Have seen several different configurations.
Thoughts on what any might have ideas on.....
Thoughts on what any might have ideas on.....
Best AM Antenna / Indoor or Out (Broadcast Band)
- Thread starter Craigmoe
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ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
You will find that there are as many opinions on this as there are AM radios out there, heh.
If you are talking indoor antennas, then loops are the way to go. Here is our loops wiki, and no doubt there might be more MW loops out there...there's a few commercial units, but a BUNCH of homebrewing...
wiki.radioreference.com
If you are serious about getting into MW DXing and want to touch base with other users, your best bet is to do some homework - Google is your friend, as is the above page. The Ontario DX Association covers MW topics (it has both a reflector and a Facebook page), and there are 2 specialty clubs in North America - the International Radio Club of America and the National Radio Club. The IRCA has its own reflector on groups.io, and I see the National Radio Club has a Facebook page.
You will find no better way to learn about indoor loops than talking to the folks that play with them
'Nuff said....Mike
If you are talking indoor antennas, then loops are the way to go. Here is our loops wiki, and no doubt there might be more MW loops out there...there's a few commercial units, but a BUNCH of homebrewing...
MW DXing and Broadcasting - The RadioReference Wiki
If you are serious about getting into MW DXing and want to touch base with other users, your best bet is to do some homework - Google is your friend, as is the above page. The Ontario DX Association covers MW topics (it has both a reflector and a Facebook page), and there are 2 specialty clubs in North America - the International Radio Club of America and the National Radio Club. The IRCA has its own reflector on groups.io, and I see the National Radio Club has a Facebook page.
You will find no better way to learn about indoor loops than talking to the folks that play with them
'Nuff said....Mike
mmckenna
I ♥ Ø
Loop antennas work very well.
I currently have an end fed wire in my backyard hooked up to a short wave radio. Works pretty well.
I currently have an end fed wire in my backyard hooked up to a short wave radio. Works pretty well.
Groeteschele
Member
Hello. I find by personal experience and talk with MW hobby listeners for local and DX monitoring is only outside house is best to hear radio stations.
www.lfengineering.com
M-601C Dipole
and
M-606 Loop
www.amradioantennas.com
PK HD Series Loops
Loops antennas work best with good quality rotor on grounded tower. Thank you.
www.lfengineering.com
M-601C Dipole
and
M-606 Loop
www.amradioantennas.com
PK HD Series Loops
Loops antennas work best with good quality rotor on grounded tower. Thank you.
Depends on the radio you are using, and whether you have real estate available for a long, outdoor antenna.... or the funds available to finance a commercial loop antenna.
If you are using a portable MW receiver, a loop is the best way to go. You can either buy one for $50 US or less, or build one. You can hear a lot with a decent MW portable and loop antenna combination.
If you're using an HF / MW comm receiver, then you either buy or build a loop that is compatible with the receiver, or you go with the attic / outdoor antenna options.
If you are using a portable MW receiver, a loop is the best way to go. You can either buy one for $50 US or less, or build one. You can hear a lot with a decent MW portable and loop antenna combination.
If you're using an HF / MW comm receiver, then you either buy or build a loop that is compatible with the receiver, or you go with the attic / outdoor antenna options.
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
I'm quite surprised by this, but Universal Radio is selling several NRC publications on the topic of antennas. Go to the very bottom of this page to see the selection
Mike
Mike
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Viel Danken for that LF Engineering link, Groeteschele. I had heard about their H-900 but didn't know they had others. Time to add that to my list of links. Sadly a tower in my yard is quite out of the question (heh)
Mike
Mike
a29zuk
Member
If you have a communication receiver and a lot of room running about 400' of wire on the ground(it could also be elevated) makes a great BCB antenna. It's just long enough to receive signals off both the sides of the antenna and off of the ends, too!
I have done this in the past at a little used park near me with my Palstar R30 and it works great.
Jim
I have done this in the past at a little used park near me with my Palstar R30 and it works great.
Jim
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
If you are talking outdoor, you're going to be hard pressed to beat the K9AY or Kaz....Mike
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Must take FOREVER to wrap that much wire - and God help you if it kinks....Mike
For AM, depending on how much antenna boost you need, you might some of these designs will be sufficient:
a29zuk
Member
Not too bad. I bought one of them empty reel spools at Home Depot. It's like the ones that hold 100' extension cord and it has a hand crank on the side of it.
Later on I made a small linkage that fits in my battery drill motor and the other end fits into the side of the spool. Now I just use the drill motor to reel the (#22)wire in without any kinks!
Jim
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
I totally forgot one class of gear that might have value - phasing units (notice I didn't say phasers - I don't want the ghosts of Gene and Majel Roddenberry bothering me, heh). I'm not all that familiar with them, but the theory is that you are able to take a signal from 2 antennas and place it either in phase or out of phase, thus either enhancing or nulling it out. Reportedly you can get even deeper nulls than you can with a loop.
I have a few models, with reviews where known, in the article I gave earlier. From what little I gather, the MFJ units need some surgery before they will work on MW, but once done, the results are reportedly impressive.
Mike
I have a few models, with reviews where known, in the article I gave earlier. From what little I gather, the MFJ units need some surgery before they will work on MW, but once done, the results are reportedly impressive.
Mike
a29zuk
Member
Yes. I did the mod on my MFJ-1025. It works very well on my antennas at home but I usually use it for eliminating noise. Someday I will take it to the park with 2 400' antennas and give it a try.
For those of you that are interested here is the mod:
N8FNR
Member
I have one of these mounted on the side of my house DX Engineering RF PRO Loop Replacement Components DXE-PRO-LOOP. It is turned with a cheap TV antenna rotor, feeding my Flex-6400. It does a pretty good job on MW. I can also hear some ham LW activity and beacons.
a29zuk
Member
And here is a post from a long time ago with a picture of the wire spool. This was before I made the linkage. You have to scroll down to post #88.
AM DX logs here!
KDXU in St. George, Utah- ...and last one for tonight, KOA in Denver:)
Jim
majoco
Stirrer
Big loops are best! I can take this outside and clamp the stem in a pushbike rack. One day I'll put the tuning cap into a box with switches. The intention was to get down to the low frequency beacons with all the turns of the loop and all the capacitance but it only got down to about 275kHz. At the moment I just use clip leads but it still works very well on the BC band through my Sony CRF 5090.
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Yes getting down this low, loops are the way to go - unless you have LOTS of land and very forgiving neighbors (heh)...Mike
Between the several NRC antenna books enough reading there to keep you busy for weeks.
Either of these will greatly enhance reception on any AM portable.
External antenna terminal on the radio is not necessary, they work by induction coupling.
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