Max: What if I'm using a battery-operated receiver and want to have an external antenna. Would I use two wires? I had thought the leads that typically come with a receiver were just one wire, but maybe I'm wrong. If I'm using two wires, would I just connect the ends together at the far end of the antenna?
Thanks for any illumination. -----Original Message----- From: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com [mailto:blindhandy...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Max Robinson Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 20:57 To: blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Antenna construction question You don't ground the antenna. You ground the ground terminal of the receiver, if it has one. That gives the antenna something to work against. Having an antenna without a ground is like trying to operate a light bulb from one wire. You always need two wires to make a complete circuit. Some types of balanced antennas, such as those for FM and TV, don't need a ground to work. Their lead-in has two wires already. Some receivers will ground themselves through the power line. Regards. Max. K 4 O D S. Email: m...@maxsmusicplace. <mailto:max%40maxsmusicplace.com> com Transistor site http://www.funwitht <http://www.funwithtransistors.net> ransistors.net Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwitht <http://www.funwithtubes.net> ubes.net Music site: http://www.maxsmusi <http://www.maxsmusicplace.com> cplace.com To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, funwithtubes- <mailto:funwithtubes-subscribe%40yahoogroups.com> subscr...@yahoogroups.com ----- Original Message ----- From: "William Stephan" <wstep...@everestkc. <mailto:wstephan%40everestkc.net> net> To: <blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com> Sent: Monday, December 15, 2008 7:30 PM Subject: RE: [BlindHandyMan] Antenna construction question > Thanks to all who have answered this one for me. Can somebody explain how > to and why we should ground antennas? If memory serves, when I have > touched > an antenna wire to a ground, like plumming say, the signal went away > entirely. So, what am I missing? > > > > Thanks again. > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com [mailto:blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com] > On Behalf Of Max Robinson > Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 23:55 > To: blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> yahoogroups.com > Subject: Re: [BlindHandyMan] Antenna construction question > > > > Hi William. > > You could fill an entire library with books written about antennas. What > you describe is known as a loop antenna. However the length you had would > have been very good for frequencies from 10 to 50 kHz, and the efficiency > would fall off at higher frequencies. Also the orientation is important. > For AM broadcast the box should have been oriented vertical and rotated > for > best reception of the particular station. I have tried making loop > antennas > out of that telephone wire and they never worked very well. I think the > insulation used is very lossy at radio frequencies. After all, the stuff > was never intended to be used for radio work. A loop antenna is optimum > for > only one frequency. It is possible to make them tunable by connecting a > variable capacitor, commonly known as a tuning condenser to the loop. When > you get up to short wave, above 3 MHz, a length of wire strung along an > outside wall is best. Anything from 6 to 30 feet. If you are in a single > family house you can string wire in the attic. That gives you good length, > gets it out of sight, gives a little height which is always helpful, and > doesn't require climbing trees or on the roof to install. > > Regards. > > Max. K 4 O D S. > > Email: m...@maxsmusicplace. <mailto:max%40maxsmusicplace.com> com > > Transistor site http://www.funwitht <http://www.funwitht <http://www.funwithtransistors.net> ransistors.net> > ransistors.net > Vacuum tube site: http://www.funwitht <http://www.funwitht <http://www.funwithtubes.net> ubes.net> > ubes.net > Music site: http://www.maxsmusi <http://www.maxsmusi <http://www.maxsmusicplace.com> cplace.com> cplace.com > > To subscribe to the fun with tubes group send an email to, > funwithtubes- <mailto:funwithtubes-subscribe%40yahoogroups.com> > subscr...@yahoogrou <mailto:subscribe%40yahoogroups.com> ps.com > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "William Stephan" <wstep...