I have always been intrigued with shortwave listening, but don't know
much about it. I recently built a house out in the country and find
that reception of virtually everything is better than in the city, so
it's time to get serious. The house is high up on a hill and I can see
the horizon in virtually all directions, so there's not anything
visible blocking signals.

Because of our weather here (eastern Nebraska), it was highly advised
that I put in a lightning arrest system in the attic. There's at least
a couple hundred feet of 3/4" braided solid copper wire tying 13
lightning rods together going up through the roof. The whole thing is
grounded in 4 places around the house with 10' copper ground rods. The
wiring is in every peak and valley in the attic, so it has exposure to
all directions at just about every angle imaginable.

Question is, can this array of wiring be used as a shortwave antenna?
I know there's a lot more to reception than just a bunch of wire, but
it sure seems like a waste not to use it if possible. If it can't, I
guess it's a pretty short discussion, but if it can, how would I
connect it to a radio (the radio is the next project to figure out
which one to get).

I know you probably get a lot of stupid questions, but if you can lead
me in the right direction, I would be most appreciative.

HawgDawg