Any good FM tuners around for less than $200?

The best vintage tuner is the one most recently aligned.
If you don't want to get it aligned, which for most IS a hassle, don't buy one.

I was a tree worker for some years many years ago. I once had a job of removing a big old antenna mounted on the top of a big spruce tree:) Antenna placement does matter.
I use the MD ST-2 whip antenna mounted with a hose clamp on an outside terrace railing.

I would like to get a tuner from the heyday of radio, but finding someone local who can do the alignment would probably not be easy, Schubert, so I guess you would have to trust the seller when she/he says they did do the essential service/alignment work. With my lack of expertise, I certainly can't get a tuner listed as needing work, or just "it turns on" with no further explanation. Of course, I want perfection, and all for less than $200. :-p

I will be looking into antennas at some point; so far two folks in this thread have recommended the Magnum Dynalab (MD) antennas, so I will definitely take a look at them. First I need to get the tuner, find out what sort of reception I get with just a cheapie indoor antenna that I have on hand, and go from there.

Holly

Given that you have an interest in vintage tube tuners, and that your listening needs are "occasional," and that you would prefer not to spend more than $200, you may want to consider looking for one of the many such tuners that were made in the late 1950's and early 1960's that are monophonic.

Those typically sell for MUCH lower prices than their stereo counterparts that were made in approximately the same period, and later. Also, many of those mono tuners provide a "multiplex out" signal that can be connected to a separate stereo "multiplex adapter," should you decide to add one at a later time, the combination of those two components comprising a stereo tuner.

I should add, though, that the best multiplex adapters, such as the Fisher MPX-100 and the H. H. Scott 335 and LM35, typically sell for well upwards of $250 if in top condition.

Another point to be aware of is that tuner sensitivity and antenna quality are significantly less critical if your listening is in mono rather than in stereo, as stereo is much more hiss prone than mono when signal strength is marginal.

Finally, I'll mention that I've had several 30 to 60 year old vintage tube tuners that have performed very well without apparently ever having been realigned. Although I've also had some clunkers in that respect, and of course tubes and capacitors can be major uncertainties as well.

Regards,
-- Al

I haven't had the opportunity to pull any of my tuners out in a very long time, but it's fair to say there are a lot of really good ones for very reasonable prices. At one point, tuners were a big hobby of mine, and I went through hundreds of them in my system and on the bench.

If you want a tuner for audiophile use, alignment is CRITICAL. There are usually 20-30 adjustments inside the box. And here's an ugly tip: Most people that do it can get it "okay" but not perfect unless the tuner is a piece of junk. My alignment gear was good to under .002% THD, whereas your average stereo shop was good to about .2%...

The so-called "high end" brands are generally not where you want to look, unless you believe that op-amps and capacitors can make up for car-radio grade circuitry.

The Marantz ST-17 looks really good, but the almost-new sample I had (and still have) was poorly aligned out of the box and didn't work as well as it could have. Might be over your budget, too.

The best digital tuners out of the box are going to be the Yamahas, and they are dirt, dirt cheap for what you get. I did a bunch of the write-ups over at the fmtunerinfo site a decade ago, and you can check it out for the technical overview of Yamaha's digital line. The T70, T80, T85, TX900, TX930, TX950, TX1000, and TX2000 are all superb tuners. For often only $25, T70 is an outrageous bargain. Here's a good review buried a long way down: http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/ricochets.html The guy who wrote those write-ups was supremely qualified--more so than virtually anyone else who could possibly comment on tuners. But all these years later, all the Yamahas are cheap.

Moral: If the tree took your money, spend $50 (or less) on a Yamaha T70. It will destroy almost anything else out of the box under $300.00, maybe more. A Magnum Dynalab can't even come close to it, even if it looks a lot better.