Caveat emptor when buying stuff from overseas...

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pezar
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25 Oct 2011, 3:56 pm

I put this in tech because it concerns an item of electronics.

I have an FM radio that has a coax (75 ohm) connector for an outside antenna. I wanted a better antenna than the piece of wire that came with the radio, so I looked on Ebay. The only FM antennas for reception (instead of transmitting) with 75 ohm plugs were from Europe. Most of the sellers were in the UK. So I pay a total of $7.95 USD for an antenna and wait for it to arrive. When it does, the antenna is incompatible with my radio's coax plug. It seems that UK coax and US coax are two different things. The UK jack has a smaller circumference and a fatter pin than US jacks. So it won't work with my radio. So I'm out $8. It's too cheap to send back to Britain for a refund, so I just have to swallow the loss. So, beware when buying electronics from Europe. I've bought electronic items from the UK where the "AA batteries" used by the item were a tad longer than US AA's, and a clock radio from Spain that worked on 50 hz AC, whereas US AC is 60 hz. So the clock wouldn't work.



AstroGeek
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25 Oct 2011, 4:04 pm

Maybe you should check to see if there is an adapter available from Radio Shack or something.



Radiofixr
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25 Oct 2011, 4:13 pm

yes I work on TV's and home electronics and the was a difference between our antenna connectors-we use an F-59 connector and europeans use the 75ohm DIN connector-I have a Philips video monitor system in the shop that has those connectors-I am sorry you had a problem getting something for your FM radio-I am surprised the local box store don't carry better indoor antennas for FM radio reception.


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pezar
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25 Oct 2011, 6:47 pm

Radiofixr wrote:
yes I work on TV's and home electronics and the was a difference between our antenna connectors-we use an F-59 connector and europeans use the 75ohm DIN connector-I have a Philips video monitor system in the shop that has those connectors-I am sorry you had a problem getting something for your FM radio-I am surprised the local box store don't carry better indoor antennas for FM radio reception.


Radio Shack only carries FM antennas with the 300 ohm "spade lugs", you know the old type where the antenna is connected by screws? I looked on Ebay and the only options from the US were TRANSMITTING antennas. And this isn't a DIN, but a UK style F-59. The radio in question, btw, is a Tivoli Audio Model One, made around 2001, the old FM/AM radio that was Henry Kloss's last project before he died. It comes with an external antenna, but it's just a single wire hooked to a F-59 jack. I can look at Fry's Electronics for an adapter or even better an FM antenna using a US F-59.



Dilbert
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25 Oct 2011, 7:27 pm

Cut the coax and solder on your own connector. It may take you a few tries to get it right if you've never done it before. You can buy a new connector anywhere. Radio Shack, Fry's, whatever.

A "transmitting antenna" would work just fine for receiving.

Actually if you are just receiving try using a longwire antenna. A looooong piece of wire. Run it under your carpet all over the house, or hang it out the window, and plug it into the receiver.



pezar
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25 Oct 2011, 7:48 pm

Dilbert wrote:
Cut the coax and solder on your own connector. It may take you a few tries to get it right if you've never done it before. You can buy a new connector anywhere. Radio Shack, Fry's, whatever.

A "transmitting antenna" would work just fine for receiving.

Actually if you are just receiving try using a longwire antenna. A looooong piece of wire. Run it under your carpet all over the house, or hang it out the window, and plug it into the receiver.


The transmitting antennas are $40. At least. Too much money. The radio already HAS a longwire. It doesn't work too well. It's about 3 feet long, I think.