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 Wed, 19 Apr 2006 13:50:52 GMT, Bob Miller
wrote:

On 19 Apr 2006 04:09:02 -0700, "RHF"
wrote:

excerpted

Now be honest. Have you ever attached a ground wire and heard less
noise?

bob
k5qwg
Only on my Garrard record changer.

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 ,
Bob Miller wrote:
On 19 Apr 2006 04:09:02 -0700, "RHF"
wrote:

excerpted

Now be honest. Have you ever attached a ground wire and heard less
noise?

Yes.

Remember, a receiver works on the voltage difference between the antenna
input and its local ground. If your treat the ground wiring as a sort
of antenna, the local noise becomes common mode* and you can (sometimes)
arrange the wiring so that the junk cancels out. (*The local receiver
ground has the noise added to it, and if it's about the same voltage as
on the antenna input, cancels out the noise). I've done this with both
my FR-200 and my R-1000.

Best case was with a transformer coupled random wire (using an isolated
winding to the coax). The arrangement was the ground rod, about 15
feet of wire, the matching transformer, and then the 70-80 foot random
wire all in a straight line away from the noise source (my neighbor's
dining room lights, I think). This worked well on one band at a time,
as the level of noise and pickup from the ground side wire varied.
(But an adjustable noise bridge down by the receiver is a heck of a lot
more convenient).

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

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)

On 19 Apr 2006 15:25:52 -0700, "junius" wrote:


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.

I think step 1 prevents that outcome.

In some sockets the switch is opened by the shaft.

http://www.action-electronics.com/grc/gc33724.jpg

BM - Honestly "YES ! " - ymmv ~ RHF

In article .com,
"junius" wrote:

David wrote:
In some sockets the switch is opened by the shaft.

http://www.action-electronics.com/grc/gc33724.jpg

Ah, okay. Thanks for the visual.

I don't think it likely that you would find this type in a portable SW
radio. This looks like something that belongs in a cordless phone.

It's possible it could though.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

In article ,
Bob Miller wrote:

On 19 Apr 2006 04:09:02 -0700, "RHF"
wrote:

excerpted

Now be honest. Have you ever attached a ground wire and heard less
noise?

You could use the "ground" to attach to the other side of a dipole.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

On 19 Apr 2006 18:07:00 -0700, "RHF"
wrote:

David - Switched or un-switched the Exposed Outer Ring
of the 1/8" Mono Jack used for the Earphone Output is
usually the Radio's Electrical Circuit Ground and is also
the RF Signal Ground.

NOTE - This idea and application is mainly for Radios
that do not have a built-in External Antenna Input that
offers a Grounding "Attachment" Point for the Radio.

iane ~ RHF
.
Why? For what purpose? Ever owned a Drake SW series?