I live in an apartment with no balcony, so reception can be a challenge.

A few years ago, I used a 32" telescoping whip I had in my spare parts box,
and wrapped the entire length in a very tight coil of small guage copper
wire. I left about 10" on the end, and screwed a large alligator clip on
it.

(I does not look like much, but in the window, it's almost invisible).

Then I take it, and I place in in the window frame between the screen and
the glass, so even if it's cold, I can still close the window almost all the
way.

I use 25 feet of small guage speaker wire with alligator clips on each end
for my end fed feedline. I can then clip it to anything. It works well
with portables of benchtop receivers. I can clip it to the antenna on top
of my old Drake SSR and make it come alive. I can clip it to the back of my
Kenwood R-300 and get the same result.

On portables, I generally do not get overload. If I do, I just hook it to my
MFJ-959B, and then I can play around with, or antennuate the signals.

It was fun, it was cheap, and it works great.

On Apr 18, 5:59 pm, "SWL-2010" wrote:
I live in an apartment with no balcony, so reception can be a challenge.

A few years ago, I used a 32" telescoping whip I had in my spare parts box,
and wrapped the entire length in a very tight coil of small guage copper
wire. I left about 10" on the end, and screwed a large alligator clip on
it.

(I does not look like much, but in the window, it's almost invisible).

Then I take it, and I place in in the window frame between the screen and
the glass, so even if it's cold, I can still close the window almost all the
way.

I use 25 feet of small guage speaker wire with alligator clips on each end
for my end fed feedline. I can then clip it to anything. It works well
with portables of benchtop receivers. I can clip it to the antenna on top
of my old Drake SSR and make it come alive. I can clip it to the back of my
Kenwood R-300 and get the same result.

On portables, I generally do not get overload. If I do, I just hook it to my
MFJ-959B, and then I can play around with, or antennuate the signals.

It was fun, it was cheap, and it works great.

Mini-BroomStick Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna - In-the-Window
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw.../message/12978

SWL-2010,

Glad that you are enjoying your Home-Brewed In-the-Window
Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna.

But in general if you simply wrap Wire around a Metal Object
and then use that Coiled Wire as an Antenna : You have
simply increased the Diameter of the Metal Object by placing
the Wire around it -and- the Electro-Mechanical properties of
the Metal Object make the Wire Coil a slightly larger version
of the original Metal Object. - - - Example : A 1/4" by 36"
Brass Tube becomes a 3/8" by 36" Copper Wire Tube.

Most of the time when a "Form" {Foundation} is used to Wrap
Wire-On it is non-metalic. So often a Wood Dowel or a Plastic
Tube. -Tip- White PVC Pipe works OK as a Form.
1 - Measure the Diagonal of a Window and Cut the Form
to that Length.
2 - Drill a Hole through the Form close to both Ends.
3 - Use Stranded Hook-Up Wire for the Antenna Element
4 - Place one-end of the Wire in one of the Holes and
tie a Knot in the Short piece of Wire coming out leaving
3"-6" inches to work with.
5 - Use a 12-18" piece of Thicker # 14 AWG Solid Copper
Wire and Wrap it around the Form with the Antenna Wire
about 3-4 Turns. The Thicker Solid Copper Wire becomes
your Wire Spacing {Gap} Form to Wrap the Coil around
the Form. Snake it {slowly and carefully} around the Form
as you Wind your Antenna Wire Coil around the Length of
the Form.
6 - When you get to the other-end of the cut the Wire so
that you have about 3-6" to work with; and place the end of
the Wire in the Hole at that end; and Tie a Knot in the Short
piece of Wire coming out; and trim off the excess Wire.

FWIW - On a 3/4" by 36" piece of PVC Pipe you will have
about 5-6 Turns of Wire per Liner-Inch of Pipe. That would
Add-Up-To about 180-216 Turns along the Length of the Pipe.
The Length of Wire in One-Turn would be about 2.4" : So the
Length of the Antenna Wire Element would be about 432-518"
or about 36-43 Feet long.

