HF ANTENNA IN APARTMENT?

[ShawnCowden]

You should get a antenna from DWM communications http://www.qth.com/dwm

the tiny-tenna is a good one all-band indoor active (amplified) antenna
it even helps scanner radio signals!! its 19.99 plus s&h but hey for lifetime warranty its worth it!

Satisfaction guaranteed! And a lifetime repair or replace warranty!
on most of the products

 

[ShawnCowden]

You should get a antenna from DWM communications http://www.qth.com/dwm

the tiny-tenna is a good one all-band indoor active (amplified) antenna
it even helps scanner radio signals!! its 19.99 plus s&h but hey for lifetime warranty its worth it!

Satisfaction guaranteed! And a lifetime repair or replace warranty!
on most of the products

 

[jhooten]

http://www.vectronics.com/vectronics/products.php?prodid=AT-100
http://www.mfjenterprises.com/products.php?prodid=MFJ-1022

 

[ka3jjz]

You should be careful about getting these active antennas. Their claims aside, more often than not, they introduce more noise than real signal, and without any real way to control the gain, it might just be too much for the receiver you're using.
There is an additional problem related to the gain; if you live in an urban area, and have many MW stations nearby, the gain might be so high as to start hearing these stations repeat all over the HF spectrum.

The better ones have ways to cut or vary the gain, and can be tuned to provide an additional level of selectivity. As an example, the Palomar preselector is active (which means it provides significant gain), it has 2 ways to reduce the gain if needed and it's tunable. If you were to place a short dipole on the preselector, it would be very effective as an 'active tuned' antenna. I've done exactly that here in my condo, and there have been times when it was very useful. It takes *practice* and a good ear to discern where the signal has been amplified and the noise has not been increased that dramatically.

A much better solution is to improve the antenna system as much as possible before adding amplification. You may not actually need it.

73s Mike

 

[Alain]

Hello Jay,

When I was living in an apartment in San Diego, I had "geometrically" fastened a 100' roll of stranded copper wire to the ceiling; first, around the perimeter of the ceiling and gradually winding it towards the center. Connected a short 8' length of Belden 9913 from the ends to the R 71-A.

Just goes to show, you don't need an elaborate or expen$ive antenna to get great reception...

Alain

 

[zyxwvu]

Something else that can work is a metal Slinky from the toy store.

 

[N_Jay]

Hello Jay,

When I was living in an apartment in San Diego, I had "geometrically" fastened a 100' roll of stranded copper wire to the ceiling; first, around the perimeter of the ceiling and gradually winding it towards the center. Connected a short 8' length of Belden 9913 from the ends to the R 71-A.

Just goes to show, you don't need an elaborate or expen$ive antenna to get great reception...

Alain

For HF and short runs you don't needto use transmission line.

If it is not matched the transmission line just becomes part of the antenna, so just bring a wire down to the radio.

 

[brandon]

I live in an apartment and have had good results with just running some wire across the ceiling into the other room and down the hallway. Also what Alain recommended really works! I figured I would give it a shot and so far I am extremely pleased with the performance and the lack of “noise”.

In addition to wires, I am also using an Active Antenna (LF Engineering H800 Skymatch Active Antenna) which I have mounted up in the attic of my unit. It does a good job and is a pretty quiet antenna. This thing really shines when it comes to AM BCB DX’ing.

Another thing to try is using a "Scantenna" (made by Antennacraft) for SWL reception. You may need a preamp on your receiver for best results. This seems to work very well when it comes to receiving comms above 10 MHz.

Brandon

 

[KC4ZEX]

Indoor antennas

I have been a scanner and shortwave listener for yrs. Tried all kinds of homemade antennas. Most older receivers worked better with long wires. A lot of the new ones long wires overdrive the front ends. For indoors use cheap speaker wire pull it apart as far as room space allows for a dipole. I have used the little cheap antennas you use to get with portable tv's to make a dipole. Take little plastic tubes and wiind coils to attach to ends of speaker wire dipoles. I have a sangean ats818 i use most of the time now. Even 8 or 10 ft wire aligator clipped to end of the telescoping rod ant helps if you are in a bind or hurry. One thing for noise reduction stay away from florescent lights esp. the new ones. and tv sets.

