How to Improve your radio's AM FM & SW Reception

[@johnacord5664]

I live in a tin box. The AM wavelength won't go through the windows. FM radio does. I made a coil of 22 GA insulated stranded wire one end to a 102" CB whip I had for years. The other end to earth ground. I am able to pull in stations as far North as Seattle and far East at Omaha. The key to any radio reception is a decent antenna.

[@jaimesk1688]

I saw someone who took a wire, had a hand-looped coil to ground, and put it by the radio (adjust the # loops for best strength)......cool. Maybe you could do that too..

[@julianparks8485]

Did you try opening a Window?😊

[@micwell2247]

I made a simple one lead with a clip on to the radio antenna to the ground side of a 120V outlet. Turn my whole house ground wiring into one big array antenna. Listen to other counties around the world regularly.

[@cjespers]

Thanks for the video. Read your bio, reminded me of my youth, started with cats whisker, moved to a diode, then the rocket radio, and heathkit Gr-64 kit. Then after a hiatus cb, and finally a ham license. Good times.

[@jamesbarclay9265]

Hey! I made one of these loopers when I was a Boy Scout in the 1960s. Later, Radio Shack sold an AM one and it was moderately popular. I still have mine.

[@dutchbeef8920]

What an utterly delightful and magical thing that tecsun loop antenna is

[@marlinus64]

I got this radio delivered today. I took it outdoors tonight and wow! It did extremely well on FM, AM and SW. It sounds great for it's size and honestly in my opinion it outprformed my Retekess V115, at least in my location. The headphones sounded great as well. For the price, I highly recommend. It might not compete with a higher end radio more expensive but I am very pleased. It would be nice to have a lighted dial, but otherwise it's a win for me.

[@tomjones239]

The Tecsun loop has helped me null out horrible static from our satellite receiver box and improve my listening considerably on my favorite daytime and nighttime AM stations! Thank God! Early evening listening has been very frustrating lately but now the problem is solved. It boosts the weak daytime station a lot when I go into another room away from the static so these things do work very well for their size. It also helps to null the static and make the daytime station listenable in my room when I turn it at an angle and tune it off frequency. I was also able to pull in 710 KEEL out of Shreveport today and normally I can`t hear it at all here near Alexandria over 100 miles away and this was INDOORS!

[@0z33y]

I have been using the tecsun loop for sometime now , even with my scanner , and believe me the difference it makes is amazing, I never thought of using 2 of them , but will have to try that now ... thanks for a interesting vid .....

[@sdne1959]

. Just ordered the FM extender for a "problem" radio I've been dealing with for MANY years. LOVE the very simple "installation", and even if it ends up not being the exact solution to my problem, WELL worth the "risk" at only $6.99, including shipping! THANK YOU very much for making me aware that a great (from all indications) product like this even exists! .

[@Buglet720]

This video proves, one can always learn something. I've got 2 loops. I've never thought of using the loop's tuner to help null an adjacent station. I've always treated the null as something to avoid & went right for the signal enhancement aspect.

[@todderbert]

Its amazing, the PDF file is full of useful information. Tomorrow night's video will feature this loop. There is an interesting process of decoupling the radio from the loop on a 45 degreen angle...this is good to narrow or widen the effective bandwidth. This is good for radios with larger ferrite antennas..distance between the loop and receiver has to be to greater.

[@tomweickmann6414]

When I was a kid back in the early to mid 70s I ordered a Spy Pen Radio, I think either from Honor House or Johnson Smith. Germanium diode, with a clip I could attach to the window frame or anything grounded, the "pen" tip slid in and out for tuning. Great late night listening from Boise I could pick up Night Sounds from Elgin Illinois. Came with a crystal earphone piece that was popular in many devices and you could also buy at Radio Shack (remember them?). Sparked a healthy interest in electronics for many of my generation. Hard to find a good walk in electronic parts store these days. And the ferrite loops.....turn a cheap radio into a power house instantly. Highly recommend C. Crane Company.

