Using a 2M antenna for listening on HF?

[KD0LWU]

I've upgraded my truck, took the IC-706 out and put in an FT-1900. I just never got into HF like I hoped and needed more than the 10w the 706 does on 2m for my interests.
I'm thinking of setting the 706 up in the house, have little to no money right now, and think that moving it in I might spend more time listening which might increase my interest?
With all of that said, I have a Comet GP-6 set up and was thinking of screwing it into the HF side for receive ONLY and see if that gets me going again or not.
Will this be somewhat efficient for listening or am I pissing in the wind?

 

[kb2vxa]

"Will this be somewhat efficient for listening or am I pissing in the wind?"

That depends on how you go about it. Screwing the PL-259 all the way in is pissing in the wind while just sticking the center pin in leaving a small gap between the shell and the SO-239 is somewhat efficient. This ungrounded operation makes the coax, antenna and mast a random length "wire" antenna that receives HF rather well. Before you ask, a grounded mast makes no difference because it is no ground as far as RF is concerned.

 

[LtDoc]

It would be better than nothing. After that, as in the example, only connect the center pin. That 'converts' that GP-6 to a random wire antenna consisting of the feed line and the antenna. Don't expect a lot of reception, there's just not enough 'antenna' there. It will certainly give you some reception though.
Got a tree and some wire? Any kind of wire, but as long as you can possibly make it. Who knows, it might even be resonant somewhere...
- 'Doc

 

[W2PMX]

Actually, if you whip up a random wire tuner, that could be a pretty good antenna for transmitting, as well as for receiving. I ran 75 feet of coax as a wire, through a tuner, for psk-31 and worked stations from Australia to Argentina.

 

[K9WG]

So what are you wanting to listen to? I use to listen to a lot of foriegn broadcasting with a Hallicrafter SX-99 and a coat hanger hanging out the back, I also have ran 100' of speaker wire aceoss the floor with acceptable results. Play around, you never know what might work.