Shortwave wire length.

[jjhendo]

Yes, on some radios. It's a trade off between price, sensitivity and selectivity. Get a fancy, high dollar radio, and it won't suffer from that problem quite as much. But you can always shorten the antenna on yours.



Without the external antenna jack, there's not much you can do. Alligator clip to the extend-o antenna is one of the options you have. Capacitive coupled loop is the other.

Just be careful with really long wire antennas clipped to the telescopic antenna. Sometimes they'll generate a lot of static electricity and zap the soft bits inside your radio.

Yes, on some radios. It's a trade off between price, sensitivity and selectivity. Get a fancy, high dollar radio, and it won't suffer from that problem quite as much. But you can always shorten the antenna on yours.



Without the external antenna jack, there's not much you can do. Alligator clip to the extend-o antenna is one of the options you have. Capacitive coupled loop is the other.

Just be careful with really long wire antennas clipped to the telescopic antenna. Sometimes they'll generate a lot of static electricity and zap the soft bits inside your radio.

Ok. About the extend-o antenna, this one needs replacing, only I'm not sure what I'm looking at. How do I know the size and what not? I've seen them on eBay, but they just seem straight and don't have the hinge where there antenna comes out of the radio..

 

[jjhendo]

One of the advantages of using a tuner for receive is that it also acts as a simple bandpass filter/preselector, so can help reduce overload problems in many cases.

Ok, any recommendations?

 

[jjhendo]

Some ideas.

Ferrite Antennas for the Ultra-Light Radio

This is Canada's original radio website - since 1996!

dxer.ca

https://peditio.net/utility/pdf/Antenna_Couplers.pdf

Static drain for outside long wire antenna

Up until now I've used the old tube radios I collect and restore for DXing. I use a 50' outside wire for my antenna. Static (other than lightning) isn't a problem for tube radios. But I decided I wanted to try one of the new portable radios and ordered a Tecsun PL-880, which should arrive in a...

forums.radioreference.com

I thought the Tecsun PL660 had a FM/SW antenna jack on it (just below the hand strap).

For SW/FM it can use the whip or the connector, for MW I guess it uses the interneral ferrite (where a coupler might be useful).

It does, but I was looking to make something for a vintage AM/FM/SW that doesn't..

 

[jjhendo]

If your radio does not have an external antenna socket. I would suggest a very simple, cheap experiment. Get yourself about 20-feete of insulated conductive wire, attach it to an alligator clip, and clip it to the whip antenna on your radio, and see what kind of improvement you get.

Also, this: Some really inexpensive ways to perhaps improve your shortwave listening

and this: A HUGE difference . . .

This also might be of help: Jock designs a Horizontal Room Loop to cope with reception issues

Whatever you do, do not ever, under any circumstances, string up your antenna where it could fall on a power line or a power line could fall on it.

Will do! I have a 100' spool of #14 to play with..

 

[mmckenna]

Ok. About the extend-o antenna, this one needs replacing, only I'm not sure what I'm looking at. How do I know the size and what not? I've seen them on eBay, but they just seem straight and don't have the hinge where there antenna comes out of the radio..

Yeah, that's going to be a challenge.

The type of attachment at the base needs to match. The length needs to match. The diameter needs to match.

Welcome to the challenge that many of us went through back in the 70's and 80's with our cheap Radio Shack CB walkie talkies.
No easy answer, and the final outcome may be "buy a new radio". Used to be you could go into Radio Shack and often find something that would fit. Trying to do that over the internet is going to wear your eyes out.

 

[jjhendo]

Yeah, that's going to be a challenge.

The type of attachment at the base needs to match. The length needs to match. The diameter needs to match.

Welcome to the challenge that many of us went through back in the 70's and 80's with our cheap Radio Shack CB walkie talkies.
No easy answer, and the final outcome may be "buy a new radio". Used to be you could go into Radio Shack and often find something that would fit. Trying to do that over the internet is going to wear your eyes out.

Dang. Well, I did pick it up used for pretty cheap, just thought I'd see if I can't get it back to perfect working condition, but no big deal. I might just look around locally rather than more than likely guess the wrong size online.. Thanks.

 

[jjhendo]

Dang. Well, I did pick it up used for pretty cheap, just thought I'd see if I can't get it back to perfect working condition, but no big deal. I might just look around locally rather than more than likely guess the wrong size online.. Thanks.

And it's funny you mention that, I'm looking for one for one of those Realistic 3 channel CBs too! Ha.

 

[bharvey2]

Yeah, that's going to be a challenge.

The type of attachment at the base needs to match. The length needs to match. The diameter needs to match.

