changed my car and have yet to install a new system. I will need a new head unit as it needs to be double DIN size for the new car. The present factory fitted radio is inferior to the above two in sensitivity but particularly in selectivity. I will not go for two antennae on this car, so will prob get a Pioneer from ebay.

My portable system is a Degen DE1103. What a super little receiver this is. It's another ebay item, from China, and is (well...was) much cheaper than the Eton E5 and on FM easily out performs it. I have two DE1103's and one E5. Both DE1103's give similar performance on FM, the E5 gives good FM performance but seems to have wider filters which reduces sensitivity and increases splatter from nearby strong signals. However all three are far better than any other FM portable that I own or have owned! As a BTW, these receivers also cover 100kHz to 30MHz, AM/SSB with good sensitivity and fair selectivity (switchable wide/narrow). Not quite a pocket communications receiver but certainly the next best thing!!


Best wishes, John.

[JamesA]

Hi John, ive got one of those Degen's too. Its a cracking little radio, unbelievably good for the price!

[Panteneman]

In response to the start of this post, you are very lucky to be able to get foreign radio reception on the VHF FM bands in any form at all.

In the instance of a home setup, it's best that you get a VHF FM beam with a rotator if you are that fanatical about FM radio DX, and point it to Europe.

Simple layman's description:
More elements = improved amplification of signal but narrower focus of reception

The range of VHF FM is only 30-70miles tops on average. Obviously, with the laws of propagation and the like, signals can travel for insane distances compared to their usual range.

Clickerage here for a concise Wikipedia explanation

[a2c39a]

Hi panteneman,

When I started playing with TV & FM DX others said it would not be possible at my location. The trouble is I live about 2 miles from a 250kW per channel UK main TV & FM broadcast station. This causes huge intermodulation problems with most equipment and the adjacent channel splatter is very wide on most equipment. Using a beam can help in this situation, if you can 'drop' the local signal down a null in the pattern of the beam but generally the local FM signals are so strong on any piece of metal that that it is difficult for any receiver to live with!!
Not only that but I wanted reception while out in my car not just when at home. Also while out for a walk, hence the DE1103. I tried various car radio head units and decided that Pioneer and Blaupunkt had narrower bandwidth (to cope with strong adjacent channel signals) and was able to receive weak signals 200kHz from very strong local ones, particularly with the Pioneer. These two also had the best sensitivity (Blaupunkt twinceiver I used two 1/4 wave whips on car) for use when further away from the strong signals and the best intermodulation rejection for coping with the very strong signals. I have a beam which I was going to arrange as a QA unit and put in the boot of my car so that I could drive to a high spot, away from home but I have not got round to doing it yet. Beam sat in garage still in box!

Used to have a Fuba XC391 for UHF TV DX but the pole rattled in the rotator (even with a support bearing) during windy weather so it was 'ordered' to be removed. Thus you see it would be difficult to install a beam for FM either (even bigger unit for relatively few elements).

So, I do it mobile and portable and I find that fun, so that's why I do it!

The range of the troposcatter signal from high power signals at circa 100MHz is about 100 to 150 miles so in a quiet location it is possible to hear things like French station INFO on 105.2MHz under almost any condx. Having that as the base line you then try to improve things from there using the restricted operating conditions I have chosen (it's part of the thrill that it's not usually considered possible!!).

Best wishes, John.