Q&A: How to put an external antenna on my short wave radio?
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Question by Sean Gregory: How to put an external antenna on my short wave radio?
I just bought a world band radio with fm/am/sw. It has tge standard whip aerial but they're no good for sw it turns out. It has an external antenna plug at the back. It's a coaxial F mount. I want to be able to buy or make myself an antenna that will work. I've heard all about dipole and longwave wires and stringing wire in your ceiling etc. Problem is, everyone keeps using technical mumbo jumbo that nobody understands and I just need it simply put. Im happy to stretch some line in the back yard but I need some advice on wire gauge, how to attach the wire/s to the F mount, if (with the F mount) it needs to be earthed at all, even though the radio is earthed through mains power, also if i should use coaxial cable at all and if ohms are important. Im looking at spending anywhere from a few bucks to $ 100. But thats pushing it a bit.
IJust want to hear something at all. Right now all I've heare is 3 stations and 2 frequencies with beeps. I expect a bit more from a $ 129 radio.
Ask me for details if you need more. Cheers.
Thanks for those links Daniel. I have one of those brands that only one store sells but is rebadged and sold in other places. It is a Digitech AR-1748. Here's the link for one with details of features.
I just want a simple explanation of a few examples from someone who has done it, for the layman. I fear those books would assume the buyer already knows his electrical terminology, which I don't.
Best answer:
Answer by Daniel K
Good books on antennas:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Build-Your-Own-Shortwave-Antennas/dp/0070765340/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1328797181&sr=8-2
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Limited-Space-Shortwave-Antenna-Solutions/dp/0936653132/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1328797181&sr=8-3
Usually the whip antenna works pretty well for the higher frequency stations.
What type of radio do you have?
What do you think? Answer below!
Most ‘low end’ portable receivers overload easily so an external antenna may not be the best first try at improving your results with the radio. A real ground (NOT through the electrical system!) however, is a good idea as a ‘next step’.
Check out some basic information on sites like http://www.dxing.com/tuning.htm (and the other pages on that site) and http://mare.radio.tripod.com and get familiar with where and when to look for stations (not all stations are on the air at all times and the frequencies vary from hour to hour!). That radio and whip antenna should get you at least 20-25 countries before you have to resort to additional equipment, or spending lots of extra money. In general, spend some money on club membership if you have a club nearby and books/magazines rather than equipment first. The information will allow you to make informed decisions about what works and what doesn’t. And seek out a local person who knows what to expect in your area — every location is different!
Also, I note the radio has two ‘f’ connectors and a couple of single wire leads. You should consult the labels and owners manuals to be sure you know what to connect where!
All of that said, the ‘first’ sort of antenna you should consider is a randomwire or ‘inverted L’ antenna rather than trying to worry about dipoles and impedance matching, etc. See <http://www.iw5edi.com/ham-radio/?instructions-for-putting-up-a-long-wire-antenna,116> for one take on this, and don’t you DARE spend $ 50-250 for a ‘commercially made’ antenna as your ‘first’ antenna. There is no ‘magic’ about this, and you can’t hurt your radio by connecting a ‘wrong’ antenna to a receiver so don’t be afraid to experiment a bit. DO pay attention to safety concerns like watching for power lines and the like though, as you CAN hurt yourself if you aren’t careful!
Good luck and welcome to the world of SW! There are still lots of interesting things to hear out there!