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Antenna advice for a Realistic DX-302

Dart

Member
Oct 18, 2012
42
10
18
Hello everyone,

I just picked up an old Realistic DX-302 and was wondering if anyone could recommend an inexpensive antenna that would allow me to listen to every channel available. All I have currently are various mobile CB antennas and having never owned a scanner, I'm kind of lost.

Thanks for any advice.
 

The DX-302 is not a scanner but rather a shortwave receiver. Simply string out a wire from the antenna terminal on the back and you are good to go. The longer the better and the higher the better but even 20-30 feet long and 10 feet high will pick up plenty. The DX-302 is not a real great receiver and many had problems with blowing out the frontend RF amplifier making them deaf as a doornail. Hopefully yours is not one of them.
 
The DX-302 is not a scanner but rather a shortwave receiver. Simply string out a wire from the antenna terminal on the back and you are good to go. The longer the better and the higher the better but even 20-30 feet long and 10 feet high will pick up plenty. The DX-302 is not a real great receiver and many had problems with blowing out the frontend RF amplifier making them deaf as a doornail. Hopefully yours is not one of them.


Thanks. I never really thought there was a difference between a shortwave receiver and a scanner. I thought the terms were interchangeable....I have a lot to learn. I guess a trip to Lowes is in order for some suitable wire. I assume a bare, solid copper strand would be best?
 
Can't quite make it out, but it looks from the eBay pictures that the leftmost end screw terminal on the back of the radio would be the antenna terminal. Depending on the length of the wire, especially unsupported parts, 18 gauge wire would be fine. The other two terminals on that strip, connected by that bare copper wire, do need to be connected together. Opening that circuit "mutes" the receiver, if it's anything like my old Hallicrafters SX-99. There might be a switch on the front panel marked "Mute" - if so, it opens the circuit. Have fun listening!
 
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A scanner generally receives VHF and UHF frequencies including police, fire etc. A shortwave receiver receives HF frequencies including the ham radio bands and international broadcast bands and generally does not scan.
 
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Any part in particular that goes in the front end?
The DX-302 is not a scanner but rather a shortwave receiver. Simply string out a wire from the antenna terminal on the back and you are good to go. The longer the better and the higher the better but even 20-30 feet long and 10 feet high will pick up plenty. The DX-302 is not a real great receiver and many had problems with blowing out the frontend RF amplifier making them deaf as a doornail. Hopefully yours is not one of them.
 
Any part in particular that goes in the front end?
The frontend RF FET. Not sure the part number but it is the first transistor following the antenna input. It has been years since I worked on one but over the years I have repaired several. One or two even had the transistor case actually split in two pieces from catastrophic destruction likely caused by static discharge.
 
Dumb follow up question.

Insulated wire? So just a standard length of 18 gauge? No need for me to strip the entire length and put out bare copper?
 

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