Hi ive seen this somewhere else and thought i would try it today, finaly some nice weather and wanted to fix some antenna stuff, so what I meen is that you use CATV Cable, that i allready knew however i am commenting on using the center lead only to a random antenna. I just removed a Coax with a 9:1 Balun and tested it instead with just a CATV Cable using the center lead as you showed, and voila, the signals are much stronger and less noise, go figure, what i also did allthough it doesnt seem to do alot of difference but at least i through it in here for others to test, is that since i use a CATV Cable i still had the Connector on the cable end, i attached a "CATV Mantelstromfilter" to remove noice since it attaches to the same CATV Connectors so why not try it, i happen to have several laying around and i have wanted to try it out longtime previously, since they are cheaper than anything you can buy for shortwave doing the same thing. So.. yeah it works and go figure it works better thatn with a 9:1 balun, so i think alot of the buzz in the radioworld comes from the Amateurs that needs to TX Since we dont need that, its better to keep it simple, perhaps ? dont know 73 //Chris

@MrBrian8749

3 жыл бұрын

You got the right idea....we are only interested in receiving..and that cats transformer will work. The best antenna systems were built as a result of experimentation. When we stop experimenting all the fun goes away. Thanks for info and comment, keep me informed of experimental antenna work as we all have much to learn. Best regards

A gold star to the Signal Hunter.⭐ Most everyone else just ends up making it too complicated.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge as i quit learning after my husband passed. I really enjoyed listening to what he tuned in.

I know you did this years ago but I did one years ago on how to fix a printer problum and I still have people thanking me for making it. I want to say thank you. I've watch a bunch of videos and read but they get off fast to things I don't have a clue about. I just got my little radio a week ago with a book to read but I just wanted to be able to setup something to use my new shinny radio fast and learn as I go. I heard long wire and toss it into a tree and your ready to go. I did that and got a bunch of people talking but I can't understand what they are saying. So I was getting like forget it till I read my book and was bummed I couldn't really use the radio unless it was coming in very strong. I'll try what you say ASAP. thanks

I appreciate the no nonsense practical advice.

Got so happy getting my china rigs. That my sister sat and called me nuts.. i went to the wallyworld and got a bolt of cloth...then made baggs for my radios. For the bags that carry the antenna and even mats to set my radios. No unun though i use 3 cut to 1/4 wave antenna then carry my antennas i choose. Salute, via con dios, chow, and avedahouen.

I know you will never even come across this nothing comment from me a year after you made this video. But I need to say to you it was as if I was somehow led here to this. I have been in Hospitals and Bed at home for over 4 1/2 years now. I had 4 bullet & shrapnel wounds from my time in the US Marine Corps in War that finally got the best of me. I am going to be 70 in Feb 2019 IF I last that long... I am NOT the guy people SEE when they meet me. I am still the man who woke the wife up to get ready for us BOTH to go out Surfing every single morning, before work and every weekend. We were BOTH hardcore surf bums and proud of it:-) We surfed all over this World together, rode motorcycles the same. But like with us all, life happened. Now she battles Cancer and 4 1/2 years ago they had to do 6 spine fusions on my neck and back. Then a more ironic twist while healing I had to have an emergency Matestomy of my left breast. YES, I AM a man:-) Yep, WEIRD crap DO happen... Plus I had 3 more emergency surgeries and nobody on this planet has explained to me how I also somehow contracted Lyme Disease somehow on my trips to & from doctor & hospital visits here in North San Diego County California in the city of Oceanside! What I try to get to is this. I am NOT used to being a cripple. I am not disabled. I have BEEN MADE Crippled by War, surgeons, and now Lyme Disease and the damned mastectomy and all that has followed. My point is I am simply NOT used to this but have to accept it. Hardest part is watching my beautiful wife KILLING herself doing "everything. Because rolling over in bed takes me a pulley system I had to invent to get even that much done. She somehow saved and just bought me a Tecsun S2000 we JUST got. Of course we get NOTHING on it:-) I understand our area is notorious for horrific reception. Which brings me back to your video. YOU have given me hope. Hope my wife can build this for me without HURTING herself. and without making me feel even more guilty:-) I NEED to say THANK you even if you never see this. Because YOU are the only one to offer this and it is a GODSEND for me. I am SO sick & tired of feeling like a useless piece of crap and YOU offer hope for my wife to be able to help me with this video. I have no idea what gauge copper wire that is you show between the 2 rope ties but I will buy something and "wing it". And I am guessing I can buy some Mediabridge Coaxial Cable and just strip off the end to solder to that super heavy duty copper wire, then run the Coax wire 60-70 feet into the house somehow, strip off the other end and "clip" that end onto my tip of the pull up telescoping stock antenna on my new Tescan S2000? If I am wrong on these guesses, ya won't hear from me again:-) I DO suppose if it EVER does finally rain here, to make sure to disconnect it from the radio ad maybe tape over the clip on that goes to the radio? Either way, whatever happens, I am going to try it as soon as I save for the wire. I am on an embarrassingly tiny pension so it takes me a bit of time. But thanks to YOU, I now have hope. We have been through HELL trying to figure out how WE could make any antenna. The simple wind up stuff we bought does nothing but add more noise of course. This way, we have a little shed in our back yard and it is only 8 feet high but I van have her go from that and NOT be up on a scary ladder and risk losing HER over trying to help me. I could simply not survive the guilt of losing her to anything like that. We have just been through FAR too cuh already. THANK you again. This is not a little deal. Not for US...I am in very poor health and YOU have made sure my wife will now not go out and do something stupid. THAT is MY job:-) Mike

