AM Medium Wave Loop Antennas

[J&D Schnoor]

I am interested in improving my AM Medium Wave broadcast reception. I found
out that Radio Shack's AM Loop antenna Catalog # 15-1853 is no longer
carried locally. Was this a decent loop antenna for the price? Can it
still be found anywhere? (I will check E-bay, of course.) Also, I am going
to do a Google search for this topic, but any input you guys can give would
be appreciated. I seem to recall Terk making antennas in the past. Are
there any good web-pages that review, compare, and contrast these antennas?
I still get catalogs from C Crane and Universal Radio, so I will check
there, also.

[Vic]

I bought one on closeout, about $10 or so if I recall correctly. It was worth the money. You can 'amplify' the signal you want to
receive or 'null out' an unwanted signal simply by placing and tuning the loop correctly.

I recall reading a NG post in which the writer told us of his 'carousel' (some call it a 'lazy susan'). He puts the loop and radio
on the carousel and conveniently rotates it for desired effect. Worked great for him!

Vic
___

Post by J&D Schnoor
I am interested in improving my AM Medium Wave broadcast reception. I found
out that Radio Shack's AM Loop antenna Catalog # 15-1853 is no longer
carried locally. Was this a decent loop antenna for the price? Can it
still be found anywhere? (I will check E-bay, of course.) Also, I am going
to do a Google search for this topic, but any input you guys can give would
be appreciated. I seem to recall Terk making antennas in the past. Are
there any good web-pages that review, compare, and contrast these antennas?
I still get catalogs from C Crane and Universal Radio, so I will check
there, also.

[Sanjaya]

Post by J&D Schnoor
I am interested in improving my AM Medium Wave broadcast reception. I found
out that Radio Shack's AM Loop antenna Catalog # 15-1853 is no longer
carried locally. Was this a decent loop antenna for the price? Can it
still be found anywhere? (I will check E-bay, of course.) Also, I am going
to do a Google search for this topic, but any input you guys can give would
be appreciated. I seem to recall Terk making antennas in the past. Are
there any good web-pages that review, compare, and contrast these antennas?
I still get catalogs from C Crane and Universal Radio, so I will check
there, also.

I have a Terk AM Advantage. I remember the first time I used it... amazed at how
well it worked.

Comes with a connector for your antenna terminals, or you can just place it
near a portable, tune the loop to the same frequency you are trying to
enhance, and rotate it until you get the best sound. No connector needed that way.

I think I got it at buy.com or amazon.com

[Michael]

Post by J&D Schnoor
I am interested in improving my AM Medium Wave broadcast reception. I found
out that Radio Shack's AM Loop antenna Catalog # 15-1853 is no longer
carried locally. Was this a decent loop antenna for the price? Can it
still be found anywhere? (I will check E-bay, of course.) Also, I am going
to do a Google search for this topic, but any input you guys can give would
be appreciated. I seem to recall Terk making antennas in the past. Are
there any good web-pages that review, compare, and contrast these antennas?
I still get catalogs from C Crane and Universal Radio, so I will check
there, also.

Hiya...

I don't know what your price range is, or if you want an indoor loop or an
outdoor loop. I have read several posts on this group from people who know
about this new indoor loop from Wellbrook and they talk very highly of it...
I was thinking about getting one myself.

http://www.wellbrook.uk.com/LA5030.html

Also... If you want to save some money and have some fun you can always
build your own loop :-) Have a peek at this link from Hard-Core-DX. Lots
of good loop info here to dig into....

http://www.hard-core-dx.com/nordicdx/antenna/loop/index.html

Michael

[Ron Hardin]

They're all the same pretty much. They are nothing but a variable
capacitor (365pf is standard) across a dozen turns of wire, forming
a resonant circuit that's completely passive.

If you put your radio nearby, it couples to the internal ferrite rod
and improves the impedance match, so that your radio can hear down to
the propagating noise level.

Once you hear the actual propagating noise, more sensitivity is of
no use to you, so once a loop works well enough, you don't need better.

You can build one from scratch but it won't save you much money
(100' of wire, var cap, knob, form for winding wire on, and problems
of neatness, all add up).

Physically big radios need bigger loops, roughly speaking.

I have a half dozen home-made loops around the house and then I
bought a select-a-tenna and a terk, which are more convennient.

