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Author Topic: re wire anetenna probs  (Read 4251 times)

2E0FMB

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re wire anetenna probs
« on: February 19, 2005, 07:26:38 AM »

hi all
can any one help i live in a ground floor appartmant and need to get some sort of wire i can only attatch to outside wall or along or under ground i am working a ts430s can anyone suggest any kind of antenna i am totaly lost .
i have tried 30 meters of insulated wire clipped to the outside wall and (random wire)connected to mfj 969 and conected to wire side of atu but cant hear anything or get the mfj to work at all must be doing somthing wrong.
if i put the wire direct into the 430 can hear lots of stations.
i am at a loss can anyone help
regards terry
2e0fmb
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N2SUB

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re wire anetenna probs
« Reply #1 on: February 20, 2005, 05:56:15 PM »

I had the exact same problem a few years back.  There is no easy answer, but I would encourage you to look at other things besides a wire.  There are many cheap "apartment dweller" antennas that are verticals - some with coils and some without.  Unfortunately every antenna will be a compromise in your situation, but look around at "mobile" or "Travel" antennas, find one that looks like it will fit into your setup and give it a try.  Most are cheap enough that if it doesn't work you can order another type without too much hardship.  Again, beware of wire setups in apartments - kids love to pull on wires, and landscapers like to cut wires.  Also, make sure that you have an excellent ground.  you never know what the building was built on.  Best of luck,
Jim
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WB2WIK

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re wire anetenna probs
« Reply #2 on: February 21, 2005, 08:51:01 AM »

If you hear lots of stations with the end of the wire plugged directly into the TS-430, but can't hear them when the wire's attached to the tuner, something's wrong with your tuner setup or you don't have the tuner set to anything near your operating frequency.

On many MFJ tuners, there's a strap that you must connect between two terminals on the rear panel in order to actually make connection to the "wire antenna" terminal.  Did you do that?  If not, your wire could be connected to "nothing" inside the MFJ...

WB2WIK/6

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2E0FMB

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re wire anetenna probs
« Reply #3 on: February 21, 2005, 01:33:39 PM »

hi jim
thanks for the reply and to all that have tried to help.i have just orderd a mfj 1622 antenna and hope that this will be more suitable have you had any deallingswith the antenna
regards
terry
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