@MrBrian8749

6 жыл бұрын

Mike Cartwright my email is brkkinlaw@googlemail.com Mike send me your phone number and I'll call you. It would be a pleasure speak with you and your wife. Also nice to hear an American voice from back home.

@mrmusdtard2

4 жыл бұрын

Wow Mike so much to endure but on you go giving strength to each other and no mountain too high ,my love goes out to you both and i give you a Standing Ovation ,my very best wishes Brian

dear DX collegue Brian, I am handicaped and my wife does all activity for me, but I want to congratulate you for a fine video which is short and exact. This UNun is easy to build and very easy to understand. So we all DX-ers have to say: "Thank you!" , best wishes from Klaus

@MrBrian8749

7 жыл бұрын

Voice of DX Hi Klaus... Thank you for the nice comment. I'm glad you found this video helpful and your comments are much appreciated. I intend to make more of this type of video. I'm no expert by any means, I love this hobby and promote SWL. It's also helpful to join in with others in this hobby on KZread to share your DX receptions reports. 73 Brian

love the NO B/S approach to this video, informative and clear without heaps of technical speak, learned more in a few minutes here than 20 or more on other videos, thanks

@MrBrian8749

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words..I'm no expert in anything, I just know I was sick of searching for information and get technical stuff I couldn't use. I dont want all that garbage...I want my radio to perform. I make simple videos because I a simple farmer.

I have four sw radios and thank you for saying what to use to keep them looking new and cleen. Also I found the tips on your advice on random wire antennas very helpful.

I have a PL600 RX using a 10m wire. I did a test recently using a 25m length of wire plugged into the pl600. Checked across the bands at about 20:00 UTC here in NZ. Noted performance and then repeated test shortening the wire by 5m at a time. When I got to 10m reduced by 1m at a time. Optimum performance was with 10 to 7m of wire. Good signal, low noise, no overloading. Works very well. Modern PLL or DSP Rxers don't like long wire antennas as they are very sensitive.. Enjoyed your video.

i liked the little coil that you used to enhance the antennas capability

Thank You so much for this!! I had a stoke and have decided to take up shortwave in my retirement to keep my brain active! But, trying to get over the noise I was getting on my Grundig and get (what I believed) was a decent aerial, all I got on KZread was mumbo jumbo malarkey and technical crap that almost left me at a point. where I was almost about to give up on my new found hobby! Finally I found your video that a) made sense b) that I could understand and c) gave me inspiration and impetus to continue ''having a go' and know this is all within my (now diminished) capabilities! So thank you very much my good sir! David (Melbourne, Australia)

@MrBrian8749

5 жыл бұрын

Any help you need please ask. Thanks for the kind words and Happy DXing. 73s Brian

Signal hunter I learn lot from you about how to tack cair your shortwave receiver and antennas for shortwave receivers my friend

Signal hunter your shortwave receivers are awesome my friend

Simple straight to the point no bs video. Thanks and keep them coming!

Thank you! I was starting to wonder if I had found the right hobby with all the techno gabble out there! You have restored my faith in shortwave listening in one short video. Thank you! Subscribed.

Thanks for the video! Appreciate it! Just getting started in this hobby and man is my mind confused by so much information. I like your keep it simple method.

