ST-2 FM Antenna
Purchase options and add-ons
- Receives Distant FM Stations from All Directions
- More powerful FM Antenna than any single element dipole antenna
- Concentrating its reception “focus” only on the horizontal plane
- More signal to your FM tuner with less “flutter” and “fading.”
- Less susceptible to “multipath interference,” due to its vertical polarization
Frequently bought together
Similar items that may ship from close to you
- Bingfu FM Radio Dipole Antenna for Stereo Receiver Indoor Pioneer Onkyo Yamaha Marantz Bose Wave Music System FM Radio Home Stereo Receiver AV Audio Video Home Theater ReceiverFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19
- FM Loop Antenna Outdoor, Attic-Mount and RV FM AntennaFREE Shipping by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19
- FM Antenna for Stereo Receiver Indoor, FM Radio Antenna 75 Ohm UNBAL F Type Male Coaxial Cable Wire Antenna for Yamaha Onkyo etc Table Top Home Stereo Receiver Radio Receiver AntennaFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19
- Superbat FM Antenna Dipole Antenna Indoor 75 Ohm with F Type Male Connector for Yamaha JVC Sony Bose Natural Sound Stereo ReceiverFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19
- Mediabridge™ Coaxial Cable (50 Feet) with F-Male Connectors - Ultra Series - Tri-Shielded UL CL2 in-Wall Rated RG6 Digital Audio/Video - Includes Removable EZ Grip Caps (Part# CJ50-6BF-N1)Amazon's Choicein Coaxial CablesFREE Shipping on orders over $35 shipped by AmazonGet it as soon as Tuesday, Mar 19
Important information
To report an issue with this product or seller, click here.
Looking for specific info?
Product information
Product Dimensions | 54 x 2.5 x 2.5 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 3 pounds |
Manufacturer | MAGNUM DYNALAB |
ASIN | B003ETW2F0 |
Item model number | MDYNST2 |
Customer Reviews |
4.1 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #1,190 in Radio Antennas |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Date First Available | October 12, 2009 |
Warranty & Support
Feedback
Product Description
This FM Antenna Receives Distant FM Stations from All Directions! A more powerful FM Antenna than any single element dipole antenna, the ST-2 vertical is probably one of the best things ever to happen to FM listeners in urban and fringe reception areas alike. Concentrating its reception “focus” only on the horizontal plane, the ST-2 FM Antenna is capable of getting more signal to your FM tuner with less “flutter” and “fading.” The ST-2 FM Antenna is also less susceptible to “multipath interference,” due to its vertical polarization. The ST-2 FM Antenna offers greatly enhanced FM tuning performance and signal strength. 54 inches in length. Also Included: 25Ft RG-59 coax cable Mounting Bracket
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the reception, quality and noise of the antenna. They mention that it helps bring in distant stations more clearly, it's well made and comes in a sturdy tube. That said, opinions are mixed on the value.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers like the reception of the antenna. They say it has awesome FM reception, it's a great antenna, and it helps bring in distant stations more clearly. It's great for local stations, and is able to pull in weak radio stations that were only static before. The FM tuners are terrific, and the antenna is very sensitive.
"...I am using the antenna indoors, and it greatly improved reception of the distant vertically oriented station that I want, as well as many of the..." Read more
"...Not only did that hold, but the reception also improved dramatically...." Read more
"...Great for local stations, but would not pick up stations 40 miles away or farther. Also tried the Terk Dual Drive Amplified Indoor/outdoor antenna...." Read more
"Awesome FM reception, I’m using this ST-2 antenna in my attic, running RG6 down a floor to my MD 107T.This is my second ST-2...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the product. For example, they mention that it's well-made, comes with 25' of high quality 75 ohm cabling, and is easy to install. Some say that the stations they got previously are stronger and come in a very sturdy tube.
"...It comes in a very sturdy tube. Not easy to open but that's a good thing...." Read more
"...Yes, absolutely. It was worth every penny. It's impeccably constructed, weather resistant and came with 25 ft. of coax cable...." Read more
"...I get a few more stations now. The stations I got previously are stronger. 1 station would only come in on clear weather days...." Read more
"...A well made product and I may get another one." Read more
Customers like the noise of the antenna. They say that it has less background noise, works great, and has improved sound quality when receiving an HD FM station. Customers also mention that the musicality seems improved, even on commercial stations that they would not normally listen to.
"...The signal was less noisy. You will need to figure out where to place it...." Read more
"...out there that I never could receive before - now in full, glorious stereo sound...." Read more
"...The antenna is plugged into a Linn Kudos tuner. Musicality seems improved also, even on commercial stations that I would not otherwise listen to...." Read more
"...The major difference is that this antenna has less background noise. It works flat or horizontal...." Read more
Customers find the installation process of the CE accessory to be easy. They mention that it comes with 25' of high quality 75 ohm cabling and that it is easy to place.
"...It was easy to install, comes with 25' of high quality 75 ohm cabling and looks to be made of top quality components." Read more
"Easy to install. packaged well. Works very well in an area that we have had lousy reception for years." Read more
"Surprisingly good and easy to place..." Read more
Customers are mixed about the value of the FM radio antenna. Some mention it works very well for the money, while others say that it certainly wasn't worth the money. That said, some say that the antenna is a fairly expensive solution and that it barely works.
