SMALL 5 Yagi Antenna for FM Reception

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sriram_shol

sriram_shol

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 6, 2017
Messages
476
Points
63
Location
Coimbatore
Hi all,

I wanted to share my experience on a recent project that I’m quite impressed about — I’ve just completed the installation of a SMALL 5 (5 element) FM antenna on my terrace, mounted at a height of 60 feet above ground level.

This can be built by anyone.

IMG_20250617_111227181_HDR-EDIT.jpg

Setup:
  • Antenna Type - 5 element Yagi, optimized for the FM broadcast band (88–108 MHz)
  • Mounting Height - ~60 ft (terrace + mast)
  • Mast Type: - Heavy-duty galvanized pole with guy-wire support
  • Cable Used - Low-loss coaxial (RG6 for now, considering LMR-400 upgrade)
  • Receiver - Technics ST-GT550 (Considering TEF 6686 based tuner upgrade).
  • Elements - 9.5mm aluminum tubes
  • Insulator - Hylam sheet 5mm thickness & Hydraulic clamps with 9mm hole diameter.
  • Boom - 1 sq inch - 6ft
Why this build?
  • A 5-element Yagi antenna has significant forward gain, meaning it focuses on signals from one direction.
  • This helps pull in distant stations more clearly, especially in rural or fringe areas.
  • Fewer elements mean quicker assembly and tuning.
  • Easier to troubleshoot or realign if needed.
  • Lower material cost compared to larger arrays or commercial-grade antennas.
  • Offers great performance without breaking the bank.
  • Properly tuned, it can cover the full 88–108 MHz FM band with decent performance across the range.
  • Ideal for FM DXing - Excellent for enthusiasts who enjoy chasing distant stations, especially during tropo conditions or skip events.
Challenges:
  • Wind resistance is always a concern at this height, but proper guy-wiring helped.
  • Routing coax cable cleanly along the terrace and into my listening room required a bit of creative work.
List of channels received:
  1. 89.6MHz - Sargakshetra FM - Kottayam
  2. 90.0MHz - Aalayam FM - Coimbatore
  3. 90.4MHz - Radio Kothagiri FM - Kothagiri
  4. 90.8MHz - Rathnavani - Community FM - Coimbatore
  5. 91.1MHz - Radio City - Coimbatore
  6. 91.5MHz - Suriyam FM - Salem
  7. 91.9MHz - Suriyan FM - Erode
  8. 92.7MHz - Big FM - Mysore
  9. 93.5MHz - Suriyan FM - Coimbatore
  10. 94.3MHz - Club FM - Cochin
  11. 95.0MHz - Red FM - Trissur
  12. 98.3MHz - Radio Mirchi - Coimbatore
  13. 100.5MHz - Kodai FM - Kodaikanal
  14. 101.1MHz - AIR Akashavani - Thrissur
  15. 101.8MHz - AIR Akashavani - Ooty
  16. 102.1MHz - AIR Akashavani - Trichy
  17. 102.3MHz - AIR Akashavani - Cochin
  18. 102.5MHz - AIR Akashavani - Dharmapuri
  19. 103.0MHz - AIR Akashavani - Coimbatore
  20. 103.3MHz - AIR Madurai - Madurai
  21. 103.7MHz - AIR Yercaud - Yercaud
  22. 104.0MHz - Radio Mirchi - Cochin
  23. 104.8MHz - Club FM - Alapuzha
  24. 106.4MHz - Hello FM - Coimbatore
  25. 107.5MHz - TNAU - Community FM - Coimbatore
  26. 107.8MHz - PSG Tech - Community FM - Coimbatore
SMALL 5 Antenna:

Drew this diagram in cm measurement for easy making.
FM Antenna-Hylam (1).jpg
If you're into FM radio and have some elevation to work with, this antenna can make a huge difference. I'm impressed with how much better the overall FM experience has become, both in terms of clarity and new station discovery.

Would love to hear from others with similar setups or tips on how to further reduce noise or improve grounding.

Thanks,
Sriram
 
sriram_shol said:
Hi all,

I wanted to share my experience on a recent project that I’m quite impressed about — I’ve just completed the installation of a SMALL 5 (5 element) FM antenna on my terrace, mounted at a height of 60 feet above ground level.

