Coax cable will convey the signal from an antenna to your receiver. If
there is no antenna at the other end of the coax, no appreciable signal
will reach your receiver. The 2 meter antenna is a very poor antenna at
MW, so it will pick up very little MF signal for your receiver to hear.

When you disconnect the coax shield, then the coax itself becomes an
antenna, and you hear signals. You'll get the same effect by connecting
a single wire of the same length to the center conductor of the receiver
antenna connector.

If you connect a decent antenna (that is, decent for use at the
frequency you're listening to with your receiver) to the far end of the
coax, then you'll get a good signal when the coax is properly connected.

Roy Lewallen, W7EL

wrote:
On 15 Jul, 19:14, Nate Bargmann
wrote:


I then took, as an experiement, my 2m areial co-ax, plugged it in and
tuned to a good local MW signal. Exactly the same phenomena occurs.
Without the shield connected to the frame of the radio, it no longer acts
as a shield as you've noticed. This is normal.

Sorry , I do not understand that bit.

What I meant was when the shield was loose I can pick up the station
but as soon as I tightened it the signal went. This was on the 2m
antenna which in recevie only mode should work. This implied to me
that either both cables are in error or I am doing something very
wrong.

Andre