 

[lcmontana]

Celing Antenna

Im intrigued by that idea, since Im getting bored, and putting up something outside when its 15 below zero outside isnt that appealing to me. But where would I attatch the lead to the radio (YB 300PE)? Yes its a weenie radio, but Ive had it a while, and I like it.

Thanks guys.

 

[loumaag]

Re: Celing Antenna

...But where would I attatch the lead to the radio (YB 300PE)?

Didn't it come with an external antenna? If you got yours second hand or something, and you didn't get the external antenna, the connection point should still be there.

 

[lcmontana]

Assuming I can find it again, yeah I do have the external antenna. Please excuse the rather remedial question, but if I strip the end, attatch it there, and then into that jack?

Either way, sounds like fun, Ill probably try it. Are we talking about a simple spiral pattern, or something else?

Joshua

 

[KC4ZEX]

I just read a few reviews on the YB300 a couple said it had weak sensitivity others said it was very sensitive. A couple said it overloaded at low freq's. Not sure what your external ant connector is on that model possibilly a mini or 1/8 in. You can get these at radioshack or others. I have a Sangean ATS818 with this type connector. I have found that a couple aligator clips and 10 to 15 ft of small wire clipped to the extended rod antenna over to a picture hanging nail or hook works well. You can add a coil wound a little bigger than a pencil with 3 to 5 ft of wire to one end especially if you are in a small room, or clip the end to a curtain rod over a window helps. Stay away from flouresant lights esp the new ones that screw in like bulbs most tell you they generate noise in the HF band and portable TV's.

 

[Bavoo]

Re: Indoor antennas

I have been a scanner and shortwave listener for yrs. Tried all kinds of homemade antennas. Most older receivers worked better with long wires. A lot of the new ones long wires overdrive the front ends. For indoors use cheap speaker wire pull it apart as far as room space allows for a dipole. I have used the little cheap antennas you use to get with portable tv's to make a dipole. Take little plastic tubes and wiind coils to attach to ends of speaker wire dipoles. I have a sangean ats818 i use most of the time now. Even 8 or 10 ft wire aligator clipped to end of the telescoping rod ant helps if you are in a bind or hurry. One thing for noise reduction stay away from florescent lights esp. the new ones. and tv sets.

I have a Sony 2010...

As I posted earlier, I'm trying to get back into HF monitoring, and I tried some DX'ing tonight with the included long wire. When I connected it, I found I was getting better reception with the whip :shock:

I was able to get some stations but the reception was spotty and I was getting frustrated. What do you guys recommend?

If I do the speaker wire thing, as above, it's important that the wires are seperated, then strung out in a "T" shape, right? Does it get alligator clipped to the whip or should I use the EXT ANT connection? How are the connectors connected to the speaker wire? I know...lots of questions!

If you type directions, please try to make them as simple as possible, as the only antenna I've ever built was the long wire for the Sony...and that doesn't work! lol :?

Thanks very much for all of your help!

Bavoo

 

[KC4ZEX]

I think i would start with a single wire 10ft or a little more if you have room. Use 18 gauge stranded primary wire or something similiar with aligator clip on one end to the rod ant. It helps my ats818 when i take it to work. If you build the dipole from speaker wire you need to solder a 1/8 in plug to the end of wire still together one wire to tip, one to ground, and hang it like a T. I had better luck with the single wire.

 

[W7WLA]

Homebrew QRP Antenna

Here's an antenna that I have found very effective and simple to make. Can be used indoors or outdoors. I have made my antenna for 20-meters but with an antenna tuner, it will load 80 through 6 meters.

Take either 450 ohm ladder line or 300 ohm radioshack TV line. With out cutting the line, measure out 3 quarter-wave lengths [thats about 16" so many inches X 3]

Now take the first quarter wave and secure the line with a plastic wrap. Make sure it is tight. Next separte the wire in the middle up to the plastic wrap. The remaining 2/3's remains untouched. Secure the opposite end with a connector.

Secure the split ends along the opposite site of a room and run the other end to your radio. Try and go straight as possible and as high as possible.

How well does it work. I have worked every state QRP with 5 watts or less except for Hawaii and Alaska and those should come soon.

Any questions, send me a PM. Remember, the antenna is one piece except for the first quarter wave that was separated.

Thanks,