Hi,
I recently purchased my 1st SW receiver, a Sony 7600gr. Not knowing much
about the hobby I did not purchase a antenna. I was hoping the whip would be
adequate. Well the whip does seem to pull in a few stations in the 5000-9000
range, but little else. Additionally the signal strength was not as good as
I had hoped. I attached about 24ft of light gauge speaker wire to the whip
and tossed the loose end out the window into some low bushes, and did gain
some signal strength. Trying to improve the reception a bit more I added
50ft more speaker wire to the 24ft, but the new wire is a heavier gauge, 18
I think and the first wire is 24. At this point I tossed the wire as far up
a backyard tree as a could, about 40ft. In all honesty I must say I don't
think I have gained anything with this additional wire. Could it be a
problem going from the heavy wire into the smaller wire then to the whip?
Would I be better going to the whip with the heave wire and attaching the
lighter wire to the other end? Would I gain anything by building a
broomstick antenna with the wire I have instead of hanging it from the tree?
Or is it better to have the wire exposed to as much of the outside as
possible such as it is now?
Thank You.

Look at the DX / Local switch..
- Else try at night, Propagation is better then..

Feed the antenna to the radio via a Coax cable ( radio shack grey shielded coax
)
works for me..




In article q0u1c.24291$TT5.18137@lakeread06, "bugrunner"
writes:

-0500

Hi,
I recently purchased my 1st SW receiver, a Sony 7600gr. Not knowing much
about the hobby I did not purchase a antenna. I was hoping the whip would be
adequate. Well the whip does seem to pull in a few stations in the 5000-9000
range, but little else. Additionally the signal strength was not as good as
I had hoped. I attached about 24ft of light gauge speaker wire to the whip
and tossed the loose end out the window into some low bushes, and did gain
some signal strength. Trying to improve the reception a bit more I added
50ft more speaker wire to the 24ft, but the new wire is a heavier gauge, 18
I think and the first wire is 24. At this point I tossed the wire as far up
a backyard tree as a could, about 40ft. In all honesty I must say I don't
think I have gained anything with this additional wire. Could it be a
problem going from the heavy wire into the smaller wire then to the whip?
Would I be better going to the whip with the heave wire and attaching the
lighter wire to the other end? Would I gain anything by building a
broomstick antenna with the wire I have instead of hanging it from the tree?
Or is it better to have the wire exposed to as much of the outside as
possible such as it is now?
Thank You.

I have played with the dx/local switch, and I only use the radio
after 9pm. I will try the coax cable, I have a lot the cable guy left.
"Diverd4777" wrote in message
...
Look at the DX / Local switch..
- Else try at night, Propagation is better then..

Feed the antenna to the radio via a Coax cable ( radio shack grey shielded
coax
)
works for me..




In article q0u1c.24291$TT5.18137@lakeread06, "bugrunner"

writes:

-0500

Hi,
I recently purchased my 1st SW receiver, a Sony 7600gr. Not knowing
much
about the hobby I did not purchase a antenna. I was hoping the whip would
be
adequate. Well the whip does seem to pull in a few stations in the
5000-9000
range, but little else. Additionally the signal strength was not as good
as
I had hoped. I attached about 24ft of light gauge speaker wire to the
whip
and tossed the loose end out the window into some low bushes, and did
gain
some signal strength. Trying to improve the reception a bit more I added
50ft more speaker wire to the 24ft, but the new wire is a heavier gauge,
18
I think and the first wire is 24. At this point I tossed the wire as far
up
a backyard tree as a could, about 40ft. In all honesty I must say I don't
think I have gained anything with this additional wire. Could it be a
problem going from the heavy wire into the smaller wire then to the whip?
Would I be better going to the whip with the heave wire and attaching the
lighter wire to the other end? Would I gain anything by building a
broomstick antenna with the wire I have instead of hanging it from the
tree?
Or is it better to have the wire exposed to as much of the outside as
possible such as it is now?
Thank You.

bugrunner wrote:

