SD> I had a Hauppauge PCI TV/radio receiver card and it worked
 SD> very well until one of the solder joints on the shield went
 SD> bad, then all went to crap.  Luckily, I whipped out the
 SD> trusty continuity tester, checked it, then resoldered it.  No
 SD> more problems.

Mine is AVerTV GO 007 FM Plus.  I'll open the case and see if I can find a
"shield".

 SD> Some things to check: make sure the case is correctly
 SD> connected with all the screws, make sure your power supply is
 SD> correctly grounded (you'd be amazed at how much noise a power
 SD> supply can introduce into the system).

Hmmm...  I would think the power supply would be grounded via the screws
that mount it to the case.  Is there a grounding cable?  If not, do you
think installing one might help?

 HT>> I tried that.  Should the antenna be a closed loop or open?

 SD> I use a "T" antenna for my FM stuff.  Loops are better for
 SD> AM, really.

Let's see if I can explain it this way.  The FM antenna is a "T"
shape.  There are two leads at the base of the T.  If you connect them to a
continuity tester will it pass or fail?  The one that came with the card
would not pass a continuity test.  The two wires travel up from the leads,
forming the base of the the "T".  Then each turns 90 degrees in
opposite directions to form the top of the "T".  They terminate
there.

Any FM antenna I've ever bought or made doesn't terminate at the ends of
the "T".  The wires turn 180 degrees back on themselves and join
where the base of the "T" meets the top.  Such an antenna passes
a continuity test.

Let's see if I can draw one.

__________________
|________  ________|
                 ||
                 ||
                 ||
                 ||

I think you recomended a length of 16 ft.  This would be the length of the
top op the "T", right?  Do you recommend any type of wire? 
Should a sheilded cable be used to form the base of the "T"?


 SD> Well, I'm still here.  I put a lot of time into my learning
 SD> (I'm an amatuer radio operator and an A+ tech) and I love to
 SD> help people and learn things m'self.  I've still got a lot of
 SD> learning to do in my life yet. :)

That's an attidtude I love to see.  I try to soak up knowledge like a
sponge, myself.  I teach physics at a community college and enjoy learning
more, I think, than most of my students.

Herman

---