Better AM reception

[GMP]

I currently use a Grundig G4000 and Grundig G5 for AM/SW listening. I would like be able to dx the AM band and have read about indoor tuneable passive antenna. How well do these antennas perform, and would there be a noticeable improvement in reception using one of these?

Also I have heard that the Sangean PD-D5 is suppose to give superior reception and was wondering if any owners of this radio could comment on its performance.

Thanks

 

[ridgescan]

I have an old school "Select-A-Tenna" that is pretty fun to mess with. Inductive coupling is a neat old idea and it works very well. Only drawback is you have to double tune a station-once on the radio, then on the antenna. Rather than calling that a drawback, it's actually half the fun. Mine can pull in almost as well as my longwire on the roof outside.
I like this guy's demo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAXPfnuCwTg

 

[ka3jjz]

I think you mean the Sangean PR-D5 - and there are 2 sets of reviews (not real deep but enough to get a start) I know of...

The Sangean PRD5 comprehensive review

Sangean PR-D5 Product Reviews

As to loops - absolutely there would be at least some improvement when tuning on MW. I don't do MW myself, but my friends on the Ontario DX Association likely do - and of course, there's the International Radio Club of America (or IRCA) and the National Radio Club (NRC), both of which specialize in this side of the hobby. It's very likely someone has written some reviews on the subject - and no doubt they will plans for the home-built version...their links can be found here...

MW DXing and Broadcasting - The RadioReference Wiki

and we have some loop reviews linked in our loops article here...

Loops - The RadioReference Wiki

best regards...Mike

 

[k9rzz]

If you're hearing stations without the volume knob maxed out, then that's about the best you're going to do. DXing the AM band is all about technique. If you want to hear stations that are out of the norm, then you need to vary your listening habits. If you always listen at the same time, then no matter how much $,$$$ you spend on gear, you're probably still going to hear the same stations. Listen around dawn so that stations east of you fade out leaving western stations still coming through. Make a habit of checking all your local stations regularly, you just might find one off the air for whatever reason. Learn to maximize the benefit of the loop antenna already built into your radio. See if you can find a sweet spot where you can hear something underneath a local station. Try recording the graveyard stations over night, then check to see what popped up over the jumble while you were sleeping. Listen for high school football games on Friday evenings because often stations stay on daytime power for these games when legally, they should cut way back. Once you've logged ~ 250 to 500 stations, then it's okay to think about upgrades because even with top of the line stuff and BIG wires, it still takes a lot of skill to dig out the exotic stuff.

My favorite sites:

DX-midAMerica:Thu 9-15
Broadcast Band DX Logger!

:^)

 

[lanbergld]

GMP: I can and will enthusiastically vouch for the superior BC Band reception of the Sangean PR-D5. Really, it pulls them in. Other notes I can make it about it, which you might want to know

The tuning is soft-detented, 10 kHz steps

Audio is very deep and somewhat muddy - no crispness

It nulls strongly when rotated, and the radio is small enough to rotate on a whim


Larry Lanberg

Richmond VA