Dear Friends,

I have posted to this group on a number of occasions and have received
a weath of information. For that I am appreciative. This time I am
seek help with AM (and possibly FM) radio reception.

My question is:

What are the best ways to improve radio reception?

Here is an idea of what brought this question to light. I live in
Erie, Pennsylvania, a port city on Lake Erie. Right across the lake
is Canada (a distance of about 20 to 25 miles). Quite frequently,
like everyday, I enjoy the offerings of Canadian radio. CKOC AM 1150,
Hamilton, CHUM AM 1050, Toronto, and CFCO AM 630, Chatham-Kent are
among my favorite radio stations. I would like to know how to improve
the reception of these stations with the resources that I possess.

I have an Electro Brand Multiband radio that I inherited from my
father. This is a great radio for reception, but I use this for
mostly outdoor DXing. I am not sure how to attach an external antenna
to it.

I have several general purpose radios throughout the house. The ones
that I find I have the best luck with are from Radio Shack. (where
else?) I have also purchased a Ring Antenna from Radio Shack. I had
the idea of somehow attaching the Ring Antenna to above mentioned
Electro Brand radio. The instructions, however, were not clear about
how to do this. Maybe I missed something.

I also have a crawl space/half attic that is presently being used to
store nothing but insulation and hold up a roof. I believe that there
is plenty of room up there. The possibility of a wire antenna layed
from front of house to back of house is an extremely good possiblity,
but again I am unsure of how to connect radio with antenna.

I am also considering a more costly investment by getting into ham
radio. I would like to construct an antenna in back yard. But once,
again, how does the antenna get connected to radio. Any help would be
greatly appreciated.

Thank You,

David B. Berchtold
Radio Listener and Fan from Erie, PA