This can be built by anyone.

View attachment 91634

Setup:
  • Antenna Type - 5 element Yagi, optimized for the FM broadcast band (88–108 MHz)
  • Mounting Height - ~60 ft (terrace + mast)
  • Mast Type: - Heavy-duty galvanized pole with guy-wire support
  • Cable Used - Low-loss coaxial (RG6 for now, considering LMR-400 upgrade)
  • Receiver - Technics ST-GT550 (Considering TEF 6686 based tuner upgrade).
  • Elements - 9.5mm aluminum tubes
  • Insulator - Hylam sheet 5mm thickness & Hydraulic clamps with 9mm hole diameter.
  • Boom - 1 sq inch - 6ft
Why this build?
  • A 5-element Yagi antenna has significant forward gain, meaning it focuses on signals from one direction.
  • This helps pull in distant stations more clearly, especially in rural or fringe areas.
  • Fewer elements mean quicker assembly and tuning.
  • Easier to troubleshoot or realign if needed.
  • Lower material cost compared to larger arrays or commercial-grade antennas.
  • Offers great performance without breaking the bank.
  • Properly tuned, it can cover the full 88–108 MHz FM band with decent performance across the range.
  • Ideal for FM DXing - Excellent for enthusiasts who enjoy chasing distant stations, especially during tropo conditions or skip events.
Challenges:
  • Wind resistance is always a concern at this height, but proper guy-wiring helped.
  • Routing coax cable cleanly along the terrace and into my listening room required a bit of creative work.
List of channels received:
  1. 89.6MHz - Sargakshetra FM - Kottayam
  2. 90.0MHz - Aalayam FM - Coimbatore
  3. 90.4MHz - Radio Kothagiri FM - Kothagiri
  4. 90.8MHz - Rathnavani - Community FM - Coimbatore
  5. 91.1MHz - Radio City - Coimbatore
  6. 91.5MHz - Suriyam FM - Salem
  7. 91.9MHz - Suriyan FM - Erode
  8. 92.7MHz - Big FM - Mysore
  9. 93.5MHz - Suriyan FM - Coimbatore
  10. 94.3MHz - Club FM - Cochin
  11. 95.0MHz - Red FM - Trissur
  12. 98.3MHz - Radio Mirchi - Coimbatore
  13. 100.5MHz - Kodai FM - Kodaikanal
  14. 101.1MHz - AIR Akashavani - Thrissur
  15. 101.8MHz - AIR Akashavani - Ooty
  16. 102.1MHz - AIR Akashavani - Trichy
  17. 102.3MHz - AIR Akashavani - Cochin
  18. 102.5MHz - AIR Akashavani - Dharmapuri
  19. 103.0MHz - AIR Akashavani - Coimbatore
  20. 103.3MHz - AIR Madurai - Madurai
  21. 103.7MHz - AIR Yercaud - Yercaud
  22. 104.0MHz - Radio Mirchi - Cochin
  23. 104.8MHz - Club FM - Alapuzha
  24. 106.4MHz - Hello FM - Coimbatore
  25. 107.5MHz - TNAU - Community FM - Coimbatore
  26. 107.8MHz - PSG Tech - Community FM - Coimbatore
SMALL 5 Antenna:

Drew this diagram in cm measurement for easy making.
View attachment 91635
If you're into FM radio and have some elevation to work with, this antenna can make a huge difference. I'm impressed with how much better the overall FM experience has become, both in terms of clarity and new station discovery.

Would love to hear from others with similar setups or tips on how to further reduce noise or improve grounding.

