Long Wire Antenna
 

Hello All:
I have an Icom R71A, that I am using with a 300' (plus or minus
10-20'). I have the antenna coming straight into the house, hooked to
a tentec antenna tuner and then to the receiver. Both the receiver and
the tuner are grounded. I would like to get some ideas on how to
reduce some of the static and to boost the signal on some of the
weaker stations. All suggestions would be gratefull.
Dave

Dave wrote:

Hello All:
I have an Icom R71A, that I am using with a 300' (plus or minus
10-20'). I have the antenna coming straight into the house, hooked to
a tentec antenna tuner and then to the receiver. Both the receiver and
the tuner are grounded. I would like to get some ideas on how to
reduce some of the static and to boost the signal on some of the
weaker stations. All suggestions would be gratefull.
Dave


Corrections welcmed from anyone, but here is what has always been my
understanding, Dave:

SW is amplitude modulation. Noise (and it will be most noticeable with
a longwire) is inherent. Anything that will amplify the signals more,
will equally amplify the noise you are getting with those signals. Net
improvement - nothing.
That said, many posters here like "tunable loop" antennas, very good for
cancelling out noise coming from *other directions* than the one you are
zeroed into with the loop. Look for good links - you can make your own
fairly easily. Others will have links at their fingertips, but a Google
search for "AM loop antenna" is a good start. The trade-off again: The
most distant and faint signals you can receive with your longwire will
probably disappear with the loop - but the signals you still receive
will likely be much quieter. Also, you have to turn the loop for
maximum effectiveness on different signals.

Bottom line: Maximum signal gathering ability, including "barely
theres", and the noise be damned? Stick with the longwire.

(Probably) less signals overall, but quieter reception? Try a loop.
Hope this helped.

I use a longwire, myself.

Tony

"Dave" wrote in message
...
Hello All:
I have an Icom R71A, that I am using with a 300' (plus or minus
10-20'). I have the antenna coming straight into the house, hooked to
a tentec antenna tuner and then to the receiver. Both the receiver and
the tuner are grounded. I would like to get some ideas on how to
reduce some of the static and to boost the signal on some of the
weaker stations. All suggestions would be gratefull.
Dave

Try grounding the antenna at the far end through a 100 ohm resistor (play
around with the resistance but stay between 10 and 1000 ohms). That may
reduce noise but will make the antenna directional off the far end.

On Thu, 16 Sep 2004 21:34:55 -0400, Tony Meloche
wrote:



Dave wrote:

Hello All:
I have an Icom R71A, that I am using with a 300' (plus or minus
10-20'). I have the antenna coming straight into the house, hooked to
a tentec antenna tuner and then to the receiver. Both the receiver and
the tuner are grounded. I would like to get some ideas on how to
reduce some of the static and to boost the signal on some of the
weaker stations. All suggestions would be gratefull.
Dave


Corrections welcmed from anyone, but here is what has always been my
understanding, Dave:

SW is amplitude modulation. Noise (and it will be most noticeable with
a longwire) is inherent. Anything that will amplify the signals more,
will equally amplify the noise you are getting with those signals. Net
improvement - nothing.
That said, many posters here like "tunable loop" antennas, very good for
cancelling out noise coming from *other directions* than the one you are
zeroed into with the loop. Look for good links - you can make your own
fairly easily. Others will have links at their fingertips, but a Google
search for "AM loop antenna" is a good start. The trade-off again: The
most distant and faint signals you can receive with your longwire will
probably disappear with the loop - but the signals you still receive
will likely be much quieter. Also, you have to turn the loop for
maximum effectiveness on different signals.

Bottom line: Maximum signal gathering ability, including "barely
theres", and the noise be damned? Stick with the longwire.

(Probably) less signals overall, but quieter reception? Try a loop.
Hope this helped.

I use a longwire, myself.

Tony
Good advice. Not mentioned are type of feedline, grounding, matching
transformer. I've found that a good ground, coax feedline (using 75
ohm RG-6 as it's cheaper than RG-8 variants and easier to work with)
and an ICE-182A (DC isolated transformer) provides some relief from
household appliances & the neighbors dimmers (a device that is
outlawed in my home as are flourescent lights - real noise
generators). Not much you can do to boost the signal only, just do
what you can to reduce the noise floor. That may mean ferrite chokes
on power cords for computers & televisions, vcr's etc and perhaps
giving up on the motion sensitive outdoor lights. Also, running the
antenna perpendicular to power lines can provide some relief - if that
is possible given your property.

