MW Reception and Equipment Questions

[ka3jjz]

Sorry I haven't had the focus lately on this project and that I haven't been getting back to you guys. School's startin up again and that starts to take over all parts of your day. I'll try to look into it more this weekend but I truly do appreciate all the recommendations.

I'm really clueless as to what exactly I'll need for a longwire-type antenna... are there any good sites or videos out there that explain it? I think I'll start out with one of the above recommended antennas but who knows... I might want to move up sometime soon.

I'll get back to ya this weekend.

We have a separate forum for MW/HF antennas, but I will say that unless you have LOTS of room, you're not going to run a longwire on MW. I'm pretty sure you really mean a random length of wire or an inverted L - both will certainly work, but you don't really have the ability to phase or tune out one station from another if you have more than one station on a frequency (and that's not so uncommon...)

Our Loops wiki is the place to start - and I would also consider joining either the IRCA or NRC as I mentioned earlier. There are many technical plans and reviews of various types of antennas, and if you're going to be serious about this, be just as serious about the antenna you pick as the radio you use. The NRC reprints area is just chock full of this kind of information.

Loops - The RadioReference Wiki

HTH...Mike

 

[Boombox]

Now that I know I want to really get into the hobby, I'm not sure what sort of radio and antenna I will need. I've been using a simple Dollar store-type alarm clock radio and it does remarkably well considering, but I want a little more. Not looking for a 5000 foot longwire and a radio with 200 buttons on it, but just something simple yet effective.

You'll be surprised by what you hear on your clock radio if you get an external loop antenna for it. An external loop will also help a higher quality radio. I use several small loops with my portables. In the past, I heard Japan and North Korea with just a boombox and a loop. A couple months ago, I heard a station in Mexico City with the same set up.

Loops are almost a must for any MW DXer. This is because they work with the antenna inside your radio to boost the signals, and because they are directional. You set the external loop antenna next to your radio, and tune it, and turn both the radio and the external loop to boost a target station's reception, or 'null out' an interfering station's reception -- or a combination of the two.

There are a lot of radios that will work very well on MW. The least expensive one I know of that has good performance is the Sony SRF-59, a headset radio available at a lot of box stores for $18 or so. It has good sensitivity and excellent selectivity. Some of the SW portables out there are good MW performers.

 

[eriepascannist]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE, BrailleNote))

Thank you, Mike, that is what I meant. As I said, I have had very little time during the week, but I'll check out both clubs and the "loops" Wiki this weekend and see what I can find. I think now that I am almost certain my antenna will be a loop; as for the radio, I'm going to look at the various models mentioned above more in depth and see which sounds best for me.

 

[ridgescan]

If I had my way with your cash I'd buy the awesome Icom r75 and a Pixel Pro-1B or Wellbrook loop and call it a day. This combo would run around $1100 though. I still suggest that CCrane deal-there are a few for sale now on ebay

ccrane twin coil ferrite antenna | eBay

 

[corbintechboy]

I would go with the Icom R75 as ridge pointed out. Wonderful radio!

I get by really well with a 100 foot wire outside. Of course you will need to balance it or use the Icoms Hi-Z input. But I believe the R75 would have you wanting for nothing.

 

[majoco]

About the Degen 1103, Corbintechboy said:

However there is a little firmware trick that makes the radio think it is on HF all the way down the band and disables the internal stick.

Could you send me the link to find this trick please.

OK - no worries - found it after many Googles with different searches!

 

[eriepascannist]

If I had my way with your cash I'd buy the awesome Icom r75 and a Pixel Pro-1B or Wellbrook loop and call it a day. This combo would run around $1100 though. I still suggest that CCrane deal-there are a few for sale now on ebay

ccrane twin coil ferrite antenna | eBay

Wow, that's hefty! How much is the radio on its own? I searched online a little but couldn't find anyone that actually sold them although they were mentioned (very highly I might add) across the web.

Have you or anyone else ever heard of the "ultimate" AM antenna from R. Wagner? My dad found it and according to this guy you string a telephone cord of some sort through a 12-inch square of half inch PBC several times, mount the thing on a wooden base so it can be rotated, and you're good to go. I can't remember the exact details now and can't find where he found it online, but that doesn't sound like a very good antenna although it sure is worth a try only costing a few bucks down at the hardware store.

 

[majoco]

The R75 is at the 'cheap' end of the spectrum for quality desktops! Try an R-9500 at US$13,300 on special from Universal Radio!

