Short Wave listening questions

[Norm Garland]

Here they are:

1. using a portable radio receiver, is it better to use an antenna extension that clips on to the mast or one that attaches to the external antenna jack?

2. I know that longer and higher is better but if limited to inside what would be considered acceptable for performance vs distance? looking to pick up 20m and 40m local not intercontinental.

I know these are easy topics to get into a long discussion with technical answers but I am looking for general common sense guidelines.

Being a ham I picked up a portable with SW bands and am looking for an easy antenna to use while on the road.

 

[Beetle]

For just receiving, you might try a piece of wire (doesn't have to be any special kind, but small. Tape it across the inside of the top of the windshield. From there, attach it to the receiver antenna terminal. You didn't give much information about the receiver so I'm shooting in the dark.

If the windshield is passivated glass, this might not work as well as plain glass. But the beauty is that you don't have to adjust it at all. You'll either hear stations or you won't. Maybe a whip mounted on the body or on a bumper would do better, but it would involve a bunch more work.

As a ham, you need to experiment to see what works for YOU in YOUR situation.

73

 

[Norm Garland]

Thanks for the response and sorry for the confusion,

I have a rig in my truck, ICOM 7100 and a Tarheel screwdriver antenna.

What I was asking about is when I travel and want to scan the bands from the hotel room. Just want to make sure I have enough wire with me and which connector on the radio would give me the best reception.

73

 

[Beetle]

Hotels are/may be made of steel and act like Faraday cages, with very little signal getting into the room. If you can string a hunk of wire along the room window (like I suggested for your windshield), you may have luck. I have a little Sony pocket-size portable radio with AM/FM bands, plus a good amount of HF for SWLing. No SSB or CW, but I've been walking in Amsterdam, listening to Radio Australia like it was just a block away! And that radio has about an 18" telescoping antenna.

Experiment.