You can eve use a ROUND brush from the Home Depot/Lowes store, or a new makeup brush to dust your stuff, and get the dust pout of the crevices.

Very helpful Brian. Thanks for sharing. 73!

Very good explanation and advice!

Absolutely helpful to beginners and offers encouragement for radio hobbyists, thanks and continue your great presentations. Ar trinidad and 🇹🇹

Nicely done Brian - I enjoy your straight forward approach! There'a a lot of 'voodoo' engineering when it comes to antenna - simple is best. 73! Clint

@MrBrian8749

7 жыл бұрын

Oxford Shortwave Log Thanks Clint, I am also a beginner and no expert by any means. I wish to share what I learned and maybe save someone some time and avoid following the wrong information. Many times to much information is worse than none at all. 73 brian

Signal hunter your utube videos are awesome my friend

Thanks for sharing, good video. Have a blessed day

The antenna made from connecting all the flashing around our roof worked in a loop but not a closed circle.

Very interesting this tutorial, and useful at the same time , 73!

I use a coax cable from the radio, going out to a 50 foot long wire outside my condo. Works ok, but I am surrounded by tall buildings. Gonna try grounding the antenna next.

Big thanks for this video sir. Only been into shortwave listening for around a year. So this is just what I needed. Many of the shortwave antenna youtube are way over my head. All the best to ya and thanks again.👍

@MrBrian8749

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching... Yes I understand many of the antenna videos are also to technical for me to explain. But remember those videos are mostly by Hams and for Hams. Their not interested in SWLing. 73s Brian

I use a paintbrush the same size as yours for my radios and synths etc., and a toothbrush for the more stubborn and hard to reach places.

A good common sense video on SW antennas....i agree, lots waffle on and on in "techie jargon" which just cuts any average listeners out! I built my own end fed random wire from some braided copper wire which was in the scrap bin where i used to work. I got the ok to have it, then set about measuring a length out (i have about 60ft space in my rear garden). The one downside to the wire was even though it was fairly thick and braided copper, it had no insulation.....BUT it came for free so i couldn't complain! So before mounting i soaked it in Waxoyl to give it some protection which seems to have done the trick as 25 years later it's survived winters and bad storms and still functions well.

@MrBrian8749

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you for commenting. The best wire is when it comes free. Good luck with the end fed, sounds like a good idea. 73s Brian

Great video. Thanks for keeping it basic. All the best to you sir.👍👍👍

@MrBrian8749

5 жыл бұрын

Basic is good...when a hobby become too complicated it stops being fun.

One of the best times is if you have a battery radio and the power in you town or neighborhood goes off. That is the greatest SWL time. So much noise will have disappeared when all the power is off. One other thing to do when the power is on is take your portable around the house and unplug various items that are on, especially those related to computers, TVs, et cetera. When I want to listen to weak signals, I turn off the computer, the TV, the WiFi, and the cable modem. The worst item in my place is the VOIP box for my telephone. Also beware of various lights. Some of them are very noisy in the various radio bands.

Great video! Simple English for those of us that are not electronics engineers, thank you. I have a old radio on hand that I would like to take the am antenna and make an Unun of. Now, back to English. The only German word in my vocabulary that I understand is "auctung" (don't even know if I spelled it right, lol). I just done a little searching for more information in English to no avail. where can I learn more about this? thanks.

can u make a video follow up on this, love to see results

Hi. I like the video, but it looks like the wiring of your UNUN is not quite right. The receiver should be connected to the other wire connection above the core. As it is you have one wind on the core above the receiver connection where on the one you used as reference, and on the circuit diagrams I have seen, there should be two winds above and one below. If you should see this, is there no 'right' number of total winds? I see some with four turns, some with ten, some with fifteen. Is there no 'right' number? Thanks for the video. Regards.

If you are still reading comments.. I have looked far and wide for an answer on optimal length for a random wire antenna. All sites go into diagrams, charts, technical aspects, and formulas.. which if I knew what they were talking about, I would already know the length of wire for an antenna. My question is, how long can a wire be before it starts being to long and causing issues? From what I see, it's not necessarily the overall length, but the length corresponding to wavelengths of various bands. I just want a random wire that will increase reception on all bands, tho some may increase more than others due to frequencies, to connect to the antenna rod with alligator clips, or plug into the antenna jack, that I can throw in a backpack, or camping gear, to put over a tree limb, or even stretch along the ground if no trees. I have saw as low as 25 feet, up to 100 feet, then I see talk of long wires overloading the receiver unless you have attenuator, but I want to keep it simple. Some of my radios have a DX switch which might help there, but not all. Can you help?