Hi,
I recently purchased my 1st SW receiver, a Sony 7600gr. Not knowing much
about the hobby I did not purchase a antenna. I was hoping the whip would be
adequate. Well the whip does seem to pull in a few stations in the 5000-9000
range, but little else. Additionally the signal strength was not as good as
I had hoped. I attached about 24ft of light gauge speaker wire to the whip
and tossed the loose end out the window into some low bushes, and did gain
some signal strength. Trying to improve the reception a bit more I added
50ft more speaker wire to the 24ft, but the new wire is a heavier gauge, 18
I think and the first wire is 24. At this point I tossed the wire as far up
a backyard tree as a could, about 40ft. In all honesty I must say I don't
think I have gained anything with this additional wire. Could it be a
problem going from the heavy wire into the smaller wire then to the whip?
Would I be better going to the whip with the heave wire and attaching the
lighter wire to the other end? Would I gain anything by building a
broomstick antenna with the wire I have instead of hanging it from the tree?
Or is it better to have the wire exposed to as much of the outside as
possible such as it is now?
Thank You.




Have a peek under antennas at the AMANDX site below. It is set up for
new listeners in plain non-technical language

--
73 and Best of DX
Shawn Axelrod

Visit the AMANDX DX site with info for the new or experienced listener:

http://www.angelfire.com/mb/amandx/index.html

REMEMBER ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN HEAR FOREVER

I think, reading Joe Carrs "receiving Antenna Handbook"
that doubling the antenna length
results in a 3 DB ( barely audible ) increase in Signal strenght..
4X length = 6 DB gain

Shortwave signals ave Very very weak;

Some have had luck with Very Long antennas
- Heres a link to " beverage" antenna articles;

http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx...age/index.html

http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx...e/length3.html

Round & Round the tree...

& Disconnect the antenna when not using it ( lightning !)

Dan



In article bLu1c.24534$TT5.10499@lakeread06, "bugrunner"
writes:

Subject: Antenna wire question.
From: "bugrunner"
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 19:27:08 -0500

I have played with the dx/local switch, and I only use the radio
after 9pm. I will try the coax cable, I have a lot the cable guy left.
"Diverd4777" wrote in message
...
Look at the DX / Local switch..
- Else try at night, Propagation is better then..

Feed the antenna to the radio via a Coax cable ( radio shack grey shielded
coax
)
works for me..




In article q0u1c.24291$TT5.18137@lakeread06, "bugrunner"

writes:

-0500

Hi,
I recently purchased my 1st SW receiver, a Sony 7600gr. Not knowing
much
about the hobby I did not purchase a antenna. I was hoping the whip would
be
adequate. Well the whip does seem to pull in a few stations in the
5000-9000
range, but little else. Additionally the signal strength was not as good
as
I had hoped. I attached about 24ft of light gauge speaker wire to the
whip
and tossed the loose end out the window into some low bushes, and did
gain
some signal strength. Trying to improve the reception a bit more I added
50ft more speaker wire to the 24ft, but the new wire is a heavier gauge,
18
I think and the first wire is 24. At this point I tossed the wire as far
up
a backyard tree as a could, about 40ft. In all honesty I must say I don't
think I have gained anything with this additional wire. Could it be a
problem going from the heavy wire into the smaller wire then to the whip?
Would I be better going to the whip with the heave wire and attaching the
lighter wire to the other end? Would I gain anything by building a
broomstick antenna with the wire I have instead of hanging it from the
tree?
Or is it better to have the wire exposed to as much of the outside as
possible such as it is now?
Thank You.

Diverd4777 wrote:

I think, reading Joe Carrs "receiving Antenna Handbook"
that doubling the antenna length
results in a 3 DB ( barely audible ) increase in Signal strenght..
4X length = 6 DB gain

Shortwave signals ave Very very weak;

Some have had luck with Very Long antennas
- Heres a link to " beverage" antenna articles;

I've tried "helical" antennas and I find them to be so directional that
at times I felt like I was doing tai chi with the pole just to get a
readable signal. What "bugrunner" needs to do is strip the insulation
off one end of the wire (not much, maybe a half inch) and attach it to
the TOP of the whip (where the end is). If that doesn't work he needs to
consider wire position-a N-S wire will behave differently signal wise
than a E-W wire.


http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx...age/index.html

http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx...e/length3.html

Round & Round the tree...

