SW Multi-Band Antenna Problem

[AllenMcB]

I have a Kenwood R-1000 SW receiver, and have always used it with a longwire antenna. It was 100' of electric fence wire strung through the trees. It worked okay, I could get signals across all the frequencies, though signal strength was often weak, and some wouldn't come in at all.

Over the past couple of weeks, I built the four wire multiband SW antenna design I found diagrammed at this URL: Build a Multiband Shortwave Antenna - Simple Shortwave Antennas for Shortwave Radios!.

All the connections are soldered, and the four wires connect to 50 ohm coax, which connects to the receiver.

I finally got the chance to try the antenna tonight.

Disappointment.

On the good side, reception is great up to about 7.5 Mhz. I can pick up just about all the stations listed on PrimeTimeShortwave.Com English listings, up to 7.5 Mhz.

Above that, there are maybe two stations coming through, plus WWV at 10 Mhz.

Everything else above 7.5 Mhz is very, very quiet.

I made sure the antenna A/B switch on the back of the receiver is set to the coax side.

I'm just puzzled.

Can anyone suggest what might be going on here?

 

[Jimepage]

Hey allen Try again tonite .. We had some strange propagation the past 2 nights favoring the lower frequencies.. It should be a huge difference tonite or today .

 

[ka3jjz]

It's almost impossible to diagnose issues like this accurately. If you are on the East coast (or even in the Midwest) 49 meters - 6 mhz - should be jammed with signals after local sundown. If not, there's a whole plethoria of things that could be wrong including a bad solder connection somewhere in the antenna, something in the R1000 that's blown (I've used 2 of them, and they're usually very sensitive - sometimes too sensitive for their own good), such as a bad bandswitch, something in the front end of the radio...

Keep in mind, too, that the lower freqs won't open up until after your local sundown. HF propagation is totally different from scanning - in general, during the winter, at night you want to stay around 10 mhz and lower, daytime is the exact opposite - go higher. Right now in this low sunspot run we've got going, the lower freqs are going to be generally better.

best regards...Mike

 

[AllenMcB]

It's almost impossible to diagnose issues like this accurately. If you are on the East coast (or even in the Midwest) 49 meters - 6 mhz - should be jammed with signals after local sundown. If not, there's a whole plethoria of things that could be wrong including a bad solder connection somewhere in the antenna, something in the R1000 that's blown (I've used 2 of them, and they're usually very sensitive - sometimes too sensitive for their own good), such as a bad bandswitch, something in the front end of the radio...

I only listen at night, daytime work schedule precludes daytime use. It was sounding good, signals across all frequency ranges, using the old, random longwire.

Reception up to 7.5 Mhz was much better after adding the four wire antenna, but almost no-existent above 7.5Mhz.

I may hook up the longwire again, and switch back and forth between the two to see it if it's related to the antenna of the external conditions.

Keep in mind, too, that the lower freqs won't open up until after your local sundown.

Was trying last night at 7:00 PM, about and hour and a half after sundown.

Will keep trying, thank you all for the help.

 

[majoco]

...and likewise the higher frequencies close down after dark! It may be that there's nothing wrong with your antenna, it's just that there's nothing to hear!

A quick test is to tune to a blank frequency, unplug the antenna, turn the gain up until you can hear the internal noise in the receiver, then reconnect the antenna. If the noise goes up, then you're receiving cosmic noise so your antenna is working.

 

[AllenMcB]

I may hook up the longwire again, and switch back and forth between the two to see it if it's related to the antenna of the external conditions.

Hooked up the longwire tonight, A bit more activity above 7.5 Mhz, though bot much. Switched back and forth between longwire and four wire multi-band, and both perform about the same, though the multi-band was a bit more clear.

(sigh)

I was hoping for great, wide range reception after installing the multi-band antenna, but so far, it's been lack luster.

Thanks for all the help.

 

[Jimepage]

what state are you in ? Are you surrounded by mountains? If you give me some estimated area I can give you 5 frequencies you can test on and will let you know if your good or not..

 

[AllenMcB]

what state are you in ? Are you surrounded by mountains? If you give me some estimated area I can give you 5 frequencies you can test on and will let you know if your good or not..

I'm in Northeast Mississippi, about 230' above sea level, no mountains, barely any hills, only rolling prairie and lots of 60' pine trees.

 

[Jimepage]

ok at 7:00 pm est tune in on 7400, 5040, 5070, 5970, 7290, 9570 and Let me know how you make out for each one.

 

[AllenMcB]

ok at 7:00 pm est tune in on 7400, 5040, 5070, 5970, 7290, 9570 and Let me know how you make out for each one.

That would be 6PM CST time, and it's not quite fully dark here then; also, I usually don't make it home until a couple of hours after that.

Would it be possible to get some frqs for 10:00 PM EST? I'm always home then. (THANK YOU!)

 

[Jimepage]

alright ill take a look buddy

 

[ka3jjz]

Jime make sure the RF ATT switch is set to zero. Also check the switch at the rear of the radio for the antenna connection. It's not out of the question that this switch connection is shot - in a radio this old, it's quite likely. It shouldn't be all that hard to fix it, but I haven't a clue as to who would be able to do this.

I would also tune 5.9 to 6.25 mhz - this is the 49 meter broadcast band, and even at 10 at nite local, there are quite a number of broadcasters there. If you don't hear Havana, something is likely wrong, maybe in the receiver.

With a radio this old, it might be next to impossible to get fixed...hopefully this isn't the case here...

best regards..Mike

 

[AllenMcB]

Jime make sure the RF ATT switch is set to zero. Also check the switch at the rear of the radio for the antenna connection. It's not out of the question that this switch connection is shot - in a radio this old, it's quite likely. It shouldn't be all that hard to fix it, but I haven't a clue as to who would be able to do this.

I would also tune 5.9 to 6.25 mhz - this is the 49 meter broadcast band, and even at 10 at nite local, there are quite a number of broadcasters there. If you don't hear Havana, something is likely wrong, maybe in the receiver.

With a radio this old, it might be next to impossible to get fixed...hopefully this isn't the case here...

best regards..Mike

RF attenuation is set to zero (vertical).
The antenna selector switch is certainly old, but un-used. I bought this R-1000 as a new-old-stock receiver about a year ago. Still in the box, all paperwork intact, etc. Maybe the switch has some oxidation due to age that could be a problem.

I love a good mystery, but I'm not so fond of this one.