SD,

For Shortwave Listening (SWL) what you would spend on an
Active Antenna; you could buy a good 'passive' Wire Antenna.
* Your Location {Region} and Weather can be a Factor in
your choice of Antennas.
* The RF Environment {Noise} of your Location {Neighborhood}
also can be a Factor in your choice of Antennas.

1 - Two Major Determining Factors would be :
* The Size-of-the-Area {Space} that you have to put the
Wire Antenna up in; and the relative noise of your location.
- - - - - vice - - - - -
* The Distance-Away-from the Home and other Sources
of Noise that you could Locate the Active Antenna.

2 - Here are a few Good "Out-Side" 'passive' Wire Antennas
for the Shortwave Listener (SWL) : {Sized - Big to Small}
* Alpha Delta DX-Ultra Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/3377.html
* Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper SWL Sloper Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/0013.html
* * Par Electronics EF-SWL Antenna - Rigged as a
15 Foot Vertical by 30 Foot Horizontal Inverted "L"
{Low Noise} Antenna with Coax Cable feed-in-line.
http://www.grove-ent.com/ANT8.html
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2205.html
* RF Systems Mini-Windom Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/3575.html

3 - Here are a few Good "Out-Side" Active Antennas for
the Shortwave Listener (SWL) : {Priced - High to Moderate}
* Dressler ARA60S Active Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/4061.html
* RF Systems DX-10 Professional Active Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2868.html
* * McKay Dymek DA-100E Active Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/0328.html
* LF Engineering H-800 Skymatch Active Antenna
http://www.grove-ent.com/ANT15.html
* MFJ-1024 Active Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/1132.html

Most of these are considered to offer Full Spectrum Coverage of
both the Medium-Wave and Shortwave Bands : 500 kHz - 30 MHz.

FWIW - As time goes on you may wish to have both an
Out-Side Wire Antenna and an Active Antenna as a "Pair"
of Antennas to Choose from for a variety of Shortwave
Listening (SWL) needs.


iane ~ RHF