SC Dxing wrote:
On Dec 11, 6:18 pm, "Burr" wrote:

Morning, I have used a sloping "L" for years both in Ridgecrest, Ca. and
here in the Philippines. This works very well for me, just be sure to run
the long leg E-W.

I'll google that one and try it. I'm happy with the reception I am
getting but I guess part of the fun is playing around with stuff like
antennas.... I figure with my little unit, I can't ask it to do too
much. I figure I should have at least 2 different antenna lengths,
probably 4 would even be better.

I also figured out the SW radio I had 13 or so years ago, it was an RS
DX-390 that went kaput after 2 years. I remember it would auto-mute
though when flipping the dial. Too bad I mucked it, reading through
the web, it was probably fixable.

And DxAce, thanks much for your input.

Now if I could find a radio shop here in South Carolina besides Radio
Shack that sold shortwave/scanner stuff........

Grove is in Brasstown, NC. How far is that?

"SC Dxing" wrote in message
...
My question is, what do you use for an antenna to listen to shortwave?


My dozens of portables just use the built in whip. I get good enough
reception on the 2nd floor of my house here.

My radios that don't have built in antennas (Drake R8 and some 1930s tube
radios) use a random wire strung in the attic.

On Fri, 12 Dec 2008 09:48:29 -0500, "Bob Campbell"
wrote:

"SC Dxing" wrote in message
...
My question is, what do you use for an antenna to listen to shortwave?


My dozens of portables just use the built in whip. I get good enough
reception on the 2nd floor of my house here.

My radios that don't have built in antennas (Drake R8 and some 1930s tube
radios) use a random wire strung in the attic.

R6000 In the ham room for the ts450sat and just the whip up stairs for
the Satellite800.

__My dozens of portables just use the built in whip__
Hi Bob
Dozens of portables...what kinds do you have? I'm an amateur collector
myself. Some are listed in one of my posts yesterday. I'm always bothered
by some type of interference or another, that's why I have to use the
MFJ-1026 at times.
"Bob Campbell" wrote in message
m...
"SC Dxing" wrote in message
...
My question is, what do you use for an antenna to listen to shortwave?


My dozens of portables just use the built in whip. I get good enough
reception on the 2nd floor of my house here.

My radios that don't have built in antennas (Drake R8 and some 1930s tube
radios) use a random wire strung in the attic.

On Dec 11, 2:10*pm, SC Dxing wrote:
After a week of owning the Grundig G6, so far the best antenna
arrangement for me is simply running a speaker wire along the ground
about 70 feet in my backyard. The Slinky antenna didn't work out well,
running a wire on the top of my house gave me more inference (plus
overloading), and the whip antenna isn't good on weaker signals. I've
heard that a CB antenna does well on the higher freqs on SW (15mhz and
above), if I can get one cheap, I'll try to hook that up on my roof.

My question is, what do you use for an antenna to listen to shortwave?


SC Dxing,

FWIW - Presently I have an Inverted "L" Antenna with a
26 Foot Vertical Up-Leg and a 103 Foot Horizontal Out-Arm

31 Meters Shortwave Radio Band = 25.8 Feet
* 31 Meters = 9400 9900 kHz

120 Meters Shortwave Radio Band = 102.5 Feet
* 120 Meters = 2300 2495 kHz

Using a WR LWA-0130 Long Wire Antenna Adapter
WinRadio = http://www.grove-ent.com/WR0130.html
at the base of the Vertical Up-Leg with a 50 Foot
Coax Cable feed-in-line.

Plus a 8 Foot Ground Rod at the base of the Vertical Up-Leg

In article ,
SC Dxing wrote:
After a week of owning the Grundig G6, so far the best antenna
arrangement for me is simply running a speaker wire along the ground
about 70 feet in my backyard. The Slinky antenna didn't work out well,
running a wire on the top of my house gave me more inference (plus
overloading), and the whip antenna isn't good on weaker signals. I've
heard that a CB antenna does well on the higher freqs on SW (15mhz and
above), if I can get one cheap, I'll try to hook that up on my roof.

My question is, what do you use for an antenna to listen to shortwave?

It depends on what sort of antenna the radio is designed for.

My Grundig FR-200 (the $40-$50 crank powered) shortwave is designed for
high impedance with the short whip. You can tell if the signal gets
weaker if you touch the antenna. No external antenna input.