Thanks,
Sriram
Click to expand...
Good information!! Sriram
 
Loved your work and efforts @sriram_shol. Looks great, especially the one where you are holding it. It's quite big.
I tried Qodosen DX280 (TEF 6686 based) for a few days in the US. But couldn't bring it on my vacation to India this time to test it there. I wish I had done that and would have been able to compare it with the other radios I tried in India. That radio is well built, small and highly rated by many reviewers.
It costs about $80 in the US and when I checked Amazon India, it was showing Rs.16K+. Too high. Price in AliExpress was better (~$50) but they can't ship to India.
 
zero7 said:
Loved your work and efforts @sriram_shol. Looks great, especially the one where you are holding it. It's quite big.
I tried Qodosen DX280 (TEF 6686 based) for a few days in the US. But couldn't bring it on my vacation to India this time to test it there. I wish I had done that and would have been able to compare it with the other radios I tried in India. That radio is well built, small and highly rated by many reviewers.
It costs about $80 in the US and when I checked Amazon India, it was showing Rs.16K+. Too high. Price in AliExpress was better (~$50) but they can't ship to India.
Click to expand...

Banggood is selling tuners built around the TEF6686 tuner chip and controlled by an ESP32.
It handles FM (with RDS), AM, SW, MW, and LW reception with high selectivity and ultra‑high sensitivity. Well suited for DXing.

Its shipped to India for a very nominal cost for the standard shipping. May be you could purchase one and ship it to India.
 
Over the recent cool weather period, FM band conditions in Coimbatore, TN have been highly dynamic. Using a TEF-based tuner paired with a small 5-element FM Yagi, I’ve been able to log a large number of stations from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Sri Lanka since December 2025.

Below is the log of stations received at different times over the day from Coimbatore:


Coimbatore (Local - Available all the time)
  1. 88.4 MHz – Nehru Rhythm FM – Coimbatore
  2. 90.0 MHz – Aalayam FM – Coimbatore
  3. 90.8 MHz – Rathnavani FM – Coimbatore
  4. 91.1 MHz – Radio City – Coimbatore
  5. 93.5 MHz – Suriyan FM – Coimbatore
  6. 98.3 MHz – Radio Mirchi – Coimbatore
  7. 103.0 MHz – Akashavani – Coimbatore
  8. 106.4 MHz – Hello FM – Coimbatore
  9. 107.4 MHz – TNAU Community Radio – Coimbatore
  10. 107.8 MHz – PSG Community Radio – Coimbatore
Tamil Nadu (Outside Coimbatore)
  1. 89.6 MHz – SKY FM – Pollachi
  2. 90.4 MHz – Akashavani – Kothagiri
  3. 91.2 MHz – Thoni FM – Dindigul
  4. 91.5 MHz – Hello FM – Salem
  5. 91.9 MHz – Radio City – Madurai
  6. 95.0 MHz – Radio Mirchi – Trichy
  7. 100.3 MHz – Akashavani – Karaikal
  8. 100.5 MHz – Rainbow – Kodaikanal
  9. 100.9 MHz – Akashavani – Rameswaram
  10. 101.8 MHz – Akashavani – Ooty
  11. 102.1 MHz – Akashavani – Trichy
  12. 102.5 MHz – Akashavani – Dharmapuri
  13. 102.8 MHz – Akashavani – Puducherry
  14. 103.3 MHz – Akashavani – Madurai
  15. 103.7 MHz – Akashavani – Yercaud
Kerala
  1. 94.3 MHz – Club FM – Cochin
  2. 101.1 MHz – Akashavani – Thrissur
  3. 102.3 MHz – Akashavani – Cochin
  4. 104.0 MHz – Radio Mirchi – Cochin
  5. 104.8 MHz – Club FM – Thrissur
  6. 107.5 MHz – Rainbow – Cochin
Karnataka
  1. 100.6 MHz – Akashavani – Mysore
  2. 101.3 MHz – Akashavani – Bangalore
Sri Lanka
  1. 88.1 MHz – Ran FM
  2. 91.7 MHz – SLBC
  3. 92.4 MHz – FM Derana
  4. 93.0 MHz – Gold FM
  5. 93.7 MHz – Lakhanda Radio
  6. 96.1 MHz – Hiru FM
  7. 97.4 MHz – Radio Sri Lanka
  8. 98.9 MHz – Sun FM
  9. 100.2 MHz – Shree FM
  10. 102.6 MHz – Akashavani – Sri Lanka
  11. 103.6 MHz – Sooriyan FM
  12. 104.1 MHz – Shakthi FM
  13. 104.7 MHz – Thendral FM
  14. 105.4 MHz – Shraddha FM
  15. 107.0 MHz – V FM Radio
  16. 107.3 MHz – Kothmale FM
Important note - The stations listed below were not all received simultaneously. Reception varied at different times of the day, with certain stations appearing briefly during openings and others remaining more stable.

