JW,

Modified 1/8" Mono Plug for a 'portable' Radio's Ground Connection
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/9097

As you have discovered, most of the time a 'portable' AM / FM
Shortwave Radio's Earphone Jack is also coupled to the Radio's
RF internal circuitry and is also RF Signal Ground.

Using a modified 1/8" Mono Plug can allow you to connect a
Ground Wire to the Radio for improved Signal and lower Noise.

MODIFIED - 1/8" Mono Plug for a 'portable' Radio's Ground Connection :
1. Remove the Tip Section of the 1/8" Mono Plug leaving
just the Rear Barrel Section and Solder Terminal.
2. Solder a Wire (Ground Wire) to the Solder Terminal.
3. Connect the Wire to Ground or the Shack's Ground.
4. Plug the 1/8" Mono Plug into the Radio's Earphone Jack.
Your Radio is now Grounded.

TIP - This is also a good Travel Ground Connection to
have in your Travel Radio's Travelling Bag. Modified
1/8" Mono Plug on one end of a 3'-5' piece of Wire and
an Alligator Clip on the other end to clip-on to things.


WHAT ABOUT AN ANTENNA ?

* Collapse the Radio's Whip Antenna and connect an
External Wire Antenna directly to the Whip Antenna
for improved FM and Shortwave reception.
Note -Some times this also works for AM/MW reception too.

* Wrap a few turns of the Exteral Antenna Wire
around the Radio to couple the RF Signal to the
Radio's built-in AM/MW Ferrite Rod Antenna.

TIP - You may wish to consider using a "PWA"
Portable Wire Antenna (PWA) - by Tom Sevart
PWA = http://www.geocities.com/n2uhc/portablewire.html

READ - A Compilation of "Portable Wire Antenna" (PWA) Messages
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/5871
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/5894


hope this helps - iane ~ RHF

On 2006-04-19, RHF wrote:

MODIFIED - 1/8" Mono Plug for a 'portable' Radio's Ground Connection :
1. Remove the Tip Section of the 1/8" Mono Plug leaving
just the Rear Barrel Section and Solder Terminal.
2. Solder a Wire (Ground Wire) to the Solder Terminal.
3. Connect the Wire to Ground or the Shack's Ground.
4. Plug the 1/8" Mono Plug into the Radio's Earphone Jack.
Your Radio is now Grounded.


I might be missing something here, but ....

If I plug the modufied plug into the earphone jack, the radio's speaker
would still be taken out of the circuit. Now that the earphone jack is no
longer usable, and the speaker is no longer inline, there would be no audio.
In a strange way it makes sense, no audio, much less noise.

In article ,
Silfax wrote:
On 2006-04-19, RHF wrote:

MODIFIED - 1/8" Mono Plug for a 'portable' Radio's Ground Connection :
1. Remove the Tip Section of the 1/8" Mono Plug leaving
just the Rear Barrel Section and Solder Terminal.
2. Solder a Wire (Ground Wire) to the Solder Terminal.
3. Connect the Wire to Ground or the Shack's Ground.
4. Plug the 1/8" Mono Plug into the Radio's Earphone Jack.
Your Radio is now Grounded.


I might be missing something here, but ....

If I plug the modufied plug into the earphone jack, the radio's speaker
would still be taken out of the circuit. Now that the earphone jack is no
longer usable, and the speaker is no longer inline, there would be no audio.
In a strange way it makes sense, no audio, much less noise.

The cutout switch is driven off the contact for tip of the plug (which
is removed). But that also provides the spring detent force to keep
the plug from falling out.

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

MZ - Right on both points. ~ RHF

In article .com,
RHF wrote:
MZ - Right on both points. ~ RHF

Which is why the battery eliminator jack (coaxial power socket) may be
a better bet. If it's hooked up so that the center pin is ground,
you may be able to get a crimp on terminal (as used in a Molex connector
or RS-232 plug) that fits on the center pin without activating the
disconnect switch (that's pushed by the outer barrel). A bit of shrink
tubing is recommended to keep from shorting the two contacts. (There's
no disconnect switch on an FR-200, so I just use a (size N?) plug from
Radio Shack).

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

JHR,

HOW TO - REMOVE THE TIP OF THE 1/8" MONO-PLUG :
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/9133
Use two Pairs of Pliers to carefully remove the End-Tip of the body
of the 1/8" Mono Plug.
Oops - Some people just use a Pair-of-Diks and snip-it-off :-(
Next - Ever-so-Gently -squeeze- the Barrel and deform it 'just enough'
(into an Oval) to make it a "Pinch-Fit" for the 1/8" Jack.

FWIW - If you only have a SO-239 Jack on the back of your Radio
or other equipment; and want to connect a simple Insulated Wire
feed-in-line form a classic LongWire {Random Wire} Antenna.
Then a {1/8"?} Banana Plug will 'fit into' the Center Female Pin of
the SO-239 Jack. -Note- Sometimes you have to gently spread the
four sections of the Banana Plug Tip to get a Snug-Fit with the
Center Female Pin of the SO-239 Jack.


Back in the Good Old Days on the Farm the Answer . . .
would be Baling Wire )
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baling_wire

The Modern Day Urban Answers are now things like :
a Paper Clip, a Rubber Band and some Duck Tape )
http://tinyurl.com/mlpty
http://www.texasescapes.com/DelbertT...s-Caulking.htm



yes it is that simple - iane ~ RHF

OK, you've got my attention...but I use my headphones with the earphone
jack...so, can I connect a wire to the ground side of the headphone
plug and connect that to ground, then continue using my headphones
normally?

Ran - All things being equal that would work. ~ RHF

"RHF" wrote in message
ups.com...

MODIFIED - 1/8" Mono Plug for a 'portable' Radio's Ground Connection :
1. Remove the Tip Section of the 1/8" Mono Plug leaving
just the Rear Barrel Section and Solder Terminal.

OK, I'll bite...
How do you get the "modified plug" to stay in the socket once you remove the
only part that keeps it in there? Sounds useful, yet at the same time
worthless...