Shortwave for newb

[aussiedan]

Hi all,

I have been reading a bit on shortwave, and it sounds like fun. I will admit to my complete nieavity on the topic. I know nothing other than there is some cool stuff interupted by religious stuff, apparently.

I have a 1962 Pioneer SM-G204. I did not buy it for any shortwave purpose, but it has a shortwave reciever in it (?), well you can select SW anyway. The dial says 4 to 12 mc. I'm guessing mc is megacycles.
Yes, I really know nothing.
I am also guessing that it should pick up something... Some of the gear mentioned in posts dates before mine. Some of those battleship sized radios look pretty cool.

What would I have to do to get started? (If my reciever is suitable)

I am obvously going to need an antenna. I really only want basic reception to see if I like it, so initial cost is a concern.

How would I set one up? (If my reciever is suitable)

By the sound of things, if I can get it running, I shoud be able to plumb it through the whole system by turning the selector. Turn to AM, then flick MW-SW switch. It should come out of the same speakers as FM currently does. This would be a sweet touch.

Any suggestions welcome.
Thanks, Danny.

 

[Sandy G]

Yeah, all you really need for right now is about a 20-50' length of wire, strung around the ceiling of the room, or out a window to a nearby tree. DON'T get it in a power line, or telephone/TV line either-That could kill you. Really, since now is y'all's summer, this isn't the best time to see what SW can do-the winter months are MUCH better-less thunderstorm static crashes & all.

 

[aussiedan]

So the antenna can be circular or linear?

My shed (where the system and the FM antenna are) is 30' long. If I strung a wire (bare obvously) along the length of the shed and connected one end to "ant a" and the other to "ant b" on the back of the reciever, would this be sufficient?

I guess I will have to run insulated wire from the antenna to the reciever?

Thanks Sandy G.

 

[Shackman55]

I have always used a roll of Magnet wrapping wire from ratshack (Covered in shellac just sand the ends to get a bare end.)tied from from one corner of an attic to the middle of the opposite wall and back to the other corner of the same wall in a V shape and then run one end down to the radio It isn't very scientific but it has always worked for me. I seem to remember something about it needing to be around 70' in total length. Having it in the house makes it safer storm wise. Some radios need to have an 1/8" plug on them to connect.

 

[electronjohn]

The antenna wire itself doesn't need to be insulated...I've made many just by splitting speaker "zipcord" into two and getting it up in the air. Try to get at least 50' of wire up for an antenna. A good ground will enhance your radio's performance...ideally a rod driven into the ground about 6' or so should do. Just connect to the ground terminal near the antenna connections on the back of your receiver.

 

[darklife]

Radio Slack used to sell a package that contained 75 feet copper stranded wire and 50 feet green insulated wire to run to your radio along with the egg insulators for around 10$.
Other websites resell it, like here...
http://www.amazon.com/Radio-Shack-Shortwave-Antenna-Kit/dp/B000UBROV2

All you really need is a long wire strung out your window as long as you can get and up as high as you can get and make sure the wire doesn't touch anything metal along the path.

40 feet of wire (total length from end to your receiver unless you are using feedline coax) is about perfect for the middle of the band that your receiver picks up, around 6Mc (6000Kc, KHz).

Of course any length will do better than nothing. 20 feet would do just fine, but the general rule for shortwave is find the middle of the band your radio can pick up, or the band you plan on listening most to and calculate...
234 divided by frequency in MHz = length of longwire antenna in feet.

The closer you get the actual length of wire to the frequencies you want to listen to most the better the antenna will work for picking up stations.
You also may want to use a good earth ground. A 6-8 foot copper ground rod pounded into the dirt with a wire running to your receiver antenna ground terminal will help a lot for lower frequencies.

Pick up the 2009 copy of Passport to Worldband Radio book. Sadly that was the last issue they sold because of money issues but is a great book to get started and lists all licensed stations around the world, the times they broadcast, power, location, frequency and so on. Kind of like a TV Guide to shortwave radio.

Check your local library for other books on shortwave listening. It's a fun hobby.

There are companies that sell small indoor shortened and amplified antennas for SW. You could look into that option as well but generally the full sized antenna is best.

 

[catman]

G'day mate, welcome to another Aussie! Check out some of the excellent 'World Band' portables if you're so inclined. I have a Degen DE1103 which is excellent. They are available in Australia.

Loop antennas are also excellent as general purpose receive antennas for short wave listening. http://www.mds975.co.uk/Content/amateur_radio_antennas_03.html

An excellent shortwave program to catch is the 'DX Partyline' broadcast over HCJB Australia on 11.750 Mhz in the 25 metre band every Saturday evening at 0800 hrs UTC (7 pm Victorian Daylight Saving time). It's only 15 minutes long but Allen Graham and his contributors (occasionally me), pack a lot into 15 minutes! Regards, Felix, vk4fuq aka catman.

 

[aussiedan]

Thanks guys, you have given me enough to make a start. I am out of town a little with about 3 acres of space. Heaps of 80' tall trees arround. Could work for or against me. Not sure yet.

I am still unsure about the connection to the reciever. It has 2 wires for the antenna. To me, it looks like it should be connected to either end of the 20'-50' wire.

The wires come from the left and right side of the reciever, labeled a and b.

Is this for an MW antenna?

If so, do I just hook one end of the SW antenna to say, the "a" wire?

I do have the unit grounded. Nothing like a 6' rod, but enough to keep the turntable from popping.

Thanks
Danny.

 

[catman]

G'day mate, the 'b' terminal is probably a connection for an earth stake (for medium wave), but I'm just guessing. It's probably designed for a simple long wire antenna (possibly).

If you know know how to use the ohmmeter function on a DMM, you can work out if the b connection is connected to earth chassis, as it will read a short (zero ohms) to the metal case of the radio. Regards, Felix, vk4fuq aka catman.