SW Attic Antenna Question

[tmhanser]

I’m just starting out listening to shortwave radio, and I have a 15’ length of 14 gauge, insulated, braided wire strung in the attic of my stucco construction home.

But the roof tiles are made of 1.5” thick cement – how does this impact my reception? Should I even bother with an attic antenna?

I have the wire antenna connected securely to a coax cable that runs through the house, into the room where the radio is – I started with an inexpensive Sihuadon R108. I checked continuity all the way through the house so I’m confident I’m actually connected to the attic antenna.

Of course, day or night I can barely receive anything. With the squelch off entirely, I can barely hear anything when a scan stops on certain frequencies. It's mostly static, and I can just barely make out the audio. (These frequencies are in fact listed on www.short-wave.info.)

Should I give up on the attic antenna?

Do I need an impedance-matching transformer between the coax and the wire antenna?

When the weather improves next year, I could experiment with an outdoor length of wire, directly on the radio. It’s cold here in Reno!

Thanks.

 

[jwt873]

I've got a stucco covered house.. One problem with stucco is they use a wire grid to hold the stucco together and to keep it from falling off the walls. This metal grid around the house can reduce signals to some degree. It's best to try place an indoor antenna near a window.

I'm not sure on the concrete.. I have no experience with radio and those type of shingles.

But despite the above, you should be hearing things, even with your indoor antenna. How does your radio receive the WWV time signal on 5,. 10, and 15 MHz?

Depending on the time of day, you should be able to hear the station with a strong signal on at least one of those frequencies. I have a small portable radio with the same size telescoping antenna that your R108 has.. I can hear WWV just using the radio's antenna and no external antenna.

If you're not hearing WWV that well, try take the radio outside. If it does improve, then the house construction materials might be causing a problem.

 

[tmhanser]

Thanks, jwt873.

Concrete shingles don't seem to block my OTA (local TV) reception and I have great results with a TV antenna in the attic. Approximately 25 channels here in Reno. Maybe shortwave is a different issue.

I can't receive the WWV time signal you mentioned, I don't even know how to access those frequencies with this radio, sorry.

My next step is to string a wire outside, from a pole to the house, and try that.

Thanks again.