LJ,
IMPROVING on the Classic simple "Random" Wire Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/466
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AMANDX - WebPages by Shawn Axelrod [VE4DX1SMA]
http://www.angelfire.com/mb/amandx/
Remember... On A Clear Day You Can Hear Forever - by Shawn Axelrod
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The most comon Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antenna is the
Inverted "L' Antenna and here is a Reading List:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/374
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ANTENNA "X" (AntennaX)
http://www.antennex.com/
AntenneX" is a contraction of "Antenna Experimentation".
This site contains much (mostly ham-radio-derived) practical
information about the construction and performance of antennas.
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Understanding the Random Wire Antenna . . .
And Building a Better One !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/200
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REMEMBER: "The Shortwave Antenna is 55.5% of the . . .
Radio/Receiver and Antenna/Ground Reception Equation"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/288
A Shortwave Antenna is "Equally" Important for Good Reception [.]
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iane ~ RHF
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Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/502
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night...
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond, "The Beyond" !
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= = = LJ wrote in message
= = = . ..
Hi all --
Been lurking for several weeks now. Have enjoyed the helpful &
knowledgeable folks that post. Have even enjoyed the goofy flamer
posts, tee hee. I'm really enjoying the different perspectives that
world SW newscasts offer.
This post is long, please bear with me. I tried to include details
that might help anyone who cares to reply.
Maybe someone has some ideas for antennas. Did my research and bought
a Grundig Yachtboy 400PE several months ago; it was rated as one of
the best. It came with a thin wind-up antenna about 20-ft long. I
strung this out a window, perpendicular to my house, with the far end
mounted to a pole about 8-ft high. I've also just ran it around the
room at ceiling level. Both performed the same, and neither seemed
significantly better than the whip alone.
Then I bought a 75-ft length of 14g stranded copper wire. First I
wrapped a bared end around the whip, which was ho-hum. Then read a
post here about coiling the end several times (like a phone cord) and
sliding the coil over the base of the whip -- this made a fantastic
difference!
I've tried a few different ways of positioning the outdoor wire. They
all seem to work about the same. First I wrapped it around my house,
starting on the east side, across the back (north) and ending on the
west directly opposite the 'out' window. Kind of like a "U" lying on
its side. The sides were about 6-8-ft off the ground; the back/north
section was about 10-12ft high. House has aluminum siding, if that
makes any difference.
I've tried laying it out in the middle of the yard, just one long
length running pretty much N/S.
Have also tried running it along top of my metal hurricane fence,
maybe about 4-ft high for almost the entire length.
Mostly, I'd like to ensure the best reception possible. Is there
anything else I can try? I'm unemployed at the moment, so money is
short but I have lots of time to play around. I'm a fair
do-it-yourselfer, and have tools and such. I have a few electrical
skills; was married to an electrician for several years so the basics
rubbed off. I own my place so I can do just about anything I want,
within city ordinances. And I don't care if the neighbors think I'm
weird, ha ha.
If I threw the wire up and over my house, would that do anything? My
house sits fairly tall, the roof peak is maybe 25 feet up. I also have
a tall tree, but I'd be limited to what my ladder can reach, maybe
12-15 feet or so.
Could I make some sort of giant loop that follows the fenceline around
my property? How would I "finish" the loop and connect it to my radio?
The workable area of the lot is about 120x50 feet. The east side of my
lot is pretty much open, no buildings within a good 200 feet.
Some other things that might matter: I use compact fluorescent bulbs
in almost all of my light fixtures. I've read that fluorescents can
cause interference. I got a great deal on fluorescent bulbs a while
back (10 cents on the dollar), so I stocked up. My electric bill has
dropped at least 25% since I did this. But can this affect my SW
radio?
My radio is plugged into the non-backup part of the UPS for my PC,
which "conditions" the power supply. It seems to eliminate some SW
interference vs a regular outlet, but I'd be interested in what the
experienced SWer's think.
I guess maybe what I'm asking for is ideas to experiment with, because
I'm not a shortwave expert. But I do like messing around with stuff
like this. Maybe not normal for a female, but to me it's much more fun
than makeup, clothes and hairdos.
Thanks --- LJ