How Do You Make a Homemade FM Radio Antenna?
An FM radio antenna can be made at home by cutting lengths of 16-gauge insulated wire and connecting it to the FM radio or an audio amplifier. Some radio signals are very strong and will not require much of an antenna, but a larger antenna may be required to pick up weak radio signals.
All radios need some sort of antenna to pick up radio signals that will be transformed into audio. If a radio’s antenna is broken, use the following steps to make a simple new antenna out of household items.
- Cut the wire to the desired length
- Strip the wires
- Attach the wires to the FM radio
- Test and position the new antennas
Cut two separate lengths of 16-gauge insulated wire to somewhere between 8 and 12 feet.
Use a pair or wire strippers to strip the insulation off of the two lengths of wire. Cut about an inch of insulation off of one end of each wire.
Locate the antenna terminals on the FM radio and loosen the lugs that are on them. Wrap the stripped ends of the wires around the terminals, and then screw the lugs back into place.
Turn on the radio and tune it to a strong station. The antennas may need to be moved around until a position is found where the radio station is coming in clearly.
