Radio Antenna Resources.
Hi, I have just built a PicoRX and I am starting to get interested in DXing.
What are good resources for antenna design?
I am primarily looking for receiving Long and Medium wave commercial broadcasts at the moment.
Links to the radio I built:
https://github.com/dawsonjon/PicoRX
https://101-things.readthedocs.io/en/latest/breadboard_radio.html
2024-09-15 · 2 years ago
4 Comments ↓
📡 Queen_City_Nerd [mod] · 2024-09-15 at 23:27:
I would say a long wire if you have the room for it. You're not trasmitting so it's not as critical for matching to output and avoiding a standing wave that would damage the tramsitter but for bang/buck I still think simple wire antennas are the best. I like Dipole type antennas myself though I've been using a Zepp which I suppose is an end fed dipole vs a center fed type, but again I'm transmitting and I think you've built a reciever right? 0-30 Mhz is most of the HF ham radio bands but you'll get comercial radio too. Here's a link for you :
http://www.listenersguide.org.uk/swl/long-wire-shortwave-listening-antenna/
📡 Queen_City_Nerd [mod] · 2024-09-15 at 23:30:
Oh and while it reads DON"T FLY NEAR POWER LINES and this is true, don't get youself killed! Remember if you parallel power lines you'll induce signal onto the antenna and pick up more static and height above gound does have some effect. When we used to do amateur radio astronomy you'd make a Jupiter Rcvr and you kept the wire about a meter off the ground to use the earth as a sort of reflector to force the "view" up.
https://medxr.blogspot.com/2016/01/free-understanding-antennas-for-non.html
🚂 MrSVCD [OP] · 2024-09-17 at 18:43:
I found this article about a loop antenna for LF and I like the idea of the compactness of this antenna.
👾 jecxjo · 2024-10-07 at 14:28:
I will second a long wire antenna. For SWL you don't _need_ a match but if you're building something it doesn't hurt to build one. A simple LC match with some variable capacitors and inductors is easy to do. It will remove some of the ambient static in your reception.