Welcome to the challenge that many of us went through back in the 70's and 80's with our cheap Radio Shack CB walkie talkies.
No easy answer, and the final outcome may be "buy a new radio". Used to be you could go into Radio Shack and often find something that would fit. Trying to do that over the internet is going to wear your eyes out.

A bit off topic but when we were kids, my dad used to get on my brother and I about "smashing" the telescoping antennas down to close them as was done in the movies. We needed to start from the antenna base and "pull" the antenna closed. No doubt that saved us some heartache. (As I recall, he was a bit late on his discouraging us from using the them as swords

 

[mmckenna]

A bit off topic but when we were kids, my dad used to get on my brother and I about "smashing" the telescoping antennas down to close them as was done in the movies. We needed to start from the antenna base and "pull" the antenna closed. No doubt that saved us some heartache. (As I recall, he was a bit late on his discouraging us from using the them as swords

Yeah, we learned that pretty quickly. At least back then Radio Shack would stock replacement telescopic antennas for most of their products.

@jjhendo if you cannot find a replacement, you can either cobble together something to make it work, or install a stud using a bolt/washers/nut and connect a wire from that to where the existing antenna connected. Use that stud sticking out of the top of the radio to clip your alligator clip to.

 

[MUTNAV]

Before you connect a really long wire to your radio, I recommend putting a high value resistor to ground on the wire you are connecting, to drain of static.
If it doesn't perform any better, maybe it uses an internal ferrite antenna. In which case you can find out by just wrapping a bunch (6 turns?) of wire around its body and connecting that to the longer wire (just to find out if it uses a ferrite,.... It shouldn't, but it may be worthwhile to check out.

 

[TangoFoxCharlie]

Dang. Well, I did pick it up used for pretty cheap, just thought I'd see if I can't get it back to perfect working condition, but no big deal. I might just look around locally rather than more than likely guess the wrong size online.. Thanks.

Nice old radio I had a newer Holiday (1980's) multiband radio I picked up at a garage sale years ago. For a radio like I'd just use 15-20 feet of speaker wire with an alligator clip to the antenna. I use this with my little Tecsun R-9012 analog portable and it works great for broadcast SW stations. 25 years ago when I had property and a real radio shack listening post I had 100 feet of wire running off a pole from the roof of my house to a corner of my backyard. Connected to a tuner and my DX-440 I pretty much heard anything. Good luck!

 

[dlwtrunked]

I'm making a simple wire antenna, 14 awg (which I'm now thinking might be a little heavy to throw up in a tree) and a gator clip. Looking around online, there doesn't seem to be a general concensus on length? I've seen anything from 30-100'. This would just be for a portable radio.

One thing often neglected is the need to keep the antenna wire away from interference sources. sometimes that means not using a longer antenna. Personally, for small properties that I have lived at, 40' was OK. Also, keep in mind grounding the radio can be a good idea.

 

[eagle2046]

Almost any length of a long wire antenna will improve reception over a whip antenna. I strung out a long wire in my attic ( 2-Story house ) about 60 feet long, provides good reception to my Kenwood R-5000. I had a Diamond Discone antenna mounted on my front garage ( first story ) but the HOA made me take it down, told me it cannot be seen from the street, are you kidding me, it’s a freaking antenna, of course the higher up the better. Remember in the 60’s to the 90’s everyone had those 40 element TV antennas ? everyone had one including my Dad, had a big one with a rotator no less. In 1998 the SCOUS declared the radio reception cannot be infringed but in this day and no one follows the law, especially judges. So I took the Discone down from the garage and mounted it in my attic ( second floor ). It’s about 20 feet higher now in my attic. Provides great reception to my ICOM R-7000. Never had much luck with Loop antennas though. We all know that radio waves travel at the speed of light and go right through wood, my house is wood.

 

[bearcatrp]

Just to add to the wire recommendations, just going out straight is ok but put a angle on it and receptions becomes better. Had my wire straight thinking I was receiving fine. When I put a L shape, big difference. Pretty much doubled my reception.

 

[eagle2046]

I noticed the exact same thing Bear, you can even put it in a " U " shape if you need too, that's how I mounted mine in the attic in my 2-story house. it's about 75 feet long now and works great.

 

[bearcatrp]

Have always wondered if an octagon shape would work well. May try it if I get time this summer.

 

[MUTNAV]

I noticed the exact same thing Bear, you can even put it in a " U " shape if you need too, that's how I mounted mine in the attic in my 2-story house. it's about 75 feet long now and works great.

Kind of funny, a type of antenna is actually called a ewe antenna, that might work for you.

EWE Antenna Design, Diagram & Free Guide

The EWE antenna is a compact, directional receiving antenna primarily designed for reducing noise and interference on lower HF bands (typically 160m, 80...

ham-ant.com

If nothing else, something to think about.

Thanks
Joel