Monday, August 16, 2010

Improve An Fm Radio Antenna With Copper

FM reception depends on an antenna picking up radio signals transmitted from a broadcast tower. You can improve the reception by adding copper wire to the antenna. You will need a few supplies from a hardware or hobby shop and a couple of items probably laying around your house. No special electrical skills are necessary. Because a soldering iron must be used, adult supervision is required if you are underage or have no soldering experience.


Instructions


1. Place a sheet of newspaper on a table. Separate the two wires at one end of the copper wire with your fingers. Strip a half inch of insulation off the end of each of the two wires with the wire strippers.


2. Unscrew the back off the 2.5 mm male phone plug. Run the two stripped wires through the hole in the phone plug's back.


3. Heat up the soldering iron for five minutes. Solder one wire to the center contact in the front assembly of the male phone plug. Let the solder cool for a minute.


4. Solder the other wire to the lug attached to the side of the center contact. Let the solder cool for a minute. Cover the ends of the two wires with strips of electrical tape. Unplug the soldering iron.


5. Screw the back of the male phone plug onto the front assembly.


6. Loosen the two screws on the back of the FM receiver where the FM antenna is attached. Attach the two leads from the 2.5 mm female phone plug to the two screws. Tighten the screws.


7. Plug the male phone plug into the female phone plug. Drape the copper wire away from the FM receiver.

Tags: phone plug, male phone, male phone plug, copper wire, soldering iron