short wave receiving antenna for apartment

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short wave receiving antenna for apartment	Reply
by N0YQM on October 1, 2003	Mail this to a friend!
I am considering the purchase of an Icom R75 receiver for listening to short-wave broadcasts/hams/pirates/etc and I am fairly new to anything below VHF. I'm curious what antenna would be appropriate. I am a student living in an apartment in Minneapolis, so space is a concern -- mounting an antenna outside would probably not be possible. Also, I would like to be able to bring in "DX" stations from around the globe. Does anyone here have any recommendations for antennas which would be suitable for this application? Would a preselector/tuner/preamp etc. help the situation (Minneapolis is a medium-large city, so there is probably a good deal of interference to deal with, but I have no way to be sure since I haven't purchased the radio yet). Thanks, Jon P.S. -- My antenna-building ability is probably about a 2 on a 1-10 scale. Previous projects have shown this, so if it's a non-commercial antenna it'll have to be extremely simple to build and hard to screw up. Thanks again!

RE: short wave receiving antenna for apartment	Reply
by KC2KXV on October 14, 2003	Mail this to a friend!
While I'm sure we will get many good responses here with some formal antennas, may I suggest the "low road." I have a R75 in New York City on the 14th floor of an apartment building. The most cost effective and efficient antenna I have used here is a simple long wire antenna. I stretch a 50 foot 22g stranded long wire around the room and out the window. It works just fine. The higher you are, the better you will do. Good luck Vinnie KC2KXV

RE: short wave receiving antenna for apartment	Reply
by KC8VWM on October 20, 2003	Mail this to a friend!
Go out and buy yourself a slinky.. Thats right, the coiled toy they make for kids. Now attach your coax line to it and string it as far as you can. Don't bother with those "indoor active" antennas. For $5.00 you will outperform any of them. You will be able to reduce a lot of noise if you add a ground to your recieving antenna. A suitable copper water pipe will do just fine. 73 KC8VWM

RE: short wave receiving antenna for apartment	Reply
by KC8VWM on October 20, 2003	Mail this to a friend!
BTW the nostalgic restrant called "CrackerBarrel" sells slinkies. I think they are even capable of transmitting on 80 meters when deployed like a dipole. There must be at least 65 feet of coiled wire in that darn thing. Makes a nice portable field day antenna too! 73 KC8VWM

RE: short wave receiving antenna for apartment	Reply
by W0IPL on October 26, 2003	Mail this to a friend!
Another way (yet similar to those in prev. posts) is to run multiple loops around the room. This presumes you will not be transmitting. Space the loops (one continuous wire run around the room multiple times) between two and four inches. Since you will not transmit on it, the length is not important - if you do two or three loops you should be in good shape. Another consideration on the radio, Since you have a license, you might think about an IC-706 Mk-II-G. That has continuous receive coverage from AM broadcast to 200 Mhz. for about $150 more than the R75 - AND, you can transmit on 160 - 2 M and 70 CM, all modes. If you want to go very inexpensive, try a Yaesu VX-2R. They are on sale for $140. Continuous coverage .5 Meg to 900 Meg., 999 memories. I have one and if you connect a good antenna, it hears very well. C Ya Pat

RE: short wave receiving antenna for apartment	Reply
by N0YQM on November 6, 2003	Mail this to a friend!
I'd just like to thank everyone who responded. It's always refreshing to find an internet forum with knowledgeable and helpful participants. Thanks, Jon

RE: short wave receiving antenna for apartment	Reply
by NOBQF on December 2, 2003	Mail this to a friend!
Vinnie Not sure if I already contacted you about the wire antenna you set up in your NYC apartment. I've been writing so many people asking so many questions I lost track. Anyway, I also live in NYC on the 3rd floor of a co op two blocks from the East River. Will be getting my DX 302 delivered Thursday and this will be my first time listening since the mid 70's. I can get my windows open and have two facing South about 8 feet apart and a fire escape in front of one of them. You mentioned running some wire around your room and then outside the window. How much of that wire was actually outside? Was it just hanging down alongside the building? How was this connected to your receiver? Do you have an indoor whip or just some antenna terminals like I will have?? Thanks Phil

RE: short wave receiving antenna for apartment	Reply
by N8CPA on December 12, 2003	Mail this to a friend!
I love slinkies! I have used them for various antenna applications. For inside shortwave, end feed it and make sure the receiver's grounded. Then stretch it as far as you can. I have even used them as counter poise for using ganged mobile radators for FD use. Use a mirror/luggage rack mount and replace the stock bolts with bolts and nuts of sufficient length to fit around a 10 foot mast pipe. Attach the slinky to one of the bolts and deploy it so it forms a kind of sleeve around the mast and co-ax. Mount the radiators and mobile mast to the 38/24 stud receiver and you have a quick portable antenna. It's surprisingly sensitive for receiving and can transmit over a broader range than expected. I don't have the formal figures. I can't firgure out if it's working like an open sleeve or a vertical dipole. Steve

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