Howard - an inverted L and an Alpha Delta Sloper and proud holder of
WAN (Worked All Noise) Certificate

You could make yourself a di-pole. They have an inherent "noise-cancelling"
property about them. Any noise received in one half of the di-pole is picked
up by the other half as "equal and opposite" (180 degrees out-of-phase) and
cancels out the other, to some degree.

Depends on several other variables how well this effect works.

(Pretty much why double-coil pickups in electric guitars are inherently
quieter than single-coil).

Mark.

"Dave" wrote in message
...
Hello All:
I have an Icom R71A, that I am using with a 300' (plus or minus
10-20'). I have the antenna coming straight into the house, hooked to
a tentec antenna tuner and then to the receiver. Both the receiver and
the tuner are grounded. I would like to get some ideas on how to
reduce some of the static and to boost the signal on some of the
weaker stations. All suggestions would be gratefull.
Dave

Mark wrote:

You could make yourself a di-pole. They have an inherent "noise-cancelling"
property about them. Any noise received in one half of the di-pole is picked
up by the other half as "equal and opposite" (180 degrees out-of-phase) and
cancels out the other, to some degree.

Depends on several other variables how well this effect works.

(Pretty much why double-coil pickups in electric guitars are inherently
quieter than single-coil).

Dipoles are best on only one small portion of a band. Not really all that good
for general all-round shortwave listening, though he could use it with the
tuner.

dxAce



Mark.

"Dave" wrote in message
...
Hello All:
I have an Icom R71A, that I am using with a 300' (plus or minus
10-20'). I have the antenna coming straight into the house, hooked to
a tentec antenna tuner and then to the receiver. Both the receiver and
the tuner are grounded. I would like to get some ideas on how to
reduce some of the static and to boost the signal on some of the
weaker stations. All suggestions would be gratefull.
Dave

= = = (Dave) wrote in message
= = = m...

Hello All:
I have an Icom R71A, that I am using with a 300' (plus or
minus 10-20'). I have the antenna coming straight into the
house, hooked to a tentec antenna tuner and then to the
receiver. Both the receiver and the tuner are grounded.
I would like to get some ideas on how to reduce some of the
static and to boost the signal on some of the weaker stations.
All suggestions would be gratefull.
Dave

DAVID,


First - Buy the following items:
* One Hundred Feet (100 Ft) of Coax Cable
* Eight Foot (8 Ft) Ground Rod
* A so called Magnetic Long Wire Balun (MLB)
- Palomar "MLB" Magnetic Longwire Balun @ $50
http://www.palomar-engineers.com/MLB-1/mlb-1.html
- RF Systems Magnetic Longwire Balun (MLB) @ $60
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/1484.html
- WinRadio Long Wire Adapter @ $40
http://www.winradio.com/home/lwa.htm
http://www.grove-ent.com/WR0130.html
- The ICE 180 / ICE 182 @ $40 {My Choice}
Broadband Impedance Matching Units intended for use with HF
Lowband, Low-Noise Receiving Antennas.
ICE= http://tinyurl.com/38unr
http://www.arraysolutions.com/Produc...html#Beverage%
20Matching
- - Model 180A Shortwave Band Coverage: 1.5 - 30 MHz
- - Model 182A Medium & Shortwave Bands Coverage: 0.1 - 30 MHz
- Par Electronics EF-SWL (Use the MLB Only)
http://www.parelectronics.com/swl_end.htm

Second - Run the Coax from your Radio Shack 'location' along
the path of your current Long Wire Antenna. Account for any
up-leads and down-leads of the Coax Run. The Far-End of the
Coax Cable is the new starting point of your Antenna Element.
Install a Ground Rod in the ground 'under' the "Junction Point"
of the Far-End of the Coax and your Antenna Element.

