ICOM IC-R75

[XPS720]

I have a great looking DX receiver but my location is bad due to area I live. I can't do outside nor attic antenna for LW,MW and SW receiving. I tried a telescopic from my scanner but it is even hard to hear WWV and CHU. Is there a telescopic with amp, possible tuner, for my problem.

73's

Thank you

 

[trentbob]

Yes there is. I've had an R 75 since it was first introduced and you had to add the DSP. Good radio especially for AM dxing... I use a 200-foot copper wire antenna strung around my large fence of my backyard and it works great.

When traveling I used to use an mfj 1020 C active antenna. I'm sure they're still for sale if you Google it. My guess it would be between 75 and $100.

Results were mixed depending on location and surrounding conditions.

I'm curious have you just strung copper wire in your room near the ceiling and around the walls. Doesn't look good but could give you some results. LOL.

 

[XPS720]

Well looks are a cause of strung wire due to the room. I would prefer an antenna connected to the PL-259 female as telescopic are all used on my rigs.

 

[trentbob]

I can certainly understand that, not very good aesthetic value of copper wire antenna floating around the room.

I would check out that active antenna I listed and see what else is out there also. I would imagine WWV and Chu Canada are your best tests of reception.

That would have to be one very long telescopic antenna if you screw it into your PL 259. You know in the old days they actually made those really thick long telescopic antennas that were very very long and went with shortwave portables and such.

If you end up getting an active telescopic antenna like the 1020c let us know what results you get.

 

[ka3jjz]

There are quite a few possibilities here;
- While you don't want to have wire around the ceiling, how about around the floor where it's hard to see?

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

The McGyver special is another one, though it really does need a small transmatch to make it work well...

The McGyver(tm) special - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

A W6LVP loop will work indoors - maybe not quite as well as it would outside, but yes it will fly...in fact the experiment's kit is a distinct possibility here...

W6LVP Magnetic Loop Antenna Experimenter’s Kit | W6LVP

www.w6lvp.com

or these...

Products -

*** NOTE 11/17/21 – After much consideration, I have decided to cease production of the HF-319 Magnetic Loop Antenna, and to end the operations of AFL Antennas. I would like to thank all of our wonderful customers over the past six years for your support and for helping us to make a good...

doxytronics.com

Review of the DoxyTronics 8020CA magnetic loop antenna

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Troy Riedel, who shares the following guest post: Review: DoxyTronics Portable HF Magnetic Loop 8020CA -by Troy Riedel Before I purchased the DoxyTronics 802…

swling.com

https://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/12843

PK’s Loop Antennas

www.amradioantennas.com

A preliminary review of the PK Loop C-LOOP-HDSW6-18

Over the past year, a number of SWLing Post readers have asked me to review the PK Loop portable magnetic loop antenna produced by Paul Karlstrand in Australia. I finally caved in and purchased one…

swling.com

A follow-up review of the PK Loop C-LOOP-HDSW6-18 antenna

In 2016, I purchased portable shortwave magnetic loop antenna designed and built by Paul Karlstrand in Australia. I posted a “preliminary” review of this antenna in 2016 and since then …

swling.com

That oughta do ya - certainly better than an active whip any day in the year....Mike

 

[trentbob]

Yes I never thought the active antenna works very well and I'd always had mixed results.

Once I tied the copper wire to a heavy sinker outside the window I threw it over a tree hahaha.

 

[ka3jjz]

Here are a few more

Hidden Antennas -- antenna special on hard-core-dx.com

Zip-Cord rx loop in 15 minutes

A rainy day here prompted me to come up with a small hf rx-only loop that could be made and installed in between rain showers with a minimum of parts. Zip-cord for loop AND transmission line. Loop is 16 feet circumference, or 4 feet per side for a square. MFJ snap-on chokes for common mode...

forums.radioreference.com

Before sending any money, I'd email the seller to make sure they're still available

HF Loop Antenna For Amateur Radio Or Shortwave Receiver APARTMENT & HOA FRIENDLY | eBay

If you can erect an outside antenna, this is always the best solution for reception as no inside antenna can compete with a good outside antenna for the very best signal reception. But erecting an outside antenna is not always possible for many people desiring to listen to amateur radio or...

www.ebay.com

Mike

 

[TailGator911]

Yeah, indoor telescopics and preamps I am not a big fan of when it comes to HF rx. I have an old Grover TUN-4 on my R75 but all it really does is amplify noise and I basically use it as an antenna splitter now, the B port going to my FRG-7. Now and then I will use it to fine tune a frequency, but the Pass Band Tuner on the Icoms does it much better. I tried the indoor MFJ telescopic antenna/preamp (1020-C) same results (I used it on the road when I was on layovers in motels). My best indoor solution was a cheapie retractable (G8JNJ Fat-Max) which I would string out onto a balcony or lay on the drapes high over a window when I traveled with my Lowe HF-150 <--- great travel shortwave! I have a W6LVP still in the box here that I will soon be installing (next weekend) and I will split that between my R8600 and R75 hopefully with much better results than I have had so far.

