"RHF" wrote in message
oups.com...
David,

Another option for using a "Long" Random Wire Antenna with a
'portable' AM/FM Shortwave Radio is the "Portable Wire Antenna"
(PWA) that was created and written about by Tom Sevart [N2UHC].
PWA = http://www.geocities.com/n2uhc/portablewire.html

COMPILATION OF PORTABLE WIRE ANTENNA (PWA) MESSAGES :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/5871
REFERENCE = http://www.geocities.com/n2uhc/portablewire.html

* Using the Portable Wire Antenna" (PWA) by Tom Sevart [N2UHC]
with your 'portable' AM/FM/ Shorwave Radio
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1728

* More On - Building the "Portable Wire Antenna" (PWA)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/826

* Building the "Portable Wire Antenna" (PWA)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/724

* PWA = External AM/MW Antenna for the Sangean ATS-909
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/384

* Three Ways to Use the "Portable Wire Antenna" (PWA)
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/306
* The "PWA" [Portable Wire Antenna] for use with 'portable'
AM/FM Shortwave Radios
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/249


tyvm - tom sevart for the portable wire antenna - iane ~ RHF
.
All are WELCOME and "Invited to Join" the
Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antenna eGroup on YAHOO !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
SWL ANTENNAS GROUP = http://tinyurl.com/an6tw
.
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 !
With a Shortwave Listener SWL Antenna of your own making.
"If You Build It {SWL Antenna} You Will Hear Them !"
.
.
. .


I took this advice and built the PWA. It works like a charm.

I use it indoors though, and replaced the "weight" with an alligator clip.
I also followed RHF's advice about leaving extra wire hanging off the "toroid" and
and connecting a 1/8 mono plug for connecting to portable SW antenna jacks.

Here's how I made the modified version:

Materials...

Radio Shack stuff.
Hookup wire AWG22 90 feet cat. #278-1218
1/8" solderless mono mini plug cat. #274-868
Package of alligator clips cat. #270-375
(Online order $16.90 delivered, probably cheaper if you buy locally)

I got a five foot length of 1/2 inch inside diameter pvc at Home Depot for a couple of dollars. I
have a "mini" hacksaw which I used to cut a one foot length. I left 8 inches of wire hanging over
the end of the pvc and used super glue to tack the wire in place near the end while winding more
wire on the tube of pvc (see the PWA website picture). Then I wrapped the whole thing in black
electrical
tape. From the remaining spool I ran 50 more feet of wire, after I finished the tube part. I
attached an alligator clip to this long end of wire, and the mini-plug to the "short piece" that
extended beyond the "toroid" end. Then ran about 8 feet of the long wire end up the wall, tacked it
in place and continued to work my way around the ceiling.

I put the "tube" over a partially extended whip antenna of a portable SW, with mini-plug into the
antenna jack.

I assume 100 ft of wire would help enhance the lower frequencies.

Caveat: wives hate seeing wires like this. White or "off white" would be better and, if you can find
it at R.Shack, some white "wire wrap" would be almost invisible (you'd need to find a way to strip
the thin insulation though). I don't know the gage of this "wire wrap" but it's really thin. I've
seen it in 50 ft. lengths at RS.