RadioReference.com Forums

I'm interested in "simple" shortwave listening. That is to say, I'd like a smaller battery operated radio offering good overall performance via built-in whip antenna but also have the ability to add an external antenna when needed. Basically a portable "system" I can take out on the porch at night and easily poke around various frequencies with some success.

I can probably sort out finding a decent radio but I'm confused on antennas. Discussions on; "Impedance and Balancing", "Grounding" and more all seem to suggest that using an external antenna is at least complicated and at most useless if not done right.

As a complete radio and electronics novice, Where can I learn more about the basics of selecting/using antennas for my purposes?

Thanks,
Bob