NOTE: You give-up 50-100Ft of Wire Antenna Element for a Coax
Cable Feed-in-Line with a MLB Coupler to create a "Low Noise"
Antenna.


Third - WHY? - Read these Messages posted to the Shortwave
Listeners (SWL) Antenna eGroup on YAHOO !

* Improving the 'basic' Long Wire Antenna with a Coax Lead-in-Line
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1024

* Basic Antenna ? -and- Better Antenna ?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1135

* Checking for "RF" Noise
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/707

* IMPROVING on the Classic simple "Random" Wire Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/466

* An OutSide Ground for Better Safety and more . . .
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/206

* Understanding the Random Wire Antenna . . .
and Building a Better One !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/200

* The "Low Noise" SWL Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...enna/message/2
..
..
REMEMBER: "The AM/MW and Shortwave Antenna is 55.5% . . .
of the Radio/Receiver and Antenna/Ground Reception Equation"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/288
A Shortwave Antenna is "Equally" Important for Good Reception [.]
..
..
iane ~ RHF
..
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/502
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night . . .
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond - The Beyond !
..
..

"RHF" wrote
First - Buy the following items:
* One Hundred Feet (100 Ft) of Coax Cable
* Eight Foot (8 Ft) Ground Rod
* A so called Magnetic Long Wire Balun (MLB)
- Palomar "MLB" Magnetic Longwire Balun @ $50
http://www.palomar-engineers.com/MLB-1/mlb-1.html
- RF Systems Magnetic Longwire Balun (MLB) @ $60
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/1484.html
- WinRadio Long Wire Adapter @ $40
http://www.winradio.com/home/lwa.htm
http://www.grove-ent.com/WR0130.html
- The ICE 180 / ICE 182 @ $40 {My Choice}
Broadband Impedance Matching Units intended for use with HF
Lowband, Low-Noise Receiving Antennas.
ICE= http://tinyurl.com/38unr
http://www.arraysolutions.com/Produc...html#Beverage%
20Matching
- - Model 180A Shortwave Band Coverage: 1.5 - 30 MHz
- - Model 182A Medium & Shortwave Bands Coverage: 0.1 - 30 MHz
- Par Electronics EF-SWL (Use the MLB Only)
http://www.parelectronics.com/swl_end.htm

Hi RHF.
This confuses me a bit, since the PAR EF-SWL has a 9:1 transformer built in.
If one gets the PAR do they connect the built in transformer to the MLB you suggest,
then run the coax to the receiver?

RHF:

What a helpful reply. Thanks for taking the time and effort to post all of
that good information. I am trying to figure out what antenna well best
suit my needs and that will go a long way toward helping me make up my mind.

:)




"RHF" wrote in message
om...
= = = (Dave) wrote in message
= = = m...

Hello All:
I have an Icom R71A, that I am using with a 300' (plus or
minus 10-20'). I have the antenna coming straight into the
house, hooked to a tentec antenna tuner and then to the
receiver. Both the receiver and the tuner are grounded.
I would like to get some ideas on how to reduce some of the
static and to boost the signal on some of the weaker stations.
All suggestions would be gratefull.
Dave

DAVID,


First - Buy the following items:
* One Hundred Feet (100 Ft) of Coax Cable
* Eight Foot (8 Ft) Ground Rod
* A so called Magnetic Long Wire Balun (MLB)
- Palomar "MLB" Magnetic Longwire Balun @ $50
http://www.palomar-engineers.com/MLB-1/mlb-1.html
- RF Systems Magnetic Longwire Balun (MLB) @ $60
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/1484.html
- WinRadio Long Wire Adapter @ $40
http://www.winradio.com/home/lwa.htm
http://www.grove-ent.com/WR0130.html
- The ICE 180 / ICE 182 @ $40 {My Choice}
Broadband Impedance Matching Units intended for use with HF
Lowband, Low-Noise Receiving Antennas.
ICE= http://tinyurl.com/38unr
http://www.arraysolutions.com/Produc...html#Beverage%
20Matching
- - Model 180A Shortwave Band Coverage: 1.5 - 30 MHz
- - Model 182A Medium & Shortwave Bands Coverage: 0.1 - 30 MHz
- Par Electronics EF-SWL (Use the MLB Only)
http://www.parelectronics.com/swl_end.htm

Second - Run the Coax from your Radio Shack 'location' along
the path of your current Long Wire Antenna. Account for any
up-leads and down-leads of the Coax Run. The Far-End of the
Coax Cable is the new starting point of your Antenna Element.
Install a Ground Rod in the ground 'under' the "Junction Point"
of the Far-End of the Coax and your Antenna Element.

