Using RG59/58 for SWL

[FireBall517]

I was wanting to use some cable tv wire for an antenna. The coax is hung on telephone poles with about 50 ft of wire, across and not plugged in to the main cable box.(We never had cable when we moved in, directv...) I have a 5 ft cable thtat is attached with aligators on both sides, and wanted to clip one end to the antenna and other end to the pin in the middle. I am using a Grundig G8 II Traveler( If your wondering why i was using alaigator clips). Thanks in advance...

 

[ka3jjz]

The owner of the poles and/or the cable may not appreciate you hooking something up to their equipment even if it's not energized. I am no lawyer (nor do I play one on TV, hi), but I suspect that might be illegal.

Most portables in this class won't take too kindly to big antennas (unless you're living on the West coast, where signal levels tend to be much weaker) - put too much antenna on it, and you're going to overload. This will be evident if you start hearing stations where they don't belong. A common example would be a MW station showing up on a HF frequency.

Throwing 20 or 30 foot of wire on a clip lead works in a pinch, but you can do better for not much money. You're better off with a small amplified loop such as the ones from Kaito on the Universal Radio website, or if you're handy with some small tools and know how to solder, building the Carpet Loop are two options...

The Carpet Loop -- antenna special on hard-core-dx.com

best regards..Mike