Problem With Dipole

[Beetle]

Connect either side of the dipole to the SW antenna input jack and just leave the other side hanging. You can experiment with connecting it to the receiver's ground but I doubt it will make a lot of difference.

It sounds like you're making this a whole lot more difficult than it needs to be. As many have said, you're not transmitting, so just a random length of wire up in a tree (preferably insulated from the tree, but...) is all you need to hear a LOT of signals.

I downloaded the owner's manual for the GS-350DL, which seems to be a newer model. Didn't look any further, so the original manual might be out there somewhere.

 

[W5LZ]

There are lots of characteristics that can make one type of antenna more desirable than others. If you can boil them all down to fairly simple selections, I'll bet one or two would fit your particular needs just fine. The 'trick' is to decide which of those characteristics would be good for your situation. Since antenna height plays a part in some of those desirable things, and since that height would depend on the particular band(s) you want to listen to, that's one of the things you should pay attention to. The higher the frequency, typically, the higher the more desirable heights are, sort of. Once into the VHF/UHF regions, the higher the better. Resonance is something to think about, but which isn't all that critical for just receiving. Nice to have, but not critical at all (same for transmitting in most cases).
Then, the part about being practical for your situation is going to make a bigger difference in what antenna will be 'best' for you than either of the above. Huge number of things can make an antenna impractical, the first that comes to mind is cost, next is not enough room to put the @#$ thing up, landlords, etc. You'll know more about that than I ever will (unless you want to adopt me??), good luck.
One thing you have going for you is that most receivers (the SWL types) are more sensitive than they need to be, which means 'less' antenna will work fine. Hearing too many signals can be as bad as not hearing any. Half the fun is trying all those possibilities and finding something that works good for you.
Have fun.
- 'Doc

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

It sounds like you're making this a whole lot more difficult than it needs to be.

Amen brother. Amen.