[@quentinrawlins4876]

I remember the pen you're talking about 😊

[@davestelling]

Yessir...those were some good days, friend! I remember the "Spy Pen," too. That's really cool how you rigged up an antenna and were able to listen. I used to pour over the "Johnson Smith" catalog, too - good stuff, even though I never had any $$ to buy anything!

[@sincerelyyours7538]

I've had the Grundig version of the AN-200 for years. Works a treat, but it can overload the antenna inputs of some radios when the included wire lead is attached. Inductive coupling, however, works fine. Did not know about the other two antennas. Will keep an eye out for them. Same with the Tecsun 9012 SW receiver. It gets good reviews online and is available at the usual sources for under $25.

[@Mcman-nf9dz]

Another great contribution by todderbert! I just got a Kaito T-1. Thanks a lot!

[@AEZAEZEL-187]

I have bought a XHDATA D808 Shortwave radio together with a DESHIBO GA-450 Active Loop Antenna which works very well on Shortwave. I highly recommend the DESHIBO GA-450 Loop Antenna Thanks for making this video and sharing it!👍

[@PureAwareness76]

The GA-800 is a dream, they say ❤

[@wfs29223]

Just ordered the Kaito from Amazon. Thank you!!!

[@davestelling]

I ordered the one that was a couple dollars cheaper - looks to be pretty much the same thing...

[@pokepress]

I wanted to thank you for covering the Tecsun loop antenna. I bought one a few years ago, and recently it’s come in handy for getting better audio for the AM audio AI enhancement model I’ve been working on. The transmitter I have is so low power that I’ve needed extra help to get the best results.

[@troytaylor1913]

In the 70s I made the AM loop antenna from salvaged radio component variable capacitor. Later I replaced the cap with a variable cap tuning diode and a variable resistor but that took a battery. The tuning diode is much more compact.

[@whitneywilliams6795]

Thank you! 🙏 I have a tradition of listening to FM radio specifically at Christmas time so that I can hear the local Christmas station. But I live in a 100-year-old solid plaster house and we can barely pick up a signal. So hopefully this will work for us!

[@todderbert]

should if the wire extends outdoors.

[@tomjones239]

I solved the satellite box static in the house. It was the box in my room. I unplugged it. Now I have no more static to deal with. I can hear 710 out of Shreveport now (over 100 miles away) and New Orleans 870 at 168 miles away using a Tecsun AN-200 loop. Anyone who`s serious about AM radio should get one of these. They have all sorts of uses from boosting signals to nulling out static in the home to nulling out other strong stations that interfere with weaker ones. They also kill display interference when using digital radios.

[@jaimesk1688]

After hunting down...and not eliminating....all the am noise sources in my house and street (found a few noisy led bulbs, swapped for quieter led bulbs). I took an interesting tack: A 4x4foot tent (kids teepee, walmart, $20) 40 ft outside the house, in the woods. With Sangean DT-200X: major improvement in sound quality (which is already very good). With SONY ICF-P26: better audio quality, many more channels......and the in-radio antenna/bar was more directional (??). So...add a bug-proof/rain-proof pup tent to the list of things to improve AM reception (near the woods)!

[@daisypatritio572]

Thank you very much for sharing the PDF, in addition to your other information.

[@benmeyer2916]

3:31 you explained exactly how I do it, I use an alligator clip with speaker wire going out my window that then runs along the length of my house, works well without damaging my antenna

[@Kitsaplorax]

I've used the AN200 loop for over a decade. The only complaint I have is that this really needs a 3:1 reduction tuning gear (or a trimmer capacitor tuner) and some sort of backlash prevention. A heavier base wouldn't be bad either. Something like a wooden lazy susan with a removable mount and a compass would be a great addition as well.

[@chriscrichton98]

i have a slinky antenna up about 50ft . love it . use it for everything pulls in am, shortwave , fm . police scanner . i transmit on it its a great a all around antenna .

[@tonyvannatta6536]

Thank you for the great advice

[@chancha807]

Have you done a video on which bands are best to listen to depending in the differant hours of the day and seasons ?

