[Lowfer] AM BC band RX antenna

[John Andrews]

Dex,

>  I told him I knew where we could get the best
> recommendations possible, the experts of LF and MF reception.  What do
> you guys recommend?  He probably would like to have the option of both
> direct coaxial connection to the receiver and link coupling.

Well, he could always try the "strange" antenna. It turned out not to be a
stellar performer at LF here at home, but it sure did wonders for me on MW
from Maine.

You start with a 40 meter or 80 meter horizontal dipole. Best if fed with
open wire or other balanced line. Inside the shack, connect the feedline to
a nice inductor (not a toroid). Add capacitors (fixed or variable) across
the inductor to tune to the desired frequency. Think of the antenna as a
capacitor.

Take a radio with a rod or loop antenna and place it next to the inductor.
Tune  the resonating capacitors for maximum signal. The tuning may be very
sharp. For radios requiring an external antenna connection, wind a link
around the inductor.

With a 40 meter dipole, I used to copy stuff at noontime from well down the
east coast. Obviously, tuning is required, but at least the controls are in
the shack. And it works well with pretty much any AM radio. Any tendency to
overload the radio can be compensated by moving it farther from the coil.

John A.