You can really boost performance (when running on batteries) with a
couple of 10-15 feet lengths of wire with alligator clips. Clip one
onto the antenna, and clip the other onto the radio's circuit ground.
That's the negative side of the battery string, or the outside of the
headphone jack, or the negative side of the dc-power jack. Run them in
a straight line with the radio in the middle, broadside to the direction
to the station. (Not for the AM band, that uses the internal loopstick,
for most portables).

Buzzword: counterpoise.

Using headphones may have a similar effect, as the headphone cable and
your bod take the place of the wire. Likewise, running on the AC adapter,
but that may add more noise.

Mark Zenier
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

On Dec 11, 9:46*pm, Telamon
wrote:
In article
,
*SC Dxing wrote:

After a week of owning the Grundig G6, so far the best antenna
arrangement for me is simply running a speaker wire along the ground
about 70 feet in my backyard. The Slinky antenna didn't work out well,
running a wire on the top of my house gave me more inference (plus
overloading), and the whip antenna isn't good on weaker signals. I've
heard that a CB antenna does well on the higher freqs on SW (15mhz and
above), if I can get one cheap, I'll try to hook that up on my roof.

My question is, what do you use for an antenna to listen to shortwave?

I have two split shielded loops. One north-south and the other east-west.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

I have a Alpha Delta DX sloper running north to south and a terminated
long wire running east to west. I also run a length of 11 gauge wire
150 ft northeast. I use the long wires at times also for the BCB when
needed but usually will use my loop antennas on a couple of
turntables. Three other different kinds of scanner antennas mounted 20
ft. high and the bad ass Channel Master antenna 30ft. in the air. :-)

On Dec 12, 12:45*pm, (Mark Zenier) wrote:
In article ,
SC Dxing wrote:

After a week of owning the Grundig G6, so far the best antenna
arrangement for me is simply running a speaker wire along the ground
about 70 feet in my backyard. The Slinky antenna didn't work out well,
running a wire on the top of my house gave me more inference (plus
overloading), and the whip antenna isn't good on weaker signals. I've
heard that a CB antenna does well on the higher freqs on SW (15mhz and
above), if I can get one cheap, I'll try to hook that up on my roof.

My question is, what do you use for an antenna to listen to shortwave?

It depends on what sort of antenna the radio is designed for.

My Grundig FR-200 (the $40-$50 crank powered) shortwave is designed for
high impedance with the short whip. *You can tell if the signal gets
weaker if you touch the antenna. *No external antenna input.

You can really boost performance (when running on batteries) with a
couple of 10-15 feet lengths of wire with alligator clips. *Clip one
onto the antenna, and clip the other onto the radio's circuit ground.
That's the negative side of the battery string, or the outside of the
headphone jack, or the negative side of the dc-power jack. *Run them in
a straight line with the radio in the middle, broadside to the direction
to the station. *(Not for the AM band, that uses the internal loopstick,
for most portables).

Buzzword: counterpoise. *

Using headphones may have a similar effect, as the headphone cable and
your bod take the place of the wire. *Likewise, running on the AC adapter,
but that may add more noise.

Mark Zenier *
Googleproofaddress(account:mzenier provider:eskimo domain:com)

Two Simple 'portable' AM/FM Shortwave Radio Reception Tricks

Aluminum Foil Counterpoise :
Note - First Fully Extend the Radio's Whip Antenna
Yeah sometimes taking a piece of Aluminum Foil
12" by 18"~24" and simply placing the Foil under
the Radio will improve the 'reception'
-tip- Some people will use a Metal Cookie Sheet
instead of the Aluminum Foil

"Grounding" The Radio :
Note - First Fully Extend the Radio's Whip Antenna
Sometimes connecting a Ground Wire to the Radio
will reduce the noise pick-up and improve the signal.
Try touching a Ground Wire to the Outer Ring of the
Headphone Jack and any Body Screws.

Try Both In-Combination
Note - First Fully Extend the Radio's Whip Antenna
Place the Aluminum Foil under the Radio
Attach a Ground Wire to the Foil

Remember that these Tricks usually work best with
the Radio running on Batteries Only; and with the
Radio's Whip Antenna fully extended.

what works works - iane ~ RHF {pomkia}