Ron Smith Aerials

I have a Galaxie 17 for my NAT01....I got it installed about 7 years ago. I paid a local installer to do the work, though I obtained the 2inch aluminium scaffold pole locally, the CT100 downlead and lashing kit from Ron Smith. I was also present when the work was done and supervised it closely. The localcompany that did the work thought I was completely mad. It has performed faultlessly so far

Cheers

Laurie S

David the G17 is ideal for Naim tuners, they really need a good signal. I have heard Ron Smith aerials with other tuners with excellent results. 2 other people in my village use Galaxys and none of us could afford to have Ron drive up the M1 to fit them. I much prefer a Naim tuner to cable.

I got my local Naim dealers aerial guy to fit a Circular 5 last year and it cost me £175 fitted. I wanted a Galaxie 17 but the missus vetoed it. The benefits of the Circular 5 is that it can have elements fitted to morph to a Galaxie 14 or 17.

In view of the price I paid £550, seems a bit steep.

I had my Galaxie 17 put up for £145 (my building is a turn of the century three storeys high thing in Central London). Most reputable aerial installers have heard of a Ron Smith and the thing is easy enough to assemble.

If you live in Central London the thing will point towards the Wrotham transmitter and a good installer will do this and check for signal strength.

It's made an enormous diference to my NAT01

Dev

Thanks for the replies guys. I did speak to my dealer who thought installation would cost about £250, although that company was not local either.

Apart from maximising signal, my main worry is someone turning up who had never installed one before without the appropriate kit to ensure that it stays up.

I may explore a few other local companies to see whether I can find a Ron smith expert. I live in Tunbridge Wells, so if anyone knows of any good installers remotely local to me I'd be interested.

David

I also got a local guy to insall my G17. A couple of pointers:
- firstly check whether any of your local hi fi dealers can recommend and installer
- secondly gen up on the installation process from Ron, eg. I think he only uses steel poles, not aluminium, and only uses CT100 cable. Then quiz the installers to work out which ones know what they're talking about.

Phil

Worth checking if you need something quite as big as the G17, although TW is in a bit of a dip.

I can see Wrotham transmitter from Sevenoaks, so I could get away with something smaller.

Naim (JV) have said that the wider bandwidth (and usually, by nature, lower gain) antennas sound better on a NAT01, all other things being equal.

What I suggest is taking Ron's advice w.r.t. the antenna type (he'll be able to estimate suitability based on your location), and then obtain a spec for the finished item, that the local supplier can then comply with. Ron for example reccomends obtaining a far higher signal from the antenna than is necessary, then attenuating it before the tuner input.

This has dual benefits, it provides an element of isolation between tuner and antenna electrical characteristics, and attenuates cable pick up, which on a long run can give rise to multipath (the cable itself acts as an antenna).

Ron can also offer advice w.r.t. mechanical aspects. He always recommends steel tubes rather than alloy, and used to cover them in PVC tape to reduce visibility issues. I think that many of his constructions would bring down my chimney

Cable types are very important, most 'normal' installers would not consider using satellite-grade CT100 for FM installations, but it's less the loss, and more the improved screening where the benefits lies. A tip, installers usually charge a fortune for cable, off the reel. A 100m reel of CT100 only costs £40+vat from Farnell, leftovers can then be used to upgrade all cables in your house, later on.

The most common cause of performance degradation is water etc. getting into cables and antenna connections - ask the installer how he terminates and ensures these problems do not arise - the answer may give you that important 'attention to detail' you need.

A>
A.

Andrew,

I did tell Ron where I lived, what tuner I have (NAT02) and the radio stations I listen to, and he mentioned the Galaxie 17, so I'll presume this is what I need.

I'll digest the advice, have a further look and the brochure again tonight, and then probably come back with some more questions.

David

While we're on the subject of aerials...
I'm in an apartment and naturally the one on the roof doesn't seem to be attached to the plug in the wall (I get better reception unplugged with both tv & fm).
The only other option is indoor as there's no balcony, so any suggestions for a good indoor aerial would be appreciated.

