Harman Kardon hk990Vxi - Page 18

4. Does your living environment allow a large antenna, either
indoor or outdoor? Sometimes space, physical layout (such
as living in an apartment house) or even city ordinances can
affect your decision in this respect.
5. Do you have access to FM through a TV cable system? The
benefits of using commercial cable as a high quality FM
source are many and you should investigate this option if it
is available. In general, the higher the antenna, the better
it will perform. Radio waves travel better in straight lines
from the transmitter and if your antenna is free and clear of
obstructions, it will perform better and you will enjoy
greater signal strength.
An indoor antenna, such as the one included with your new
receiver will work well if you enjoy good “line of sight” with
the area’s FM transmitters or live in the upper stories of a
building. Remember, however, that indoor antennas cannot
provide height and may be prone to receiving interference from
cars on the street or small appliances in the kitchen.
If you are satisfied with the performance of an indoor antenna
(or are limited in this respect), your first choice is the half-
wave dipole antenna included with the hk880Vxi/hk990Vxi. It
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will work well in many situations and can be used until you
decide whether or not you need a more extensive antenna
system. Because it is basically bi-directional, it may be prone
to interference or may limit your ability to “fine tune” certain
stations that are not on its axis.
The next choice is a pair of “rabbit ears” like the ones often
used with television sets. While they have some of the same
drawbacks as a flexible dipole, “rabbit ears” are easier to
manually adjust for a given station. Make sure that they are
not equipped with an FM trap, which would remove the FM
signal from TV stations received. The best possible indoor
antenna is a table top model specially designed for FM
reception. There are many brands on the market including
some powered designs and models with manual fine-tuning
adjustments. Check with your Harman Kardon dealer for
advice on which is most appropriate for your needs and budget.
Properly set up, an outdoor FM antenna can provide signifi-
cantly better reception than any indoor design. Options range
from simple, omni-directional dipoles to elaborate directional
designs with rotators that can give you the best possible
reception of any given station.
If you are plagued by severe localized noise and multipath
interference, you should consider a directional Yagi-style
antenna if possible. Consult with your Harman Kardon dealer
or with a local radio/television supply shop, since this decision
must be made on the basis of your individual area.
Just as the cables used to connect your system contribute to its
sound quality, the feedlines running from your antenna to your
new receiver play an important part in good reception.
300-ohm twin lead-in is inexpensive and has relatively low
signal losses (1.25dB per 100 ft. at 10OMHz), but if improperly
installed, can act as an antenna itself, picking up unwanted
signals. It also suffers signal losses when it becomes wet.
Twin lead should be routed to avoid gutters, electrical wiring,
pipes and other metal objects.
75-ohm coaxial cable is more expensive and has slightly higher
signal losses (3.5dB per 100 ft. at 1OOMHz) but is far less prone
to external noise, interference and weather, due to its shielding
and design. You will need to use a matching transformer at the
antenna end.