Hello,

I own a Grundig YB 400 PE short wave radio. I live in New Hampshire in
the Northeast USA. A month a go I was living in a house and was able to
achieve good reception especially with the external antenna that came with
the radio. In particular around 6-7 am Eastern Daylight time..I was able to
get Radio France and Radio Netherlands. Now I live in an appartment
(building..middle floor of three floors) and the reception is much poorer.
The external antenna that I string up indoors no longer seems to help much.

What might account for the difference? how best to resolve?

External antennas set up outdoors are not an option where I live now.


Any suggestions? Your help very much appreciated!

David

Afternoon,
Hang your Ext. Antenna out or close to the window. You may need to work
with it. Also those radio stations may have cut back or change to other
schedules.

The YB 400 is a good radio, I have one. It is doing its best just work
with the antenna until your get better reception. Also find a new
"summer" schedule.

Burr

David Mills wrote:

Hello,

I own a Grundig YB 400 PE short wave radio. I live in New Hampshire in
the Northeast USA. A month a go I was living in a house and was able to
achieve good reception especially with the external antenna that came with
the radio. In particular around 6-7 am Eastern Daylight time..I was able to
get Radio France and Radio Netherlands. Now I live in an appartment
(building..middle floor of three floors) and the reception is much poorer.
The external antenna that I string up indoors no longer seems to help much.

What might account for the difference? how best to resolve?

External antennas set up outdoors are not an option where I live now.


Any suggestions? Your help very much appreciated!

David

"David Mills" wrote:
I own a Grundig YB 400 PE short wave radio. I live in New Hampshire in
the Northeast USA. A month a go I was living in a house and was able to
achieve good reception especially with the external antenna that came with
the radio. In particular around 6-7 am Eastern Daylight time..I was able
to
get Radio France and Radio Netherlands. Now I live in an appartment
(building..middle floor of three floors) and the reception is much poorer.
The external antenna that I string up indoors no longer seems to help
much.

What might account for the difference? how best to resolve?

Two possibilities.

1) Shortwave propagation can change from day to day, and month to month.
What frequency band were you listening to? Most shortwave stations simulcast
on several frequencies. On any given day, one frequency may provide better
reception than another.

2) Your apartment building is probably a steel structure. The openings in
the steel lattice may not allow longer wavelengths to pass through.
(Compared to TV and FM, "shortwave" signals actually have a fairly long
wavelength.) How is your AM radio reception in the apartment? AM wavelengths
are even longer than shortwave.

If Number 2 is the culprit (which I suspect it is), you might try dropping a
wire out of a window as an "stealth" antenna. Or listen on the higher
frequency bands.

Art N2AH

David, You can greatly improve reception on your YB-400 by using an MFJ 1020
Preselector. The MFJ 1020 comes with a short whip, don't use it. Attach 20' of
speaker wire onto the rear "antenna input" & drape the wire around a window in
any convenient fashion. Run a short jumper coax from the preselector to the
antenna input. There are 3 knobs, a gain, freq. band setting and a fine tune.
Set the freq. knob to the Band you are tuned to. Set the gain on the low end.
Now slowly adjust the "tune" knob for best signal (when you hit the sweet spot
you will know it). Lastly, adjust the gain until the S-Meter tickles the top
end. Keep the S-Meter from sticking all the way to the top. Power can be had
from a 9 volt battery. You get a good - preselected signal. In effect you are
making a tuneable active antenna. 73 John T. Wagner, Ohio

DM,

READ: Two (2) InDoor Antennas with the Kenwood R-5000
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/854
Thes ideas will work for most 'portable' AM/FM & Shortwave Radios.

FIRST: Take you Grundig Yacht Boy 400 PE Radio around
to the OutSide Looking window of your Appartment.

* Test the radios reception for AM/MW; FM and on
several Shortwave Bands.

* Test both Day and Night for the better Window with
the best Reception.

SECOND: Consider an On-the-Window Random Wire Antenna
(or Loop Antenna).

NOTE: Use the half or section of the Window that does
not have a Screen 'covering' it.

How-To-Build: The On-the-Window Random Wire Antenna.
Note this Antenna appears to be a Rectangular "Spiral".
Use a Thin #28-36 Magnet Wire or #30 Insulated Kynar
Wire Wrapping Wire taped directly to the Window with
Clear Scotch Tape. Start with the Wire Antenna Element
spaced 3" from the Edges of the Window and then use a
Space of 1" in between wire element runs.

The-Hook-Up:
* Use the End of the 'outer' Antenna Wire Element via
an Insulated wire and an Alligator Clip "Attached" to the
Tip of the Whip Antenna of your 'portable' Shortwave Radio.
* Or, if your 'portable' Shortwave Radio has a 1/8"
Mono-Jack for an External Antenna Input then use Both
Ends of the Antenna Wire Element connected using
'a pair' of Speaker Wires connected to a 1/8" Mono-Plug.
Plug your On-the-Window Loop Antenna using the Mono-Plug
into the Radio.

iane ~ RHF
..
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= = = "David Mills" wrote in message
= = = ...
Hello,

I own a Grundig YB 400 PE short wave radio. I live in
New Hampshire in the Northeast USA. A month a go I was living
in a house and was able to achieve good reception especially
with the external antenna that came with the radio.
In particular around 6-7 am Eastern Daylight time..
I was able to get Radio France and Radio Netherlands.

Now I live in an appartment (building..middle floor of three
floors) and the reception is much poorer. The external antenna
that I string up indoors no longer seems to help much.

What might account for the difference?

How best to resolve?

External antennas set up outdoors are not an option where I live now.

Any suggestions? Your help very much appreciated!

David
..