Shortwave Help Needed!

We live somewhat "beyond the fringe area" for reception of the many quality Washington, DC, FM stations I'd like to hear in my home office.

I do not want to stick an antenna on the roof or drill a series of holes to get a folded dipole in the attic.

If I recall, FM broadcast is strictly line of sight. Or am I wrong about that?

Got any ideas for an antenna I can put on top of my bookshelves that might do me some good in re: FM reception? A bit more data: car radio FM reception for DC stations ain't too swift out here, either.

Some of the stations are on the internet, but that limits me to PC type speakers...so that isn't a solution, either.

Any ideas? Are the little powered antennae any good?

Thanks!

: Some of the stations are on the internet, but that limits me to PC type : speakers...so that isn't a solution, either.

Get a transmitter and transmit your PC audio to your stereo.

Here's a neat way to do it: http://www.montek.com/cart/catalog/USB-FM-Stereo-Transmitter-with-PLL-p-27736.html

Or you could go to Ramsey Electronics and buy one of their FM stereo transmittters (about the same price). b.

I was even able to broadcast the RF output from a Sirius sat receiver (powered from a DC power supply) to our main house stereo receiver located about 100 feet away. Without the Radio Shack antenna I got nothing.

Tom may have a better idea.

Eisboch

Were you in the New Haven area when Radio Shack had that wonderful store of parts bins downtown? What a great place! I got everything I needed there for my 7th Grade science project, a cloud chamber. Well, everything but one part. I got a two gallon glass jug from a farmer and had its ends cut off at a "scientific" glass plant in the city.

That Radio Shack is gone, I'm sure the farmer's fields are now covered by a subdivision, and I doubt the glass factory is still in New Haven.

I still remember EXACTLY how to make that cloud chamber.

: What do you suppose the range is?

I have a similar transmitter from Ramsey Electronics. With a 24 inch piece of wire (and on the second story of the house) it transmitted about 1000 feet.

b.

: What Ramsey unit do you have? Thanks!

I built the FM-10 which is an unsynthesized one. It's pretty stable. They make a synthesized FM stereo transmitter but for the cost of the pre assembled one in the link above and use with USB port, I feel it is a better solution.

b.

A first-class Chinese restaurant A car dealership whose owner's son married one of the prettiest girls every to grace southern Connecticut.