Wire Antenna Question

[ThomasMcKean]

I have a brand new 50 foot copper wire antenna with egg insulators on each end. It has an end fed 25 foot insulated copper lead in that terminates in an alligator clip.

My question is, how the heck do I install this thing? How does one set up a fifty foot wire outdoors? ACK! I am new to this short wave stuff. I am feeling a bit clueless? I have DX-400 I want to use with the antenna...

 

[ridgescan]

Find a (preferrably high)mounting area where you can run it 50' east/west, and have a ground point very nearby the feed end (must be a short run near house like under 8', maybe cold water pipe, 8-10' copper clad groundrod driven into earth, or house electrical service conduit) secure far end's egg insulator to non metallic anchor. Lose the other insulator and alligator clip at feed end and run a 50 ohm coax feedline instead; center lead to feed end of 50' wire, outer braid to ground near feedpoint. Run that coax into house and connect to receiver. Turn on receiver-start having fun.

 

[LtDoc]

I won't say it would be impossible to set up that antenna inside, it really is intended to be outside. Probably the most common way of stringing it up is between a roof eave and a tree about 60 - 70 feet away. Then run that wire with the clip on it in through a window to your radio and clip it to an existing antenna. No existing antenna? Change that clip to a plug that will fit the antenna connection on the radio?
A simple wire antenna as you've described isn't all that particular about how it's strung up, it's shape. It can be bent into several different/weird shapes and still work. The higher you can get it the better, in general. If something makes electrical contact with that antenna then that 'something' is then part of the antenna. It's a fairly good idea not to let it come into contact with metal thingys, especially power lines! Think of your wire antenna as an extension of the antenna already in/on your radio.
It's also a fairly good idea to connect your radio to 'ground', which is the 'other half' of that type of antenna. It isn't absolutely necessary, but it shouldn't hurt to have it.
How well will it work? I haven't the slightest idea. It will depend on what you want to listen to, it's frequency. I have to assume it will be better than any built-in antenna, but no bets on how much better.
Have fun.
- 'Doc

 

[mark40]

east/west?

ridgescan- can you explain the preference for an east/west configuration?

 

[ridgescan]

ok. He sets it east-west (one end of the wire points north,one end points south), and most of the signals will hit the wire broadside except signals straight north or south . I was suggesting based on my experience here. Although now that I have 100' as a sideways "L" half the wire runs north-south too

 

[LtDoc]

Horizontally mounted antennas can be 'directional' to some extent. Vertical antennas tend to be omni-directional. A -very- rough way of looking at it is that there's more surface area exposed to a signal from the 'sides' of that antenna than there is from the 'ends' of that antenna. Another part of it is that how directional an antenna is depends on it's length (deals with resonance) and how high above ground it is, and how the thing is fed (end fed or center fed). End fed antennas tend to be directional, receive a higher 'charge' from a passing signal, if that signal strikes that antenna from a direction that's more toward the 'far end', what the thing is 'pointed at'. If it were being 'fed' from the center instead of one end, then the 'strongest' signals would be from sources from the sides. There would still be some reception off of the ends, but not near as much. so a horizontal end-fed antenna tends to get the strongest signals from it's sides, plus toward the 'far' end. [All of that deals with electrical fields and geometry. If you have a 'working' acquaintance with those things then it makes more sense. If you don't, then it's still 'magic', sort of. It's not 'simple'.]
All of the above is an analogy and NOT exact by any means. It's sort of close, but does not take into consideration a huge number of things that affects what's heard and what isn't (polarization for one). The part about resonance deals with how well a signal "fits" a certain antenna, which deals with lengths of that antenna AND the received signal. A resonant antenna tends to 'hear' signals that are related to it's length. That's a terrible way of saying it, but get's 'close', sort of.
- 'Doc

 

[SCPD]

ok. He sets it east-west (one end of the wire points north,one end points south), and most of the signals will hit the wire broadside except signals straight north or south . I was suggesting based on my experience here. Although now that I have 100' as a sideways "L" half the wire runs north-south too

Don't be too concerned about Rx antennas even though the physics are the same; however, the ionosphere will gauge what you receive any way -- not to mention your local RFI that is nearby.

Just get it up as high as possible. I would *try* to get it North/South but don't be too concerned. Height is actually more preferable than direction.

Also, get it as far from the house (or metal structures) as possible. A few feet can make a big difference.

 

[mark40]

ridgescan,doc, nickcarr: thanks for the input and for "pointing me in the right direction" I have a sloper, just waiting for the right opportunity to start the installation. Should work out nicely.

 

[ridgescan]

ridgescan,doc, nickcarr: thanks for the input and for "pointing me in the right direction" I have a sloper, just waiting for the right opportunity to start the installation. Should work out nicely.

report your results when you get some
I went up there today and changed the 100' "L" to a 70' straight wire configured northwest/southeast. I am liking the differences so far; I lost a little tiny bit of signal strength at MW/LW but picked up considerable signal strength across HF, and am getting new stuff from South America so far in the 00utc hr. Nick was right as usual-credit to you. In my environment here, it is an improvement. That "L" was dumb anyway but I did it to achieve 100'. Sometimes more is less.
Will see how 80-160 meters is later.