SMALL 5 Yagi Antenna for FM Reception

[sriram_shol]

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.



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.

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

 

[RajithKumar]

Good work SriRam! Thanks for posting it on this forum.

 

[VSTEREO]

Great work. Thanks for sharing the details.

 

[rainbowsong2000]

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

Good information!! Sriram

 

[sriram_shol]

Though it's called as SMALL 5, the size of the antenna is like this.

 

[zero7]

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.

 

[sriram_shol]

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.

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.