@everestkc. > <mailto:wstephan%40everestkc.net> net> > To: <blindhandyman@ <mailto:blindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> > yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Sunday, December 14, 2008 5:23 PM > Subject: [BlindHandyMan] Antenna construction question > >>I hope this is topical here. I'm thinking about buying myself one of those >> continuous coverage radios that are made by Grundig, I'm looking at a >> satellite actually. So, I think I need an antenna. If I can avoid it, >> I'd >> rather not install one out of doors, though I guess I could if there was >> no >> other way around the problem. Anyway, at one time, I build an antenna >> using >> four way cable like you'd use for running a telephone circuit. Basically, >> I >> had a hundred feet of the stuff, and spliced the ends of two of the >> cables >> so thaqqt I in affect had four hundred feet. Then, I very carefully >> coiled >> the spliced cable flat inside a clean pizza box, then placed the >> cardboard >> top over the coil to hold things in place. I used to put this in a window >> when I lived in a highrise, and it seemed to work, though reception was >> very poor because we were very near electrified rail yards. So, my >> question(s), is this a worthwile antenna to try and use? And, if so, do I >> want to use fourway telephone cable, or the type of cable used to connect >> the actual telephone instrument to the wall jack? If anybody has other >> suggestions for easy-to-build antennas, I'd appreciate hearing them. >> >> >> >> >> >> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] >> >> >> ------------------------------------ >> >> Send any questions regarding list management to: >> blindhandyman- <mailto:blindhandyman-owner%40yahoogroups.com> > ow...@yahoogroups. <mailto:owner%40yahoogroups.com> com >> To listen to the show archives go to link >> http://www.acbradio > <http://www.acbradio <http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_ > .org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_ > page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29> > .org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_ > position=47:29 >> Or >> ftp://ftp.acbradio. <ftp://ftp.acbradio. <ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/> org/acbradio-archives/handyman/> > org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ >> >> The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. >> http://www.acbradio > <http://www.acbradio <http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday> .org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday> > .org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday >> >> Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various >> List Members At The Following address: >> http://www.jaws- <http://www.jaws- <http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/> users.com/JAWS/handyman/> > users.com/JAWS/handyman/ >> >> Visit the archives page at the following address >> http://www.mail- > <http://www.mail- <http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/> archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/> > archive.com/ <mailto:archive.com%2Fblindhandyman%40yahoogroups.com> blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ >> >> If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following >> address for more information: >> http://www.jaws- <http://www.jaws- <http://www.jaws-users.com/> users.com/> users.com/ >> For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man >> list just send a blank message to: >> blindhandyman- <mailto:blindhandyman-help%40yahoogroups.comYahoo> > h...@yahoogroups. <mailto:help%40yahoogroups.comYahoo> comYahoo! Groups Links >> >> >> >> >> > > > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > > > ------------------------------------ > > Send any questions regarding list management to: > blindhandyman- <mailto:blindhandyman-owner%40yahoogroups.com> ow...@yahoogroups.com > To listen to the show archives go to link > http://www.acbradio <http://www.acbradio.org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_ page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_position=47:29> .org/pweb/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=33&MMN_ position=47:29 > Or > ftp://ftp.acbradio. <ftp://ftp.acbradio.org/acbradio-archives/handyman/> org/acbradio-archives/handyman/ > > The Pod Cast address for the Blind Handy Man Show is. > http://www.acbradio <http://www.acbradio.org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday> .org/news/xml/podcast.php?pgm=saturday > > Visit The Blind Handy Man Files Page To Review Contributions From Various > List Members At The Following address: > http://www.jaws- <http://www.jaws-users.com/JAWS/handyman/> users.com/JAWS/handyman/ > > Visit the archives page at the following address > http://www.mail- <http://www.mail-archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/> archive.com/blindhandyman@yahoogroups.com/ > > If you would like to join the JAWS Users List, then visit the following > address for more information: > http://www.jaws- <http://www.jaws-users.com/> users.com/ > For a complete list of email commands pertaining to the Blind Handy Man > list just send a blank message to: > blindhandyman- <mailto:blindhandyman-help%40yahoogroups.comYahoo> h...@yahoogroups.comyahoo! Groups Links > > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
