Wire Making a wire antenna for SW listening

[ShorterWave]

Hi. This is my first post. l got a Tecsun AM/FM/SW radio last week. lf l listen in the apartment with the telescoping antenna, about all l hear is static and noise. lf l go outside, it's MUCH better. l want to make a longwire antenna with a piece of 18 AWG 40' wire l have. The plan is to be in my car with the wire going out the window with the other end supported by a tree. ls there any difference in plugging the wire into the radio's 1/8" jack with a 1/8 plug and clipping it to the built in antenna with an alligator clip? And if l use a 1/8 mono plug, do l connect the wire to the tip conductor of the plug? Thanks.

Bill in Houston

 

[KB4MSZ]

Could you provide the model information for this radio?

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Clipping to the built in telescoping whip may cause a static discharge and possible damage to the receiver front end circuitry.
Use the 1/8" antenna jack, that's what it is there for. Make sure that the jack accepts the mono plug you talk about using... some antenna jacks
are designed to accept a stereo plug... consult your owner manual for proper plug to use. In my experience, the antenna connection is to the plug tip.

 

[ShorterWave]

lt's a Tecsun PL-398MP.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

OK, the SW input from the whip antenna is through a LPF so there may be a degree of isolation there, however, looks like the whip antenna is
directly connected to the FM input so probably best not to be clipping anything directly to the whip antenna.
Also, looks like a mono plug is OK for connection to antenna input jack, connect the antenna to the tip.

 

[ShorterWave]

Thanks. l'll get a 1/8 mono plug and connect the wire to it.

 

[ShorterWave]

The 1/8 mono plugs l ordered on Ebay should be here soon. Then l can finish the wire antenna and let y'all know how it works.

 

[dcs00]

Let us know your results on your SW receiving antenna.