They're directional in the same pattern as every small antenna,
a donut with two line nulls going through the hole. The null is
ruined only by response to both electric and magnetic fields,
rather than magnetic field alone; so it can fill in a little.

Physically big loops begin responding to electric fields as well
as magnetic.

So anyway don't expect any comparison of radio shack with terk with
select-a-tenna. They're all alike.

[William S Everhart 90512]

Post by Ron Hardin
They're all the same pretty much. They are nothing but a variable
capacitor (365pf is standard) across a dozen turns of wire, forming
a resonant circuit that's completely passive.
If you put your radio nearby, it couples to the internal ferrite rod
and improves the impedance match, so that your radio can hear down to
the propagating noise level.
Once you hear the actual propagating noise, more sensitivity is of
no use to you, so once a loop works well enough, you don't need better.
You can build one from scratch but it won't save you much money
(100' of wire, var cap, knob, form for winding wire on, and problems
of neatness, all add up).
Physically big radios need bigger loops, roughly speaking.
I have a half dozen home-made loops around the house and then I
bought a select-a-tenna and a terk, which are more convennient.
They're directional in the same pattern as every small antenna,
a donut with two line nulls going through the hole. The null is
ruined only by response to both electric and magnetic fields,
rather than magnetic field alone; so it can fill in a little.
Physically big loops begin responding to electric fields as well
as magnetic.
So anyway don't expect any comparison of radio shack with terk with
select-a-tenna. They're all alike.

Ron - Your post is on the money. Wow - well written and well said.
I learned something.

Thanks

[m II]

Post by Ron Hardin
Physically big loops begin responding to electric fields as well
as magnetic.

I hadn't realized mother nature cared about size. At what 'size' do the
electrical fields start showing interest? My local physicist tells me
that it's not the field so much as how you use it...




mike

[Telamon]

Post by m II

Post by Ron Hardin
Physically big loops begin responding to electric fields as well
as magnetic.

I hadn't realized mother nature cared about size. At what 'size' do the
electrical fields start showing interest? My local physicist tells me
that it's not the field so much as how you use it...

A small loop that only responds to the magnetic field is 10% or less of
the wavelength in length.

[RHF]

Post by J&D Schnoor
I am interested in improving my AM Medium Wave broadcast reception. I found
out that Radio Shack's AM Loop antenna Catalog # 15-1853 is no longer
carried locally. Was this a decent loop antenna for the price? Can it
still be found anywhere? (I will check E-bay, of course.) Also, I am going
to do a Google search for this topic, but any input you guys can give would
be appreciated. I seem to recall Terk making antennas in the past. Are
there any good web-pages that review, compare, and contrast these antennas?
I still get catalogs from C Crane and Universal Radio, so I will check
there, also.

J&D,

Check-Out these two YAHOO! eGroups:

Loop Antenna Information and Design
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gccloopantennadesign/

Loop Antennas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loopantennas/

PASSIVE AM/MW LOOP ANTENNAS:

The RadioShack AM Loop Antenna and the Terk AM Advantage Loop
Antenna are about the same size and performance wise.

The Select-A-Tenna Model 541-M is slightly bigger and better by
an S-Unit or two then the first two.
SAT=> http://www.selectatenna.com/

Read - AM/MW DXing : Three Loop Antennas
and Three 'portable' Super Radios
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/message/775

Beyond that consider a home made Box Loop Antenna about Two-Foot
(24") per side.


ACTIVE AM/MW LOOP ANTENNAS:

C. Crane {Justice} Twin Coil Ferrite Bar AM Loop Antenna.
CAMA=> http://www.ccrane.com/am-antenna.aspx

Quantum QX Ferrite Rod AM Loop Antenna
QX=> http://www.dxtools.com/PRODUCTS.htm

Or consider a {Used} Kiwa Air Core MW Loop Antenna
KIWA=> http://www.kiwa.com/kiwaloop.html


iane ~ RHF
.
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/message/502
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night...
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond, The Beyond !

.

[RHF]

Post by RHF

Post by J&D Schnoor
I am interested in improving my AM Medium Wave broadcast reception. I found
out that Radio Shack's AM Loop antenna Catalog # 15-1853 is no longer
carried locally. Was this a decent loop antenna for the price? Can it
still be found anywhere? (I will check E-bay, of course.) Also, I am going
to do a Google search for this topic, but any input you guys can give would
be appreciated. I seem to recall Terk making antennas in the past. Are
there any good web-pages that review, compare, and contrast these antennas?
I still get catalogs from C Crane and Universal Radio, so I will check
there, also.