NOTE: You give-up 50-100Ft of Wire Antenna Element for a Coax
Cable Feed-in-Line with a MLB Coupler to create a "Low Noise"
Antenna.


Third - WHY? - Read these Messages posted to the Shortwave
Listeners (SWL) Antenna eGroup on YAHOO !

* Improving the 'basic' Long Wire Antenna with a Coax Lead-in-Line
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1024

* Basic Antenna ? -and- Better Antenna ?
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1135

* Checking for "RF" Noise
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/707

* IMPROVING on the Classic simple "Random" Wire Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/466

* An OutSide Ground for Better Safety and more . . .
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/206

* Understanding the Random Wire Antenna . . .
and Building a Better One !
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/200

* The "Low Noise" SWL Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...enna/message/2
.
.
REMEMBER: "The AM/MW and Shortwave Antenna is 55.5% . . .
of the Radio/Receiver and Antenna/Ground Reception Equation"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/288
A Shortwave Antenna is "Equally" Important for Good Reception [.]
.
.
iane ~ RHF
.
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/502
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night . . .
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond - The Beyond !
.
.

= = = "Sanjaya" wrote in message
= = = link.net...
"RHF" wrote
First - Buy the following items:
* One Hundred Feet (100 Ft) of Coax Cable
* Eight Foot (8 Ft) Ground Rod
* A so called Magnetic Long Wire Balun (MLB)
- Palomar "MLB" Magnetic Longwire Balun @ $50
http://www.palomar-engineers.com/MLB-1/mlb-1.html
- RF Systems Magnetic Longwire Balun (MLB) @ $60
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/antsup/1484.html
- WinRadio Long Wire Adapter @ $40
http://www.winradio.com/home/lwa.htm
http://www.grove-ent.com/WR0130.html
- The ICE 180 / ICE 182 @ $40 {My Choice}
Broadband Impedance Matching Units intended for use with HF
Lowband, Low-Noise Receiving Antennas.
ICE= http://tinyurl.com/38unr
http://www.arraysolutions.com/Produc...html#Beverage%
20Matching
- - Model 180A Shortwave Band Coverage: 1.5 - 30 MHz
- - Model 182A Medium & Shortwave Bands Coverage: 0.1 - 30 MHz

- Par Electronics EF-SWL (Use the MLB Only) @ $60
http://www.parelectronics.com/swl_end.htm
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2205.html
..
..

Hi RHF.
This confuses me a bit, since the PAR EF-SWL has a 9:1 transformer built in.
If one gets the PAR do they connect the built in transformer to the MLB you suggest,
then run the coax to the receiver?

SANJAYA,

The Answer lays in Availability and Cost:

PAR Electronics EF-SWL (Use the MLB Only) @ $60
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2205.html
- The ICE 180 / ICE 182 @ $40 {My Choice}
- WinRadio Long Wire Adapter @ $40 (BNC Connector)
- Palomar "MLB" Magnetic Longwire Balun @ $50 {Easiest to use)

Buy the PAR and swap-out the Wire Antenna Elements for the
200-300 Ft Longwire. Save the PAR's 45 feet of genuine #14
black polyethylene coated Flex-Weave wire for a future antenna.

About "Flex-Weave" Antenna Wi
http://www.davisrf.com/ham1/flexweve.htm

Also there is the "Universal Magnetic Balun" (UMB) a Receiving
(Only) Antenna Balun with a 9:1 impedance ratio by Wellbrook, UK.
UMB= http://www.wellbrook.uk.com/UMB.html
LONGWIRE&UMB= http://www.wellbrook.uk.com/longwire.html

Do-It-Yourself Antenna Balun Kits by ByteMark
http://www.bytemark.com/products/kit_bal1.htm

iane ~ RHF
..
..