[Spooks] SWLing and portables

[john]

If you don't notice a significant difference in background noise levels and 
signal strengths of stations when you attache a long wire to the receiver, 
there's something wrong with the radio, or the way the antenna is being 
attached.

Is it a wire that attaches  directly to the built in whip?  Most "long 
wires" that come with receivers aren't very long.    What happens if you 
moisten your finger tips and touch the whip? does the background noise jump 
up some?

Do you hear WWV at 5/10/15 Mhz at any time?

John



At 02:37 PM 10/7/2013, you wrote:
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>
>The Grundig came with a wire, but I've tried the Grundig both with and 
>without it, and even with both antennas attached, and haven't had any luck 
>picking up anything but fairly strong local stations.  Thank you for the 
>suggestions about gear, I'll take a look at those.
>
>Hmm.  If a small portable is so problematic, I wonder how it is that spies 
>use them.  Or maybe the don't use them?  Dunno.  (Obviously.)
>
>
>
>On Oct 6, 2013, at 2:35 PM, john wrote:
> > ITed, it's probably both.
> >
> > Even a cheapish table top used SW receiver with a random wire will pick 
> up numbers stations , hams,  SWBC stations, etc.   A budget portable with 
> a whip MAY be able to pick them up if you have experience with SW 
> listening and are patient, but you'd do much better to get an Icom R71, 
> or a Kenwood 2000, or something affordable like that, and run a wire as 
> far as you can (even if it's just tacked to the ceiling down the hallway).
> >
> > A whip and an inexpensive portable is not going to be easy!
>
>
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III