J&D,
Loop Antenna Information and Design
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/gccloopantennadesign/
Loop Antennas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/loopantennas/
The RadioShack AM Loop Antenna and the Terk AM Advantage Loop
Antenna are about the same size and performance wise.
The Select-A-Tenna Model 541-M is slightly bigger and better by
an S-Unit or two then the first two.
SAT=> http://www.selectatenna.com/
Read - AM/MW DXing : Three Loop Antennas
and Three 'portable' Super Radios
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/message/775
Beyond that consider a home made Box Loop Antenna about Two-Foot
(24") per side.

PLANS: For a Two-Foot Box Loop Antenna
http://www.mindspring.com/~loop_antenna/amloop2.htm
http://www.mindspring.com/~loop_antenna/
- WebPages presented by Bruce Carter

READ: Australian One Meter Loop Antenna -=V=- Select-A-Tenna Loop Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/message/862

READ: Back-of-the-Door as a "Super Loop" Antenna
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/message/798

~ RHF
.
.

Post by RHF
C. Crane {Justice} Twin Coil Ferrite Bar AM Loop Antenna.
CAMA=> http://www.ccrane.com/am-antenna.aspx
Quantum QX Ferrite Rod AM Loop Antenna
QX=> http://www.dxtools.com/PRODUCTS.htm
Or consider a {Used} Kiwa Air Core MW Loop Antenna
KIWA=> http://www.kiwa.com/kiwaloop.html
iane ~ RHF
.
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/message/502
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night...
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond, The Beyond !
.

[J&D Schnoor]

Thank you very much for the suggestions. Today I picked up a Terk Advantage
http://www.terk.com/pdfs/Advantage.pdf
I am using it with a Cambridge SoundWorks Radio 730
http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/store/category.cgi?category=aud_radio&item=c173rdzzz&type=store
The station I am trying to receive is WWTC 1280
http://www.am1280thepatriot.com/default.asp
According to MSN Maps & Directions it is 6.6 miles from my receiver to their
antenna. The Terk antenna made a nice improvement in the daytime, but it is
virtually undetectable at night. My radio is on the main level of my house
very near a window. I haven't found out yet what the difference in antenna
pattern and transmit power is in the day versus the night. At any rate, I
am thinking about returning the Terk Advantage and upgrading to the next
step up. Knowing what I have learned so far, what do you guys think is the
next antenna that I should try? I might add that I can hear this station in
a vehicle in the driveway, although not very well.

[Jim Menning]

Post by J&D Schnoor
Thank you very much for the suggestions. Today I picked up a Terk Advantage
http://www.terk.com/pdfs/Advantage.pdf
I am using it with a Cambridge SoundWorks Radio 730

http://www.cambridgesoundworks.com/store/category.cgi?category=aud_radio&item=c173rdzzz&type=store

Post by J&D Schnoor
The station I am trying to receive is WWTC 1280
http://www.am1280thepatriot.com/default.asp
According to MSN Maps & Directions it is 6.6 miles from my receiver to their
antenna. The Terk antenna made a nice improvement in the daytime, but it is
virtually undetectable at night. My radio is on the main level of my house
very near a window. I haven't found out yet what the difference in antenna
pattern and transmit power is in the day versus the night. At any rate, I
am thinking about returning the Terk Advantage and upgrading to the next
step up. Knowing what I have learned so far, what do you guys think is the
next antenna that I should try? I might add that I can hear this station in
a vehicle in the driveway, although not very well.

Only 6.6 miles? Something is wrong with your radios! ;o)

Here is your station data, don't forget to click on the "daytime" and
"nighttime" coverage maps.

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?sr=Y&s=C&is_lic=Y&is_unl=Y&is_cp=Y&call=wwtc&sid=&x=8&y=2

[J&D Schnoor]

I pulled the FCC data and it shows I am 17.66 miles from the transmitter.

http://dettifoss.fcc.gov/acweb/dettifoss/Genmen_a/db_11/d_admin.roi;1293955?ViewDefault

[Ron Hardin]

There's not only powering down at night, which they may or may not do;
the chief effect is that you can transmit coast to coast on MW with
only ten watts, owing to really good reflection at night and no
absorption (you get really good reflection in the day too, but the
absorption kills MW).

