On Dec 30, 9:32*pm, Mike wrote:
VOA via Madagascar on 9680 @ 2105 UTC
On Dec 30, 9:29 pm, RHF wrote:



=Q#1= Are you using the PAL (o) Connector for the FM
and Shortwave External Antenna ? [FM SW EXT ANT]

-or- Have you attached the External External 50 Foot Wire
Antenna 'directly' to the Radio's Whip Antenna ?

-or- Are you using the Twin [Black & Red] Terminals [GND
MW EXT ANT] for the External 50 Foot Wire Antenna ?

PAL Connector borrowed from my Eton E1XM...



=Q#2= Are you using a "Ground" with the External 50
Foot Wire Antenna ?

Nope.

=Q#3= Are you using a AC 'Mains' Power or DC Battery
Power with/for the Radio ?

I operate everything, except my R75, SAT800, RX320, and Sony 6800W,
off of alkaline batteries.

I live in a community which enforces anti-antenna regulations by
having the maintenance team report violations. My external antenna are
different length reels of wire stealth-deployed for limited periods
consisting of weekends, after 4pm daily and holidays.

I would be grateful for any ideas you might have on what I can do to
improve my antenna capabilities.

Q1: What about the plans that are periodically posted on how to use
telephone wiring as an antenna?

Q2: Any suggestions on baluns? Sources of Info?

Thanks,

Mike

PONG MWB : Improving Your Radio Shack One-Step-At-A-Time
-was- VOA via Madagascar on 9680 @ 2105 UTC

MWB,

First -if-possible- Make yourself a Grounding Point
'connection' for your Radio Shack. In a multi-dwelling
building complex a good earthen ground may not be
possible so simply try for a fair RF Signal Ground.
* Cold Water Pipes
* Metal Window Frame
* Center Screw on and Electrical Outlet's Cover Plate
* Bottom-Center Round Hole on a Three Prong Electrical
Outlet
Take a 'portable' AM/FM Shortwave Radio with the Whip
Antenna Collapsed and a short piece of Wire attached
[12 Inch Wire Jumper with Alligator Clips on both ends]
Turn the Radio 'On' and Turn to a non-station Noisy SW
Radio Frequency : Test for RF Noise Grounding by
touching the Alligator Clip to several Cold Water Pipes
and/or Metal Window Frames. When the Radio goes
quite/silent you have a fair RF Signal Ground. Attach
the Alligator Chip and turn around the Bands to see if
it is a good RF Signal Ground across the Bands.
"IF" and only 'if' the none of the Cold Water Pipes and/or
Metal Window Frames do not test-out to be RF Noise
Grounds : Then try the Electrical Outlets for Grounds.
-note- don't be surprised if some of the metal pipes and
window actually increase the Noise Levels.

FWIW -imho- Most modern Telephone Wiring Systems
with the Internet and DSL etc streaming on them are
Sources of Noise and very poor sources of good radio
signals now a days.

Do You {Can You} have a Dish-TV Satellite Dish ?
-IF- "Yes" then buy a 'used' Dish at a Flea Market
Mount the Dish as far-away and as far-up as possible.
Run a Coax Cable or better two Coaxes to the Dish.

Oops but they are not just simply Coax Cables :
They are "Snake" Antennas made from Coax )
Start with 50, 75, 100 Feet* of Coax Cable :
RE========[C]|-|=========S
R = Radio
E = External Antenna Connector
'=' Coax as feed-in-line
[C] = Clamp-On Ferrite Choke
|-| = Gap One Inch Coax Shield Removed
'=' Coax as Wire Antenna Element
S = Short the Inner Conductor to Coax Shield
* Most of the time making the Coax feed-in-line
part of the Snake Antenna 'equal' to the Wire
Antenna Element of the Coax Cable yields
the best results in an End-Fed 'Linear' Dipole.
-or- Try the 3/8 feed-in-line by 5/8 Antenna
Element arrangement as an End-Fed 'Linear'
Windom.

Second Coax Cable Wire to a H-800 SkyMatch
LF/MF/HF Active Antenna mounted in the Center
of the Dish (---:

hope this helps - iane ~ RHF