If you are hf-antenna challenged in a restricted environment, I would absolutely check out the G8JNJ Fat-Max or one of the various yo-yo wire antennas out there. But, if you have the space to work with do the loop. Just a thought

 

[ka3jjz]

Interesting; Google doesn't come up with it, using Fat-Max or Fatmax. URL please....Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

Never mind; got it. Wonder why Google didn't see it? Anyway here it is, in PDF form...

https://webzoom.freewebs.com/g8jnj/FatMax%20Antenna.pdf

Mike

 

[doctordialtone]

Google doesn't come up with it, using Fat-Max or Fatmax.

Try a better Search Engine.

G8JNJ Fat-Max at DuckDuckGo

DuckDuckGo. Privacy, Simplified.

duckduckgo.com

"The search engine that doesn't track you."

 

[ka3jjz]

Indoor antenna like the MFJ or Tun-4 has a lot of gain and while they have a gain control, too few folks know how to use it properly. You don't ever run it flat out at 100%, because as noted, it just begins to amplify the noise instead of the signal. The lower bands tend to be noisier and thus would need less gain. Every RF environ is different, and you really need to listen to the band to determine at just what point the receiver's AGC kicks in, and you start getting more noise than signal. It can and does change depending on the frequency

I looked at that Fat-Man - looks like a vertical metal tape measure used as an antenna - which in an apartment, might not be the best choice. Many verticals are noise magnets, so I'd hesitate. Interesting building it, though, altho it does show it needs several radials

Mike

 

[trentbob]

A lot of sage advice here, if you can't get the setup that would give you optimal reception for whatever reason, the most important being you don't have the facilities on your property to make that happen.

For those who are most restricted I've always enjoyed mounting antennas on tall broom handles or hat racks. Lots of positional options huh.

There are great suggestions here on this thread and all has been covered as much as possible. Keep working on it, often a good solution just hits you for no particular reason.

 

[lolbananalol2]

There is also the Wellbrook loops or any of the Bonito antennas.

 

[ridgescan]

I just checked the Wellbrook site for his indoor loops and I see that he has discontinued the ALA1530 indoor loop as well as the LA5030 indoor loop. I wonder why? Were they unpopular, ineffective, or something else?
What I can tell you is, when the roof was being redone here I had my ALA1530 outdoor loop inside here in my living room and was operating it from inside. It did pretty well, but not near as well as out in the open. But if you absolutely cannot do anything outdoors, I suggest an active loop indoors preferably near a big window facing east/west, set up so you can rotate it. It's far better than nothing and way better than a non-active appendage like a tele-whip. I say spend some money and get the active loop-it'll do better with noise.

 

[iMONITOR]

Never mind; got it. Wonder why Google didn't see it? Anyway here it is, in PDF form...

https://webzoom.freewebs.com/g8jnj/FatMax%20Antenna.pdf

Mike

Google finds it if you search: fat max antenna

 

[nanZor]

If you must stick with a small vertical, there are a few out there with 3/8" threads for portable / temporary use. For rx-only, you may not even need to run radials.

I ran with an MP1 Super Antenna, which has a short fixed aluminum rod under the sliding coil, and a telescopic upper section. You just extend the whip, and slide the coil up or down. You can get the desk-edge clamp, or what I did was use the portable table-top mount. Indoors, I used the table-top mount just to put the whole thing in different parts of the house depending on what was going at the time.

MFJ and others that are typically smaller than 8 feet vertical with either a tunable coil, or taps that will get you close to your desired band. Being indoors and near to the R75, it may not be much of a chore to slide the coil or change the taps...

 

[ka3jjz]

Any vertical with coils that select only ham bands is problematic at best outside these ranges. Sure, you'll get some, but it will lose efficiency once you get out of the ham bands. The further away you go from a ham range, the efficiency drops. And of course, being vertical, noise pickup is likely to be an issue.

We have much better solutions above....Mike

 

[a29zuk]

I can certainly understand that, not very good aesthetic value of copper wire antenna floating around the room.

I would check out that active antenna I listed and see what else is out there also. I would imagine WWV and Chu Canada are your best tests of reception.

That would have to be one very long telescopic antenna if you screw it into your PL 259. You know in the old days they actually made those really thick long telescopic antennas that were very very long and went with shortwave portables and such.

If you end up getting an active telescopic antenna like the 1020c let us know what results you get.

I previously had a Grundig Yacht Boy 400. It came with one of those 25ft reel antennas with a clip on it to clip to just about anything.

I took that reel antenna and cut off the headphone style plug and soldered a PL-259 to the end of it.
When I go traveling I clip it to a small tree branch near a motel room window and run it to my Palstar R30. 25' is plenty for the Palstar and have enjoyed a lot of DX.

Jim

 

[trentbob]

I also have one of those reel antennas that you can clip on a telescopic antenna. I don't use it now but I have it stored exactly where I know it is and it's in like new shape even though I got it a long long time ago.