So at night, you hear all the thousand stations on your frequency
as well as the local. That makes it sound like the local is weak,
but it's not. The thousand others are strong, like locals themselves.

So an antenna won't help. It only makes them louder.

Nulling a single station at night might be possible, but is usually
difficult. And you have many more than a single station to worry about.

So MW loops are mostly spectacular in the daytime, and it may be hard
to tell the loop is even there at night, because everything's a thousand
times louder at night without it.

[dxAce]

Post by Ron Hardin
There's not only powering down at night, which they may or may not do;
the chief effect is that you can transmit coast to coast on MW with
only ten watts, owing to really good reflection at night and no
absorption (you get really good reflection in the day too, but the
absorption kills MW).
So at night, you hear all the thousand stations on your frequency
as well as the local. That makes it sound like the local is weak,
but it's not. The thousand others are strong, like locals themselves.
So an antenna won't help. It only makes them louder.
Nulling a single station at night might be possible, but is usually
difficult. And you have many more than a single station to worry about.
So MW loops are mostly spectacular in the daytime, and it may be hard
to tell the loop is even there at night, because everything's a thousand
times louder at night without it.

That's why a really good loop will allow rotation in azimuth as well as
elevation.

The ability to move the loop in elevation can help null out the effects of
skywave at night.

dxAce

[Tom Betz]

Post by J&D Schnoor
My radio is on the main level of my house
very near a window.

Your house wouldn't happen to be stucco, would it?

[J&D Schnoor]

I did find this information from the Radio-Locator webpage:

http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=wwtc&is_unl=Y&is_lic=Y&is_cp=Y&sr=Y&s=C&sid=&x=16&y=3

I stand corrected on the distance, though. It is actually the studios a few
miles from me and the transmitter is almost 26 miles away.

[RHF]

Post by J&D Schnoor
http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/finder?call=wwtc&is_unl=Y&is_lic=Y&is_cp=Y&sr=Y&s=C&sid=&x=16&y=3
I stand corrected on the distance, though. It is actually the studios a few
miles from me and the transmitter is almost 26 miles away.

J&D,

WWTC - AM 1280 kHz @ 5 KW Days Unlimited and 5 KW Nights DAN
http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=9676

Unless you have 'on-channel' or 'adjacent interference'; at a
distance of 26 miles, you should have a very stong signal both
day and night.

1. Without any 'external' AM/MW Antenna try rotating your Radio
so that the built-in AM/MW Ferrite Rod Antenna gives you the
best reception during the day.

2. Try a different AM/MW Radio with a built-in 8" Ferrite Rod Antenna.

3. Try a single 5-6 Feet Vertical Wire connected to the Radios
external AM/MW Antenna Terminal.

~ RHF
.
.

[Stephen M.H. Lawrence]

"RHF" <rhf-***@pacbell.net> wrote:
| WWTC - AM 1280 kHz @ 5 KW Days Unlimited and 5 KW Nights DAN
| http://www.fcc.gov/fcc-bin/amq?list=0&facid=9676
|
| Unless you have 'on-channel' or 'adjacent interference'; at a
| distance of 26 miles, you should have a very stong signal both
| day and night.

Their transmitter is in Eagan. I live in Burnsville, 9 miles away.
On almost every night, I cannot hear them, period. I've tried
everything, to no avail.

So....I listen to Michael Savage in the morning on their sister
station KYCR - 1570 KHz.

73,

Steve Lawrence
Burnsville, MN


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[dxAce]

Post by J&D Schnoor
I am interested in improving my AM Medium Wave broadcast reception. I found
out that Radio Shack's AM Loop antenna Catalog # 15-1853 is no longer
carried locally. Was this a decent loop antenna for the price? Can it
still be found anywhere? (I will check E-bay, of course.) Also, I am going
to do a Google search for this topic, but any input you guys can give would
be appreciated. I seem to recall Terk making antennas in the past. Are
there any good web-pages that review, compare, and contrast these antennas?
I still get catalogs from C Crane and Universal Radio, so I will check
there, also.

Here is a site that makes MW antennas:

http://www.dxtools.com/index.html

dxAce