@techtinkerin

Жыл бұрын

The formula for working out antenna lengths is 300 divided by frequency, eg 300/446mhz is 0.672 meters, then 1/2 of 0.67 that's 0.33 for the half wave optimal length. For lower frequencies the lengths get very long eg 300/7mhz is 42.85 meters. 1/2 is 21 meters. I read somewhere that long antennas are not as bad for mismatched freqs as small ones. Guess you have to just try some lengths, maybe have connections that can be split to adjust its optimal Freq. Good luck dude😎👍

Hi Can You give the instructions for the balun or unun? Please. The attached link didn’t function Thanks Cesar Jimenez

Thank you for the video,can you please tell me what's the model of the Kenwood behind the sangean, I had the same one a long time ago and I forgot what model it was, with some luck maybe I can find one again.

@MrBrian8749

4 жыл бұрын

Kenwood R 600 and there not always easy to find. It seems like there will 2 or 3 on ebay then months will go by with any. There is a seller from the Netherlands...He always has best ones. I bought mine from him. He collects them,but only in "very good" condition. I sorry I dont know his name. The R1000 is almost the same radio, I recommend it over the R600 and its easier to fine...again that seller also sells the R1000.

Simplest idea is a wire with a crocodile clip, don't bother with coax and ununs. 👍😎❤️

Ant need for a ground? I understood that a ground could cut noise and perhaps it helps with lightning? I am not sure - just a noob getting ready to make an antenna!

@MrBrian8749

3 жыл бұрын

A good ground is important. If you have a desktop receiver both receiver and antenna can be grounded at receiver side. lightning: positive electrons seek a ground to complete the circuit thus, you have an arch which is the lightning you see. If there is no ground lightning will be attacked to your antenna. Its not necessary to ground portables. When the weather is bad I unhooked all my antennas. In fact when unattended they remained unhooked. I just made a habit of it. So...it's good to ground antennas just remember to leave them unhooked from radio when you're not around. Hoped this helped, and remember I am no expert but this is knowledge I learned over the years. 73s

@Cheetorblz

3 жыл бұрын

@@MrBrian8749 Thanks! Yeah I am pretty confused on getting a good signal and trying to make an effective antenna. I guess I just need to try and see and go from there. I do know that my reel antenna strung in the house didn't help.

Thanks

the Un-Un could be housed in a PVC pipe with end caps, easy to find, modify to your needs and seal against the elements :)

@MrBrian8749

4 жыл бұрын

Thats very true SpectreOZ... Its a lot more fun when you use what you have. Instead of buying a finished 9:1 UnUn you can buy pre wound 9:1 for about 10 dollars and use a plastic box or pvc pipe w/end caps. I have never found a beginner who was just satisfied with sitting around listening to shortwave. Even as a 8 year old kid, I figured out fast...the better antenna you have the more signals you get. Thanks for the comment 73s Brian

Signal hunter my hobbies are painting pictures 🖼 and listening to shortwave and ssb iam thinking about getting my ham license

thanks for the tips. 73,KB3AUM

Thank you ever so much for helping me and dispensing with the bullshit jargon and crapola they I find on KZread! Cheers David

@MrBrian8749

4 жыл бұрын

I'm not a tech David...just a simple guy loving my hobby. I do Know a bit about antennas. No one needs to understand antenna theory to build one for shortwave listening. We're not ham operators, not broadcasting. Most of people who make antenna videos want to prove they know something and the beginner gets lost in all the bullshit. I don't care what level of expertise anyone has. I know what works and what does not. I do understand antenna theory but thats because I'm interested in it. But most SWLers Just want to dx. The best way forward is experimentation. There is so many variables what works great for me may be a shit antenna for you. There are some basic rules, Which one needs to follow, but you can learn it in 15 minutes without being technical. Have questions? Want to learn those basic rules in plain language? Send me a email at brkkinlaw@googlemail.com Hope to hear from you can soon. 73s Brian

Plug a wire into your house ground outlet and your whole house wiring becomes an antenna ...works like a champion , connect a plug single wire only to ground post only, don't let it touch neg or pos on plug tape off if necessary, 6' speaker wire w alligator clip on other end to attach to antenna, you'll pull in the weakest stations.KE6HZX

