indoor antenna hookup for CCrane SW ?

Status
Not open for further replies.

scott123

Member
Joined
May 30, 2010
Messages
29
Location
rochester ny
Hello .. I am soon going to purchase a CCrane SW radio. On the back I see it has a jack for an external antenna, looks like it's more for an outside antenna. All I want to do is hookup an indoor longwire antenna (like I do on my Tecsun PL 660, which has a small jack for that).

Is there an adapter that can convert the SW external antenna jack on the CCrane to a simple small plug-in for a longwire? I guess I could use one of those reel antennas with the clip, but I prefer to plug it into the radio if possible.

Thanks for any info on this.
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
Unfortunately I can't seem to see the back of this radio, but there's no such thing as a jack on a radio 'for an outside antenna'.

If someone can send the URL where folks can see this jack, we can better advise...Mike
 

nanZor

Active Member
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
2,807
If it is the typical threaded female F-connector on the larger CCrane's, then all you need to do is attach a wire to the center conductor. Perhaps the easiest thing to do is just cut one end of a small 75-ohm cable jumper off, and attach the wire to the center conductor that way.

Note that this is a low-impedance terminal typically used with dipoles or other coax fed antennas, so with your wire you may want to look into an impedance transformer for a simple wire. Check out the antenna wiki, but for now, just attaching your random bit of wire to the center conductor of a small coax jumper will get you started.
 

majoco

Stirrer
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,278
Location
New Zealand
Sockets like this.....



...both of the Crane radio look like Tecsuns to me

Join your wire to the red spring terminal. The other two are for low impedance coax cable.
 
Last edited:

hfflunki

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
484
Location
West Michigan
Use a alligator clip to the whip other wise you will have to use a long wire balun the impedance is 50 ohm I had the same radio the antenna Jacks are very fragile I would recommend you ask them to mod the radio with f connectors they will do that at ccrane from Time to time

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
It is highly unadvisable to connect an alligator clip with wire to the whip unless there's no other way. If there's even the slightest static discharge, the resulting spark will very likely blow a RF amp which is often connected through the whip.

I'd follow hertzian's advice....Mike
 

hfflunki

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
484
Location
West Michigan
OK if you don't want to use a alligator clip you can always take a barrier strip and connect the indoor antenna on one end and find some scrap r58 wire and use the provided pal connector for contacting to antenna terminal. Like I said I had 2 of these since the first year they were introduced the pal connectors are easy to break and all the boards are on top of the antenna Jacks it's not a easy fix

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk
 

majoco

Stirrer
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,278
Location
New Zealand
The picture I posted is from the Crane web page - is that not your receiver? Why muck about with alligator clips - use the proper terminal which clearly show the emblem for an external antenna. The TV type PAL connectors are for low impedance antennas - a long wire is best connected to the high impedance input.
 

scott123

Member
Joined
May 30, 2010
Messages
29
Location
rochester ny
Sockets like this.....



...both of the Crane radio look like Tecsuns to me

Join your wire to the red spring terminal. The other two are for low impedance coax cable.

Hi, thanks for your reply. Yep, that's what it looks like. Except the manual says that the red spring connector is for an AM external antenna. The bigger one on the left (the one I said looks like it's for an outside antenna) says it's for SW/FM.

I want to connect what would amount to a longwire, I guess, for shortwave. Maybe the best bet is one of those reel antennas that clips to the telescopic antenna? Just was hoping to plug it in rather than doing that, if possible.

Thanks for suggestions.
 

scott123

Member
Joined
May 30, 2010
Messages
29
Location
rochester ny
The picture I posted is from the Crane web page - is that not your receiver? Why muck about with alligator clips - use the proper terminal which clearly show the emblem for an external antenna. The TV type PAL connectors are for low impedance antennas - a long wire is best connected to the high impedance input.

I guess because I don't have the option of going outdoors with it. If I connected to the PAL connector, wouldn't that be like a heavy coax cable? I want to do this inside an apartment is what I'm getting at. Or are there indoor "external" antennas with a PAL connector? Sorry, I just don't know enough about this stuff ...
 

majoco

Stirrer
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,278
Location
New Zealand
I can't see that an antenna you would connect for the VHF FM band would be any good for the SW bands - anyway the SW broadcasts are AM - just like the broadcast band. Perhaps the terminal should be labelled with their frequency band, not the type of modulation! You have nothing to lose by giving it a try!

Confucious he say:
One test worth thousand opinions, Grasshopper"!
 

majoco

Stirrer
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,278
Location
New Zealand
Well, I had a look at the manual and it is correct what they say on the rear panel. The left socket is for FM and SW antennas and the red spring grip is for a BC band long wire. Seems very strange to me, a long wire for BC band would do nicely for SW too, but no, you have to have a coax plug for the SW socket or make an adaptor. Very strange thinking. I wonder if the Grundig S350 and the Tecsun BCL2000 are the same.
 

ridgescan

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
4,778
Location
San Francisco, Ca.
Get a METAL tape measure long enough that it can stretch across your room, attach an alligator clip to its end. Attach the tape measure via that alligator clip to the top of the retracted telescoping antenna, then stretch your tape measure across the room.
You now have a decent indoor SWL antenna, that you can retract and stow when not listening.
Yes I have a video for that but I won't bother unless it's wanted:)
 
Last edited:

ridgescan

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
4,778
Location
San Francisco, Ca.
Well, I had a look at the manual and it is correct what they say on the rear panel. The left socket is for FM and SW antennas and the red spring grip is for a BC band long wire. Seems very strange to me, a long wire for BC band would do nicely for SW too, but no, you have to have a coax plug for the SW socket or make an adaptor. Very strange thinking. I wonder if the Grundig S350 and the Tecsun BCL2000 are the same.
They probably knew that a decent longwire would overload SW on this radio so they discouraged it through design? I dunno..
 

majoco

Stirrer
Joined
Dec 25, 2008
Messages
4,278
Location
New Zealand
I just hope that the whip antenna has got some static discharge protection, otherwise - a very quiet receiver!
 

ridgescan

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
4,778
Location
San Francisco, Ca.
Good point Martin. I just ran one of my tape measures on the whip of the Transoceanic out in the livingroom and it does quite nicely on there as well as on my old Patrolmans-but I think the circuitry in the old faithfuls may not be as frail as the modern stuff.
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
The black/red jacks are undoubtedly for an unamplified BC loop like the one Grundig sells (the same idea as that el-cheapo loop you get with some stereos a few years back..)

Mike
 

hfflunki

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
484
Location
West Michigan
They probably knew that a decent longwire would overload SW on this radio so they discouraged it through design? I dunno..

That's why I said use a alligator clip and if you don't want to you should buy a cheap long wire baleun for 20-30bucks if you don't want to do that buy a terminal block and connect the ground for your antenna and the ground for the r58 cable in one slot and the antenna to the r58 at the slot

I apologize for the lack of punctuation I'm using a phone I don't currently own a pc

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk
 

ridgescan

Member
Joined
Apr 1, 2008
Messages
4,778
Location
San Francisco, Ca.
I think you could get away with the alligator clip deally-just be sure to NOT shuffle your woolly-socked winter feet across the carpet then touch the antenna:D
 

hfflunki

Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
484
Location
West Michigan
I would recommend you tack it to the top of the wall just put up some thumb tacks and lay the wire across them that way no one touches it or steps on it that is what I did with my portable radios

Sent from my HTC One X using Tapatalk
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top