& Disconnect the antenna when not using it ( lightning !)

Dan



In article bLu1c.24534$TT5.10499@lakeread06, "bugrunner"
writes:

Subject: Antenna wire question.
From: "bugrunner"
Date: Wed, 3 Mar 2004 19:27:08 -0500

I have played with the dx/local switch, and I only use the radio
after 9pm. I will try the coax cable, I have a lot the cable guy left.
"Diverd4777" wrote in message
...
Look at the DX / Local switch..
- Else try at night, Propagation is better then..

Feed the antenna to the radio via a Coax cable ( radio shack grey shielded
coax
)
works for me..




In article q0u1c.24291$TT5.18137@lakeread06, "bugrunner"

writes:

-0500

Hi,
I recently purchased my 1st SW receiver, a Sony 7600gr. Not knowing
much
about the hobby I did not purchase a antenna. I was hoping the whip would
be
adequate. Well the whip does seem to pull in a few stations in the
5000-9000
range, but little else. Additionally the signal strength was not as good
as
I had hoped. I attached about 24ft of light gauge speaker wire to the
whip
and tossed the loose end out the window into some low bushes, and did
gain
some signal strength. Trying to improve the reception a bit more I added
50ft more speaker wire to the 24ft, but the new wire is a heavier gauge,
18
I think and the first wire is 24. At this point I tossed the wire as far
up
a backyard tree as a could, about 40ft. In all honesty I must say I don't
think I have gained anything with this additional wire. Could it be a
problem going from the heavy wire into the smaller wire then to the whip?
Would I be better going to the whip with the heave wire and attaching the
lighter wire to the other end? Would I gain anything by building a
broomstick antenna with the wire I have instead of hanging it from the
tree?
Or is it better to have the wire exposed to as much of the outside as
possible such as it is now?
Thank You.

In article q0u1c.24291$TT5.18137@lakeread06, says...
Hi,
I recently purchased my 1st SW receiver, a Sony 7600gr. Not knowing much
about the hobby I did not purchase a antenna. I was hoping the whip would be
... stuff deleted ...
a backyard tree as a could, about 40ft. In all honesty I must say I don't
think I have gained anything with this additional wire. Could it be a
problem going from the heavy wire into the smaller wire then to the whip?
Would I be better going to the whip with the heave wire and attaching the
lighter wire to the other end? Would I gain anything by building a
broomstick antenna with the wire I have instead of hanging it from the tree?
Or is it better to have the wire exposed to as much of the outside as
possible such as it is now?

The differences in wire gauge are unlikely to be of significance for
SWL. You would probably do better with an uninterrupted run of wire,
but as long as you make sure you have a solid connection between the
pieces it should be okay. For SWL, pretty much any gauge wire will work
just fine.

If you have the room to run the wire outside, leave the broomstick in
the closet. Run as much wire as you can outside and get it as high as
you can. A good stretch of wire hanging from a tree will almost
certainly outperform a broomstick antenna inside the house. The further
you can get the antenna from electrical fields or other sources of
unwanted RF, the better. Using shielded coax as a lead-in to the radio
is a good idea. Some pretty good general antenna info can be found he
http://www.qsl.net/k5eph/UnderstandingAntennas.htm

If you want to really hear what your radio can do, put in some fresh
batteries and take it to a quiet place away from electrical lines and
other sources of RF interference. The middle of a large park (or a
corn/wheat/soybean field) is usually a good place. (Take a couple
hundred feet of wire with you to the park if you want to really surprise
yourself.) Even during the daytime you should be able to get quite a few
very strong signals. I have a very cheap pocket-sized portable that
amazes me every time I take it to the park. I have so much RF noise near
my home that only the strongest signals make it through. In the park
even the $30 pocket radio pulls in good stuff. I regularly log 30 or
more signals during lunchtime.

This is the best advice in this thread so far.

"The Axelrods" wrote in message
...
73 and Best of DX
Shawn Axelrod

Visit the AMANDX DX site with info for the new or experienced listener:

http://www.angelfire.com/mb/amandx/index.html

REMEMBER ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN HEAR FOREVER