"Gone off into outer space...etc." Lots of Hams (and possibly SWL-ers also) do that. They go off on advanced technical data binges, possibly because they have learned to think in complicated ways. Ham operators will usually introduce newcomers to all the technical info about 2 meter Handhelds. That never helped me at all, and they do not even realize that they. Then, they answer questions about what equipment to start with a 2 hour dissertation about; "It all depends upon what you want to do." Nobody has the sense to suggest a basic HF radio and a single frequency to explore. No, it has to be EVERYTHING--ALL--JUMBLED---UP--AT--ONCE. The last visit I had to a Ham Club, I got criticized by some 24 year old (I am 73) for not getting involved in ARRL emergency operations, and I have never even set up a radio before. It is a bit interesting I guess to examine the primitive urges to dominate others that appear among the amateurs.

@TheREALJosephTurner

Жыл бұрын

I certainly understand where you're coming from, as I still consider myself a relatively new ham despite holding an extra class ticket (I've only been licensed a few years). Like you, I kept feeling "talked down to" by the local club, and we all know how people are online these days. I basically resorted to KZread videos and books for most of my learning. That said, as long as someone isn't getting too preachy, the question of what you want to do is a pretty valid one, as it can tie directly to your wallet. For instance, my interests in ham radio mostly lies with voice (a.k.a. phone) operation. At this time, I have no interest in CW (Morse Code) or any of the digital modes. Because of my current interests, I have no need for a radio that has CW filtering or digital capabilities- which opens me up to a huge used market for cheap radios. Further, I have a love of "boat anchors" (tube radios that are usually older than me- and I'm 51). So now we're talking radios in the couple hundred dollar range, if that. If you simply don't know what you may end up interested in, a good all-in-one radio like the Icom IC-7300 is a good one to start with. It's a touch over 1000 new (700 and up used), but it's ready for voice, CW, and can handle most of the digital modes. It covers HF and 6 meters, so if you're interested in local 2-meters and up (down numerically), you'd need something else. A lot of folks will go with the 7300 and get a handheld or a mobile for 2+meters. And of course if all you are interested in is the local-to-you stuff, you wouldn't need the 7300 at all. There isn't really "one good band" to start with, as band conditions change with weather, time of day, sun cycles, etc, but a good starting point would be to consider the UHF/VHF bands to be fairly local, while the HF bands would give you more distance. If distance interests you the most, most HF radios made in the last 50 years will have most of the most popular HF bands all in one radio. My Kenwood TS-430S is a couple decades old and covers all the most popular HF bands, and is still a great radio for my voice-only interest (though I hear it does quite well for CW as well). I play with old tube radios on 2 and 6 meters, which is the challenging part of my interests, since I can't play with most repeaters (An old Heathkit Seneca transmitter with an even older Hammarlund receiver- both of which are older than me!)

How about lightning protection. My wire is tied directly to a tree without an insulator. The tree is approx. 10m high. The wire leads directly through my window which is located in the 2nd storey of our building. Inside my house it is connected to a coax which goes in my radio. Unplugging it during a thunderstorm should be enough. The house and a nother tree are a lot higher than the wire so I guess it is okay. The wire itself is a 0,5mm2 cross section and it is rubber insulated

@MrBrian8749

4 жыл бұрын

I have never worried about it even when I lived in florida. I always unhooked the antennas and unplugged everything. best lighting protection.

It was all fine until you started talking about the "antenna" . What is that thick white tube? Is the blue wire the antenna? It seems really short. Did you say this mockup has to be at least 5 meters from the house ? Thats 15 feet away from the house. How is the radio connected to this thing 15 feet away? Sorry, I dont understand any of this. I guess youre talking to people with previous knowledge. I dont have it .

This antenna is meant for beginners ….and the he starts to solder wires...I wunder how many beginners can solder.

@MrBrian8749

4 жыл бұрын

The whole idea is to get beginners interested in shortwave. If you listened, I said; "if you can't soldier, you can wrap the lead in wire around the antenna". Beginners are not stupid. With a little practice anyone can soldier with a basic soldier iron. Thanks for the negative comment I appreciate it. 73s

@rogerbixley791

4 жыл бұрын

@@MrBrian8749 sorry...probably I didn´t listen properly

4 minutes in and it's all been waffle so far...signal to noise ratio non-existent so far.