 

[eriepascannist]

the r75 is at the 'cheap' end of the spectrum for quality desktops! Try an r-9500 at us$13,300 on special from universal radio!

yuck!!!

 

[ridgescan]

The R75 is at the 'cheap' end of the spectrum for quality desktops! Try an R-9500 at US$13,300 on special from Universal Radio!

yuck!!!

I know huh-I personally aint THAT much of a radio nut!

 

[corbintechboy]

The R75 is at the 'cheap' end of the spectrum for quality desktops! Try an R-9500 at US$13,300 on special from Universal Radio!

The R75 is a wonderful radio. I doubt a $13,000 radio would hear much more. Specs are probably a "bit" better but the R75 at SSB is very sensitive. I would rank it up there with the best of them.

Now an SDR would be a better (not so much in stats) radio for being able to see and click. But I like a knob and the R75 knob is one of the best I have ever rotated.

I think yuck sums it up rather well...LOL

 

[ka3jjz]

<snip>
Have you or anyone else ever heard of the "ultimate" AM antenna from R. Wagner? My dad found it and according to this guy you string a telephone cord of some sort through a 12-inch square of half inch PBC several times, mount the thing on a wooden base so it can be rotated, and you're good to go. I can't remember the exact details now and can't find where he found it online, but that doesn't sound like a very good antenna although it sure is worth a try only costing a few bucks down at the hardware store.

Sounds like a good loop project - but before we go further, we have an antennas forum devoted to MW/HF antennas - please feel free to post your questions about said antenna there.

Mike

 

[majoco]

If someone left an R9500 on my doorstep wrapped in Christmas Paper I might keep it for a few days, but I'm sure eventually I would put it on FleaBay - I could buy lots of real goodies with the proceeds! :roll:

 

[eriepascannist]

Thanks, Mike- I keep forgetting that forum's there. We're going to try the project, most of the stuff was laying around the house so it'll only end up costing me 5 dollars tops. I'll head over there if I have any other questions/results.

Still undecided on a radio, but I will check into all the suggestions given to me on this thread and will make a decision then.

Thanks to all who helped!

 

[wizardb]

Sunday I purchased a Grundig S450DLX on sale at RS for 75.00. Last night after dark I spun through the AM dial and was totally amazed at the amount of AM stations received. I intend to do some serious DXing and keep a log. I figure with all these stations that will take a fair amount of time. At first pass this radio seems like a good one for AM DXing.

 

[eriepascannist]

Sunday I purchased a Grundig S450DLX on sale at RS for 75.00. Last night after dark I spun through the AM dial and was totally amazed at the amount of AM stations received. I intend to do some serious DXing and keep a log. I figure with all these stations that will take a fair amount of time. At first pass this radio seems like a good one for AM DXing.

Sounds like a good radio for an even better price! Let me know how that thing works for you in your future DX'ing. I'll definitely look into one of those, for $75 it should be worth it.

 

[ridgescan]

Grundig radios-even the china specials, have an impressive MW sensitivity. I have one of those little Grundig 3-banders with the battery crank and that little bugger can be surprising with MW DX.

 

[VE2XWA]

R9500 vs R75

The R75 is a wonderful radio. I doubt a $13,000 radio would hear much more. Specs are probably a "bit" better but the R75 at SSB is very sensitive. I would rank it up there with the best of them.

Now an SDR would be a better (not so much in stats) radio for being able to see and click. But I like a knob and the R75 knob is one of the best I have ever rotated.

I think yuck sums it up rather well...LOL

R9500 vs R75 is comparing apple and orange. I own both receiver and many other. There is nothing close to the R9500.

Yes you can dig out much more signals with the R9500 compared to the R75 using the same antenna.


73, Dan

 

[majoco]

Yes you can dig out much more signals with the R9500 compared to the R75 using the same antenna.

Oh, yes, agreed - but once you get past say US$1000 you rapidly get into the region of diminishing returns for your dollar. You can't tell me that given the performance of a $500 radio, a $1000 radio is twice as good (especially if you buy a great radio second-hand! .)

 

[corbintechboy]

R9500 vs R75 is comparing apple and orange. I own both receiver and many other. There is nothing close to the R9500.

Yes you can dig out much more signals with the R9500 compared to the R75 using the same antenna.


73, Dan

I still don't see the point in the investment. I mean even if the R75 was 1k, does the R9500 really hear 13x what the R75 will? I highly doubt it. Just not an investment worth it in my opinion.

There are applications where it makes sense, I don't have one of those.