The design of a receiving antenna is not too important like a transmitting antenna. You can capture signals with a simple 23 foot reel antenna, or string something longer if you have room. Ed Noll in his book 'Easy Up Antennas' said that a wire measuring 71 feet (22.9 meters) is ideal because it represents 1/4 wave of 90 meters. That length is measured from the receiver terminal to the end of the wire. The wire should be stranded and of a suitable gauge. Joe Carr in his ‘Receiving Antenna’ book suggests between 30 and 150 feet of 14 gauge wire (but thinner 18 gauge works, too). Unless you have a receiver capable of isolating a DX whisper in the mist, or you want to focus on one specific frequency, nothing about the height, length, or direction of a wire needs to be critical. String it about 8 feet off the ground to wherever, or dangle it from a 2nd story balcony--both will work for SWL. Have some fun trying different wire lengths that are 1/4 wave of something. Those K.I.S.S. drawings of homemade antennas are enough.