USE TIPS :
* Generally with most In-the-Window Antennas having the
Radio next to the Window {Very Close} is the better placement
of the Antenna and Radio.
* Clip a 'short' Lead-in-Wire from the Antenna to the Collapsed
Whip Antenna of the Radio or the HI-Z Terminal of the Receiver.
Sometimes you may find that using a Banana Plug pushed into
the Center Pin of the LO-Z SO239 Plug works better.
* Grounding the Radio may or may-not help.
* -IF- You have an old 6.5" to 8" AM/MW Radio Ferrite Rod
Core laying around : You can try sliding it In-and-Out of the
Pipe to see what effect it has on AM/MW Reception.
[IMHO] The-Better-Way
* For Shortwave Receivers - Take a 3-8 Feet Piece of Coax
Cable with a PL-359 Plug on One-End and only an Alligator
Clip to the Center Conductor on the other-end can work well
as a feed-in-line to reduce some of the "In-Side-Noise" -and-
Again try this with the Receiver Grounded and Ungrounded.
* For 'portable' AM/FM Shortwave Radios - Take a 3-8 Feet
Piece of "Audio" {1/8"} Coax Cable with a 1/8" Mono Plug on
One-End and only an Alligator Clip to the Center Conductor
on the other-end can work well as a feed-in-line to reduce
some of the "In-Side-Noise" -and- Again try this with the Radio
Grounded and Ungrounded.

Basically what you end up building is a shortened version of the
so-called "BroomStick" {BroomStik} Antenna placed In-the-Window.

READ - About - The Broomstick Antenna
[Was: (repost) BroomStick Antenna Success ?
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...95c243a57e7d1c
* Short STACKED Vertical {Tri-Band} BroomStick Antenna
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...c7e2e6a6bb395c
* Arnie Coro 'BroomStick' Antenna - Getting Any Results?
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...7afe4778718066
* One-More-Time - Arnie Coros' BroomStick Antenna
- - - The "BS's" Secret's Revealed . . .
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...abeec559035337


How to Ride the Radio Waves on a BroomStick ! - iane ~ RHF {pomkia}
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"RHF" wrote in message
ups.com...
On Apr 18, 5:59 pm, "SWL-2010" wrote:
I live in an apartment with no balcony, so reception can be a challenge.

A few years ago, I used a 32" telescoping whip I had in my spare parts
box,
and wrapped the entire length in a very tight coil of small guage
copper
wire. I left about 10" on the end, and screwed a large alligator clip
on
it.

(I does not look like much, but in the window, it's almost invisible).

Then I take it, and I place in in the window frame between the screen
and
the glass, so even if it's cold, I can still close the window almost all
the
way.

I use 25 feet of small guage speaker wire with alligator clips on each
end
for my end fed feedline. I can then clip it to anything. It works well
with portables of benchtop receivers. I can clip it to the antenna on
top
of my old Drake SSR and make it come alive. I can clip it to the back of
my
Kenwood R-300 and get the same result.

On portables, I generally do not get overload. If I do, I just hook it
to my
MFJ-959B, and then I can play around with, or antennuate the signals.

It was fun, it was cheap, and it works great.

Mini-BroomStick Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna - In-the-Window
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw.../message/12978

SWL-2010,

Glad that you are enjoying your Home-Brewed In-the-Window
Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna.

I've been using it several years now, and it work great.



But in general if you simply wrap Wire around a Metal Object
and then use that Coiled Wire as an Antenna : You have
simply increased the Diameter of the Metal Object by placing
the Wire around it -and- the Electro-Mechanical properties of
the Metal Object make the Wire Coil a slightly larger version
of the original Metal Object. - - - Example : A 1/4" by 36"
Brass Tube becomes a 3/8" by 36" Copper Wire Tube.

I suppose since I didn't know that it did not keep me from enjoying my
results.

I have another one in the closet I pull out sometimes too. It's a slinky
wrapped around a plastic rod about 6 feet long and about 1 inch thick. It
works pretty well, but it will not fit right into the window frame like the
other.

I also have 30 feet of copper wire strung around the ceiling of my apartment
that is actually a pretty effective low noise antenna. It's exceptional
when conditions are good.

Then I have the 20' Zep wire I got free with a radio purchase one time and I
just kind of throw that into a corner, or clip it to a curtain rod. It's
effective with small portables.

I also have the Kaito Window loop which is OK, but does not have the kick
that the antenna wrapped in wire does in the window. I have 4 reel antennas
that I seem to get free with receivers I buy from E-Bay. I dont like them
much at all.