[@alfredindy8058]

I used the Tecson Loop with mixed results. I used the CCrane Twin-Ferrite with amplifier using the bar instead of the antenna hook up. I connected the Tecson loop directly to the CCradio using the Tecson cord. I laid the CCrane bar in the middle of the loop. What I found - you get more adjacent signal rejecting using this set up; however, a direct connect to the radio with the amplifier alone provides a louder signal overall.

[@jastern949]

Thank you TB for your great review and demonstration. Just lovely! REALLY fun. I am very inspired to get one. Just a couple of (after-the-fact) suggestions: a) Put Tecsun AN-200 in the title for search purposes here on KZbin and b) demonstrate using the external jack / plug-in feature of the antenna with either a clip to the whip of a radio or to a radio that has an external MW antenna jack. But again: Great review, and very easy to hear the difference, and also the additional things you can do like notching in/out nearby stations etc.

[@Unitubeful]

Thank you so much for this video!!!!! you featured exactly what I was looking for but couldn't find in my amazon search I was typing antenna amplifier ... i ordered the Kaito T-1 Radio Antenna and it worked like a charm!!! simple quick effective fix!! Thank you!

[@todderbert]

(paid link below) As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. There are no additional costs to you. The Kaito T-1 Reel Antenna at Amazon USA: amzn.to/2STPvn6 I performed a band scan with the Tecsun PL-360 hooked up directly to the antenna jack on the loop: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3WUiJx9q76Aq9E

[@todderbert]

if it fails, put up a new wire..the great thing is they are inexpensive. I've had my Kaito T-1 wire out in the elements for the last three months with no ill effects. We have bitter cold winters, and I'll bet this wire will continue to perform till next year. The wire insulation will protect it for awhile.

[@searchassis5929]

Great video.

[@PureAwareness76]

That Kaito wire is like the Sangean ANT-60 (which is a Sony copy). I had the ANT-60 with my very first SW radio, the Sangean ATS-909 back in 2001 😍

[@clockworkbike]

Just got one today. I'm looking forward to playing with it. Thanks.

[@johnbeckham1483]

I just ordered a Kaito T-1 compact SWL antenna! Thanks, Todderbert!

[@todderbert]

You will like it. Mine keeps performing year after year still tied to the balcony. Has not broken..which is a shocker :)

[@ricktemmen6272]

A real helpful video review. I love my reel wire antennas and the addition of the clip on accessorie is something I want for my Sony and Realistic radios that I can't plug into the radio. Thank you. 😎👍📻

[@costaconstantinides14]

Very good review I have the same AN 200 loop antenna. I use it on my Tensun PL 310. I tried it to my Sangean ATS 909X and NRD 525 receiver. But have not been able to get the correct connector to use it on NRD 525. I think it's more compatible to the Tensun radios. 73. Costa Constantinides. Limassol Cyprus 🇨🇾.

[@dannyshortwave]

Great video on these antennas. I love my AM loop antennas, they do work very well. I love the PDF document on AM loop, very informative, I have used two loops to receive one station and null out an unwanted station at the same time, works well. Thank you for the videos.

[@todderbert]

Your Welcome! I have a "Loop Session" video coming out tomorrow night :) Thanks for dropping by Danny!

[@Supernumerary]

Todderbert- You’ve helped us all with the excellent loop usage tutorial!

[@todderbert]

Your Welcome Supernumeray. Glad you found this helpful.

[@davidlehan7624]

I'm glad i found your channel I bought a 25 pound bluetooth amp reciver from eBay it's great 4 the price was 800w one but the radio only gets 1 channel so I'm going to order the kaleto as it has a steel areial thx

[@garzapedroa]

I just did try the Kaito Compact Antenna with my Sihuadon D808, but did work better with the original whip antenna

[@todderbert]

hmm, might be location of the wire, or where you live. I get a huge boost from using my T-1 wire when strung outdoors as high as possible.

