Well, just have fun experimenting with various antennas until you find
something that works well. If you aren't able to cook up something
you're satisfied with, then I encourage you to consider one of two
active antennas that you could located outside, on your terrace.

First, you might consider one of the Wellbrook loops. I have the 330S
and it works great with both my Lowe HF-150 and my Drake. Because it's
a relatively low gain antenna, I think it's a wise choise for receivers
with weak front ends.

Second, a less expensive route would be LF Engineering's H-800 Skymatch
antenna. The Skymatch is no competition for the Wellbrook overall, but
it's a very good antenna, especially below 5 mhz. I *suspect* the
Skymatch would outperform any wire antenna that's small enough to fit
on your terrace. (www.lfengineering.com). I also suspect that this
antenna is a cut above the Ameco and MFJ actives you've used
previously, but others might be better situated to comment on this.

Steve