"...It really put my signal over the top and is working well with my tuner and whip antenna." Read more
"...Is the the Dynalab ST-2 worth it? Yes, absolutely. It was worth every penny. It's impeccably constructed, weather resistant and came with 25 ft...." Read more
"...Overall I'm quite happy with the ST-2, but it is definitely pricey and I specifically wanted a vertically oriented antenna...." Read more
"...But it its defense, it was cheap, it certainly had more flexibility as it could go anywhere in my room, and it could even go outside...." Read more
Customers have negative opinions about the ease of opening the packaging of the product. They mention that it's difficult to open.
"...It comes in a very sturdy tube. Not easy to open but that's a good thing...." Read more
"...As others have noted, the packaging is a real pain to open...." Read more
"...The thing was also nearly impossible to open out of its package. It comes in a thick cardboard tube with both ends closed with metal lids...." Read more
Reviews with images
-
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
I live in the Phoenix area in the valley where there are flat areas with mountains and hills everywhere. My hope that to find something that would counter all the noise and interference. I wasn't sure I would need to use this vertically or whether it mattered. It didn't!
The unit comes with everything you need, Antenna and cable. It comes in a very sturdy tube. Not easy to open but that's a good thing. I screwed the cable into my Nakamichi tuner and before I could decide where and how to place the antenna, I could tell it was going to be better. The signal was less noisy. You will need to figure out where to place it. I had planned to mount it vertically with a couple of velcro command strips but it turned out that horizontal was best for where I have the tuner (that may change). Side Note: I thought placing it higher in the room (if you have vaulted ceilings) would be best. Not so in my case. That may work for you, though.
Bottom Line: This antenna doubled my reception from 2 bars to a full 4. There is still a little hiss but that's the nature of radio. I'm very pleased with this unit. I'm glad I bought it.
Update: To get an even bigger boost in signal and clarity, you might want to consider looking for a Magnum Dynalab Signal Sleuth (205). This unit gave me the final bar in my 8 channel presets. It really put my signal over the top and is working well with my tuner and whip antenna.
I am using the antenna indoors, and it greatly improved reception of the distant vertically oriented station that I want, as well as many of the closer higher powered stations in the area. I suspect the ST-2 may have actually degraded the reception of horizontal signals, but I don't really know.
Physically, the ST-2 is a lot more flexible than I expected. The base of the antenna element is about the thickness of a wire coat hanger, and it tapers down to the tip. If you hold it horizontally, the tip sags down considerably. That flexibility may be by design so that it sways back and forth in the wind instead of breaking, but I did not get the impression that it was overly sturdy. I was expecting it to be a lot stiffer.
As others have noted, the packaging is a real pain to open. It wasn't too hard to pop off the metal end caps on the cardboard tube using a pair of needle nosed pliers. Then I tried to slide out the antenna, but the bracket was wedged inside the tube. I tried pushing it out with a broomstick, but the included coaxial cable is wadded up in the middle of the tube. I suppose if you had some sort of hook, you could reach inside the tube and pull on the bracket it to extract it, but I ended up using a hacksaw to cut off a few inches. Yes, it's that thick, a box cutter won't do. The tube is about as sturdy as a piece of PVC pipe. If you take the hacksaw approach, be careful to not cut into the coil.
The unit comes with a fairly lengthy piece of coaxial cable. The instructions http://www.magnumdynalab.com/new/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/ST-2InstallationGuide.pdf say it's very important for the cable impedance to match the antenna coil. I tried a different cable because I didn't need one as long as the one that came with the unit. The results with my cable were very disappointing. With the supplied cable the results were phenomenal.
Another thing the instructions note is that there is no substitute for height. I expect the performance would dramatically improve if I were to mount the antenna outside on a mast on the top of the house, but that would entail extra expense for the mast and installation.
Prior to this purchase I was using an omni loop FM antenna, which is also available on Amazon: https://smile.amazon.com/Stellar-Labs-30-2435-Outdoor-OMNIDIRECTIONAL/dp/B00DHHOZBI/ I wasn't happy with it's performance, but I now suspect that was due to the aforementioned coaxial cable. When I relocated the omni loop to another system upstairs and swapped the cable with a different one, it also yielded remarkable performance. Having said that, the omni loop is a rather unsightly thing to have in your living room; it sticks out like a sore thumb. The Magnum Dynalab is nearly invisible compared to it.
Overall I'm quite happy with the ST-2, but it is definitely pricey and I specifically wanted a vertically oriented antenna. If you intend to mount your antenna outside, or if you have a closet or attic where you can hide it, I'd suggest trying the omni loop first, since it's one sixth the price of the ST-2.
I then purchased a custom tunable indoor "rabbit ear" FM antenna that while a bit better, only allowed me to receive a few relatively close-by local stations. Living in the NYC metro area (I'm only about 20 miles outside of the city), I could not receive any of the NYC stations.
After some additional research, I purchased a relatively expensive ($50) dipole antenna that was guaranteed to pull in the weakest station. Sadly, its reception was worse than the rabbit ear. In desperation, I did quite a bit of research and came across the Magnum Dynalab ST-2 antenna.
All I am going to say is - What a dramatic difference! Even with the antenna inside, I was suddenly getting stations I knew were out there that I never could receive before - now in full, glorious stereo sound. While I don't have a chimney mast, what I did end up doing is mounting the Dynalab ST-2 outside using the supplied mount and some industrial strength Velcro, fastening it to the outside window frame with the Velcro. Not only did that hold, but the reception also improved dramatically.
Is the the Dynalab ST-2 worth it? Yes, absolutely. It was worth every penny. It's impeccably constructed, weather resistant and came with 25 ft. of coax cable. The improvement in reception with this antenna is night and day. I highly recommend this unit if you are struggling with FM reception for your home receiver or home theater unit. I am totally pleased with this purchase.