Is it possible to put an aerial in the loft/attic space - this is nearly as good as roof option. Otherwise, you will have use something like a Magnum Dynalab ST-2 or better still, the circular part of the Ron Smith Galaxie/Circular should work well.

regards, Dev

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Is it possible to put an aerial in the loft/attic space

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Dev, thanks for the info. We don't have a loft/attic, so I'll check out the Magnum Dynalab. I called Ron Smith earlier and was told to call back Thursday for more info as he was out doing an install.

John

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Originally posted by Andrew L. Weekes:

Cable types are very important, most 'normal' installers would not consider using satellite-grade CT100 for FM installations, but it's less the loss, and more the improved screening where the benefits lies. A tip, installers usually charge a fortune for cable, off the reel. A 100m reel of CT100 only costs £40+vat from Farnell, leftovers can then be used to upgrade all cables in your house, later on.

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A.

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Hi Andrew,

I had a look on Farnell's web site - I can't identify CT100 - could you direct me to where they list it ? BTW do they sell direct to the public ?

Thanks for any help,
Ian

Is it possible to put an aerial in the loft/attic space - this is nearly as good as roof option. Otherwise, you will have use something like a Magnum Dynalab ST-2 or better still, the circular part of the Ron Smith Galaxie/Circular should work well.

regards, Dev

Dev, Do you have a web site / details of the Dynalab please ?

Thanks, Andrew

quote:

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Originally posted by Ian Pilgrim:

quote:

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Originally posted by Andrew L. Weekes:

Cable types are very important, most 'normal' installers would not consider using satellite-grade CT100 for FM installations, but it's less the loss, and more the improved screening where the benefits lies. A tip, installers usually charge a fortune for cable, off the reel. A 100m reel of CT100 only costs £40+vat from Farnell, leftovers can then be used to upgrade all cables in your house, later on.

A>
A.

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Hi Andrew,

I had a look on Farnell's web site - I can't identify CT100 - could you direct me to where they list it ? BTW do they sell direct to the public ?

Thanks for any help,
Ian

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Don't worry - I've sort this by phoning them directly. I've ordered "normal" plugs and sockets to terminate, though I understand the cable (being basically a satellite cable) is usually used with "F connectors". Have I done the correct thing, or am I missing something ?

Thanks again,
Ian

I would appreciate if someone can provide a telephone number and/or webb address for Ron Smith.

Thanks

Missed the activity here.

CT100 is Farnell part 150-836, 'normal' connectors (of the right sex) are exactly what you want.

Ron Smith...
http://anas.worldonline.es/ronsmith/main.htm

Magnum Dynalab...
www.magnumdynalab.com

Fanfare FM...
http://www.fanfare.com/

Fanfare's site in particular has an excellent article on all things FM reception related...
Rediscover FM Stereo

Craig

quote:

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Originally posted by HansW:
I would appreciate if someone can provide a telephone number and/or webb address for Ron Smith.

Thanks

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http://anas.worldonline.es/ronsmith/main.htm

Best regards
naimly yours
efrain

Craig, Efrain

Thank You

Hans

Many thanks to another forum member for contacting me on this. We ended up sharing the cost of travel for Chris Hobbs who works with Ron(Ron was on holiday) to come down and do our installations on the same day. It turns out that my reception is pretty good, in fact from the top of the house you can see the Wrotham transmitter. So I ended up with a Galaxie 14 - still a very noticable appendage to your house. Sound quality coming from the NAT02 is stunning - definitely ones of theose upgrades in the category of 'Why didn't I do this before'.

David

dozy,

I live on a hill in TW, so probably get better reception than most. One of the advantages of having Ron's van to hand is that they have all the models, and can pick the most appropriate model.

David

Paul,

I have had the Galaxie 14 installed - it is light years ahead of the previous aerial I used.

David

I have a NAT02 and have just obtained a 2nd hand Galaxie 14. I will be obtaining the mast and stuff from Ron but plan on installing the kit my self. I have the advantage of a flat roof next to the chimney to work from so it should be easy?

Is DIY an option?
Is it worth getting the extra bits for a G17 whilst I am getting the other stuff off Ron? I live about 50 miles from the Sutton Colefield TX on a Hill in Stoke.

Simon

Richard,

I really didn't want to hear that.

David

If you zip across to the NANA site at http://www.naimusa.com/main.html and move down to the "FM Tuner and Aerials" section you will see that Ron and his van sure do travel a lot.