luria@ucbvax.ARPA (Marc Luria) (03/19/85)
I bought a Uniden 2021 a couple months ago and have been relatively happy with it. Strong stations like BBC, HCJB, etc. I pull in with no problem and I have listened to Kol Israel's programs regularly though the reception on that has been considerably weaker. I have not been able to pull in Israel's Home service at all. The question I have is what things I could do to make reception better. I now have a piece of Radio Shack 18 gauge copper wire strung uup along the side of our apartment building. Should I try to put an antenna on the roof of our two story building, an active antenna, add a preamplifier or something like the Grove minituner? What would be most helpful? And what brand of product? Any other suggestions?
parnass@ihu1h.UUCP (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) (03/20/85)
Outdoor Antenna vs. Indoor Active Antenna, etc.
Without a doubt, putting an antenna on the roof will yield
the biggest improvement, and at a lower cost per db. I have
an MFJ 1020 active antenna and an Ameco preamp. They are
ok, but not as good as a mediocre wire antenna on the roof
would be.
My choices for a simple SWL antenna, in priority order, are:
1. A coax fed trap dipole for multiple shortwave bands
2. an end fed long wire and a simple SWL antenna tuner to
match unbalanced lines (MFJ or Grove Minituner III
[$39]).
3. Center fed Zepp, of length = 468/[lowest freq you want
to cover in MHz], parallel feed line (good grade of
jacketed twin lead), and antenna tuner to feed balan-
ced line
> I bought a Uniden 2021 a couple months ago and have been relatively happy
> with it. Strong stations like BBC, HCJB, etc. I pull in with no problem
> and I have listened to Kol Israel's programs regularly though the reception
> on that has been considerably weaker. I have not been able to pull in Israel's
> Home service at all. The question I have is what things I could do to make
> reception better. I now have a piece of Radio Shack 18 gauge copper wire
> strung uup along the side of our apartment building. Should I try to put
> an antenna on the roof of our two story building, an active antenna, add a
> preamplifier or something like the Grove minituner? What would be most
> helpful? And what brand of product? Any other suggestions?
--
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Bob Parnass, Bell Telephone Laboratories - ihnp4!ihu1h!parnass - (312)979-5414 Taylor.Wbst@XEROX.ARPA (03/20/85)
I HAVE INCREASED THE SENSITIVITY OF THE 2021 BY AT LEAST 10 DECIBELS AT ~4 MHZ BY SIMPLY USING A RESONANT LOOP ANTENNA. ALL THAT IS NECESSARY IS TO USE THE ANTENNA WIRE THAT CAME WITH THE RCVR AND PLACE A 100 PF VARIABLE CAPACITOR BETWEEN THE "FAR" END AND THE GROUND TERMINAL OF THE RCVR. (AN AUDIO TAPE REEL, ~5 IN OD, MAKES A NEAT WAY TO STORE THE UNUSED SLACK IN THE WIRE.) I JUST LOOPED THE WIRE AROUND A WINDOW BEHIND THE DRAPERIES. GOOD LUCK! JIM (W2OZH)