Overall, this clearly demonstrates how a TEF-based tuner with a small 5 directional antenna can take advantage of time-varying propagation, rewarding patient monitoring rather than expecting all signals at once.
 
sriram_shol said:
Over the recent cool weather period, FM band conditions in Coimbatore, TN have been highly dynamic. Using a TEF-based tuner paired with a small 5-element FM Yagi, I’ve been able to log a large number of stations from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, and Sri Lanka since December 2025.

Below is the log of stations received at different times over the day from Coimbatore:


Coimbatore (Local - Available all the time)
  1. 88.4 MHz – Nehru Rhythm FM – Coimbatore
  2. 90.0 MHz – Aalayam FM – Coimbatore
  3. 90.8 MHz – Rathnavani FM – Coimbatore
  4. 91.1 MHz – Radio City – Coimbatore
  5. 93.5 MHz – Suriyan FM – Coimbatore
  6. 98.3 MHz – Radio Mirchi – Coimbatore
  7. 103.0 MHz – Akashavani – Coimbatore
  8. 106.4 MHz – Hello FM – Coimbatore
  9. 107.4 MHz – TNAU Community Radio – Coimbatore
  10. 107.8 MHz – PSG Community Radio – Coimbatore
Tamil Nadu (Outside Coimbatore)
  1. 89.6 MHz – SKY FM – Pollachi
  2. 90.4 MHz – Akashavani – Kothagiri
  3. 91.2 MHz – Thoni FM – Dindigul
  4. 91.5 MHz – Hello FM – Salem
  5. 91.9 MHz – Radio City – Madurai
  6. 95.0 MHz – Radio Mirchi – Trichy
  7. 100.3 MHz – Akashavani – Karaikal
  8. 100.5 MHz – Rainbow – Kodaikanal
  9. 100.9 MHz – Akashavani – Rameswaram
  10. 101.8 MHz – Akashavani – Ooty
  11. 102.1 MHz – Akashavani – Trichy
  12. 102.5 MHz – Akashavani – Dharmapuri
  13. 102.8 MHz – Akashavani – Puducherry
  14. 103.3 MHz – Akashavani – Madurai
  15. 103.7 MHz – Akashavani – Yercaud
Kerala
  1. 94.3 MHz – Club FM – Cochin
  2. 101.1 MHz – Akashavani – Thrissur
  3. 102.3 MHz – Akashavani – Cochin
  4. 104.0 MHz – Radio Mirchi – Cochin
  5. 104.8 MHz – Club FM – Thrissur
  6. 107.5 MHz – Rainbow – Cochin
Karnataka
  1. 100.6 MHz – Akashavani – Mysore
  2. 101.3 MHz – Akashavani – Bangalore
Sri Lanka
  1. 88.1 MHz – Ran FM
  2. 91.7 MHz – SLBC
  3. 92.4 MHz – FM Derana
  4. 93.0 MHz – Gold FM
  5. 93.7 MHz – Lakhanda Radio
  6. 96.1 MHz – Hiru FM
  7. 97.4 MHz – Radio Sri Lanka
  8. 98.9 MHz – Sun FM
  9. 100.2 MHz – Shree FM
  10. 102.6 MHz – Akashavani – Sri Lanka
  11. 103.6 MHz – Sooriyan FM
  12. 104.1 MHz – Shakthi FM
  13. 104.7 MHz – Thendral FM
  14. 105.4 MHz – Shraddha FM
  15. 107.0 MHz – V FM Radio
  16. 107.3 MHz – Kothmale FM
Important note - The stations listed below were not all received simultaneously. Reception varied at different times of the day, with certain stations appearing briefly during openings and others remaining more stable.

Overall, this clearly demonstrates how a TEF-based tuner with a small 5 directional antenna can take advantage of time-varying propagation, rewarding patient monitoring rather than expecting all signals at once.
Click to expand...
Wow. You’re a true FM audiophile.
 
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