How to connect external antenna to GE Super Radio III
 

I'm sorry, probably a very novice question here, but I'm a novice. :-)
Just trying to pull in a very weak AM station signal in an office
building, and wanting to connect an external antenna to my GE Super
Radio III. I've visited a Radio Shack to see their AM/FM Indoor
Antenna, and I've also called Best Buy about the two Terk antennas
they have in-store. In neither case was the store attendant certain
as to how these antennas would actually connect to my radio, so I'm
hoping someone here can help. As most of you probably already know,
the radio has three screws on the back: AM, FM, and Ground. The
antenna I saw at Radio Shack had a coax cable with an adaptor that
ended in the little hook connectors (like you'd find on an old TV)
that would be suited to such screws, but the guy there said the coax
cable was only for FM. It also had a plain wire pair connection that
he said was for AM (he was too busy with other customers to help
further, though, and just kind of mumbled this to his coworker, so I'm
not sure). I haven't yet seen the connections on the Terks, but the
guy at Best Buy said over the phone that it would probably require
some sort of transformer to connect.

Can anyone help with how exactly one of these antennas must be
connected to these screws on the back of the radio? Thanks very much.

Jim

You have to be careful about listening to store personnel about things like
this. Most don't have a clue but instead of telling you that, they make
something up. In this case: clueless. Any antenna that Radio Shack now
carries is a waste of money (they discontinued the good ones). The Terk is a
good antenna. It requires no connection to the radio. It works by induction.
Sit it close to your radio and tune it. It does have a provision to be able
to connect it to the radio but there is no need and often works poorly that
way. Due to the considerable gain the GE has already, an external antenna
will help very little if at all.Your best bet is to get near a window. It is
the steel frame of the office building that blocks the signal. Another
option is to run a wire out the window. I have not been able to determine
that the external antenna screws are actually hooked to anything. I tried a
seventy foot wire on mine one time with no difference whatsoever. Another
option (again, if you can run a wire outside or at least near a window) is
the Justice am antenna sold by C. Crane. It is a small unit that mounts
remotely and coax is run to your radio. The connection to your radio is by
induction so there is no physical connection. Thos who I have talked to that
have tried it say that it works quite well and it would undoubtedly solve
your problem if you could get it next to or outside a window. The down side
is it costs about $100.00.


"Jim" wrote in message
m...
I'm sorry, probably a very novice question here, but I'm a novice. :-)
Just trying to pull in a very weak AM station signal in an office
building, and wanting to connect an external antenna to my GE Super

On 17 Oct 2003 10:15:21 -0700, (Jim) wrote:

I'm sorry, probably a very novice question here, but I'm a novice. :-)
Just trying to pull in a very weak AM station signal in an office
building, and wanting to connect an external antenna to my GE Super
Radio III. I've visited a Radio Shack to see their AM/FM Indoor
Antenna, and I've also called Best Buy about the two Terk antennas
they have in-store. In neither case was the store attendant certain
as to how these antennas would actually connect to my radio, so I'm
hoping someone here can help. As most of you probably already know,
the radio has three screws on the back: AM, FM, and Ground. The
antenna I saw at Radio Shack had a coax cable with an adaptor that
ended in the little hook connectors (like you'd find on an old TV)
that would be suited to such screws, but the guy there said the coax
cable was only for FM. It also had a plain wire pair connection that
he said was for AM (he was too busy with other customers to help
further, though, and just kind of mumbled this to his coworker, so I'm
not sure). I haven't yet seen the connections on the Terks, but the
guy at Best Buy said over the phone that it would probably require
some sort of transformer to connect.

Can anyone help with how exactly one of these antennas must be
connected to these screws on the back of the radio? Thanks very much.

Jim


I believe the GE super radio has a built-in 8-inch ferrite core
antenna for AM reception. This is probably as good as, or better than,
anything for AM in the Radio Shack units.

You might try just connecting an odd length of copper wire to the
screw on your radio labeled "AM." 10 or 20 feet. See what happens.

Move the radio around. Move the wire around. If you can open your
office window, throw the wire out the window.

Receiving signals in an office building is tricky, because you're in a
steel box, so to speak. It's good at blocking AM signals.

Bob
k5qwg