Then, I have the old standby the MFJ 959B to kind of tweak signals if I need
to. So, for an apartment I'm doing pretty well. But, I have been doing this
for almost a half century now, so, I kind of have an advantage. I inherited
this hobby from my father, so I's a second generation SWL.

I am obvioulsy not a tech, and I can't give the spec's and measurments with
your expertise, but somehow or another, I still pull the signals out of thin
air, and in the end, thats all that matters to me.

My apartment is so full of radios and wire, and assorted electronics, my
apt. manager calls my place "Radio Shack."
It always makes me laugh. Thanks for the tips...have a good day, and happy
DX!

BTW, I'm having great reception right now, here in southern Ohio. I hope
wherever you are, you are enjoying the same.




Most of the time when a "Form" {Foundation} is used to Wrap
Wire-On it is non-metalic. So often a Wood Dowel or a Plastic
Tube. -Tip- White PVC Pipe works OK as a Form.
1 - Measure the Diagonal of a Window and Cut the Form
to that Length.
2 - Drill a Hole through the Form close to both Ends.
3 - Use Stranded Hook-Up Wire for the Antenna Element
4 - Place one-end of the Wire in one of the Holes and
tie a Knot in the Short piece of Wire coming out leaving
3"-6" inches to work with.
5 - Use a 12-18" piece of Thicker # 14 AWG Solid Copper
Wire and Wrap it around the Form with the Antenna Wire
about 3-4 Turns. The Thicker Solid Copper Wire becomes
your Wire Spacing {Gap} Form to Wrap the Coil around
the Form. Snake it {slowly and carefully} around the Form
as you Wind your Antenna Wire Coil around the Length of
the Form.
6 - When you get to the other-end of the cut the Wire so
that you have about 3-6" to work with; and place the end of
the Wire in the Hole at that end; and Tie a Knot in the Short
piece of Wire coming out; and trim off the excess Wire.

FWIW - On a 3/4" by 36" piece of PVC Pipe you will have
about 5-6 Turns of Wire per Liner-Inch of Pipe. That would
Add-Up-To about 180-216 Turns along the Length of the Pipe.
The Length of Wire in One-Turn would be about 2.4" : So the
Length of the Antenna Wire Element would be about 432-518"
or about 36-43 Feet long.

USE TIPS :
* Generally with most In-the-Window Antennas having the
Radio next to the Window {Very Close} is the better placement
of the Antenna and Radio.
* Clip a 'short' Lead-in-Wire from the Antenna to the Collapsed
Whip Antenna of the Radio or the HI-Z Terminal of the Receiver.
Sometimes you may find that using a Banana Plug pushed into
the Center Pin of the LO-Z SO239 Plug works better.
* Grounding the Radio may or may-not help.
* -IF- You have an old 6.5" to 8" AM/MW Radio Ferrite Rod
Core laying around : You can try sliding it In-and-Out of the
Pipe to see what effect it has on AM/MW Reception.
[IMHO] The-Better-Way
* For Shortwave Receivers - Take a 3-8 Feet Piece of Coax
Cable with a PL-359 Plug on One-End and only an Alligator
Clip to the Center Conductor on the other-end can work well
as a feed-in-line to reduce some of the "In-Side-Noise" -and-
Again try this with the Receiver Grounded and Ungrounded.
* For 'portable' AM/FM Shortwave Radios - Take a 3-8 Feet
Piece of "Audio" {1/8"} Coax Cable with a 1/8" Mono Plug on
One-End and only an Alligator Clip to the Center Conductor
on the other-end can work well as a feed-in-line to reduce
some of the "In-Side-Noise" -and- Again try this with the Radio
Grounded and Ungrounded.

Basically what you end up building is a shortened version of the
so-called "BroomStick" {BroomStik} Antenna placed In-the-Window.

READ - About - The Broomstick Antenna
[Was: (repost) BroomStick Antenna Success ?
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...95c243a57e7d1c
* Short STACKED Vertical {Tri-Band} BroomStick Antenna
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...c7e2e6a6bb395c
* Arnie Coro 'BroomStick' Antenna - Getting Any Results?
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...7afe4778718066
* One-More-Time - Arnie Coros' BroomStick Antenna
- - - The "BS's" Secret's Revealed . . .
http://www.google.com/group/rec.radi...abeec559035337


How to Ride the Radio Waves on a BroomStick ! - iane ~ RHF {pomkia}
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