Srry all but I'm back with another question. I've got an Integra 8.9 and need an AM/FM antenna. My wife wants the radio to work and I refuse to string that 30 cent wire along the wall that they call an "antenna." The receiver is supposed to handle HD radio signals (don't know if that impacts the antenna? I'm not a radio buff at all).
Anyway - I don't need THE BEST antenna (as she wouldn't appreciate the sound improvement anyway) but I do need something decent. The signals in the area are pretty good but the receiver is in the middle of the house, no windows around. The air is 80 - 90% humidity all day long. You can just about swim through it.
Is anything in the $25 - $50 range going to cut it?
Believe it or not, plain old fashioned TV rabbit ear antennas work great. The FM radio band is between broadcast TV's channels 6 and 7. Try them first before going for anything more expensive. Nothing Terk sells works any better than rabbit ears. Avoid the amplified types of antennas unless you live 50 miles away from the broadcast source. Then you will probably do much better with a rooftop antenna.
By the way, no home owner association may prohibit roof-top or outdoor antennas. The
FCC has an info page discussing this.
Are you near the Gulf Coast? Humid air, wet or marshy ground, and flat terrain can actually help a lot.
Note: AM and FM reception require separate antennas.
So I'm wondering if any of those small plug in antennas will work inside the house.
If you mean one of those so-called antennas that plug into an electrical outlet and use your house wiring as an antenna
, stay away from them.