[@adrianciobotaru9595]

i have a Sony HCD-GTZ3i and the AM anthenna is missing. How can I replace it?

[@45acpP90]

Great video. Thanks. I received my C. Crane Skywave SSB a couple of days ago. Love it. Now I think I'm going to buy the TechSun loop antenna. Thank you.

[@tomjones239]

The Tecsun loop helps a lot for weak AM stations during the day and they also help null out static interference in the home. Play around with it.

[@fredchandler836]

I enjoy your videos. Very informative. Long live MW!!

[@todderbert]

Your Welcome, there is a lot of cool things that one can do with the loop or two.

[@fredchandler836]

todderbert I have a C Crane amplified AM antenna which I found at a discount. I mount it outside on a pole, weather permitting, and it works great. I would love to see you do a review on one.

[@jeffking4176]

There is also a Loop am antenna sold byJaycar ElectronicsU.S. (LT-3001). Don’t know much about them except that they sell the Digitech brand radios. I have the Tecsun Loop. NOTE: there are a few radios (ie: Tecsun pl390) the Loop antenna doesn’t do anything, but 80% it does.

[@todderbert]

I've noticed on a lot of my digital radios, its not as potent. My analog radios love it.

[@Buglet720]

These AM loops usually don't help the high-seniority radios, very much. It's usually something to do with the radio's AGC simply brings down the higher signal. The loops can still help, by improving the signal-to-noise ratio. Even if the radio's AGC brings the signal level down, there's still more signal to work with.

[@virathiyam5401]

Well done bro.. liked and supported.. how do you calibrate the 4 screws on the variable capacitor to improve the FM signal?

[@justlaz1444]

I remember that I bought one FM/AM antenna with amplifier. Signal was better without antenna. With antenna I didn't heard any station at all. 😄

[@jack002tuber]

I have the Terk loop and it works great. You go from unlistenable to clear and quiet with it many times. You have to tune it perfectly tho

[@alanpennington1646]

Sorry but where would I get a Terk Loop from please ?

[@jack002tuber]

@@alanpennington1646 Amazon. Type terk loop in and BAM it's there

[@notvalidcharacters]

So both the Kaito and the extender thingy are the same as taking a random piece of wire and attaching with an alligator clip, except you get to spend more money. Great. The loop pdf is good info though. I have the Grundig-branded loop (same thing).

[@masongrainger2271]

Yeah but try shoving a random length of wire in your pocket and see how neat it comes out.

[@TheTechPianoPlayerKid]

I just got the Midland WR 120EZ weather radio. Do you recommend an external antenna for that? If so, which one?

[@thetawaves48]

Thanks for this video. I am always trying to pull in non-commercial radio stations at night.

[@jaimesk1688]

The tent outside also picks up ground propagation in daytime.....semi-local but weak stations that might be blocked by ridges and hills. Strange gain when radio is 4--8 inches off the forest floor.

[@vadflo]

Hi Todderbert . I enjoy very much your shows with radios . Regarding 3.5 Jack out from de base of Tecsun AN-200 antenna. I have found that signal out jack can also work asa an input signal from an external antenna with substantial signal improvment. Practicaly you tranform AN-200 in to a virtual AM imput Antenna on an radio without this future . I have made a short video with this future and uplode on my KZbin account . Best regards

[@Eccadairius]

Last night I picked up KTFW 92.1 FM with my shortwave wire antenna and the station is about 78 miles away with 25,000 watts

[@planes124]

Great video you have a relaxing voice :3 ❤️

[@jerrycasias2968]

Do you know if the Tecsun loop antenna, also works on TV'S ?

[@newforestpixie5297]

Folks in North America are fortunate in Radio twiddling at least - In southern England anyway the ‘ medium wave ‘ now only consists of just BBc Radio 5 on 693 & 909 , Talksport on 1053 1089 & 1107 frequencies , Classic Rock on 1215 & 1224 and BBC Radio Wales on 882. Oh - and the Gold ( same tunes from the 60s & 70s on repeat ) station on 828 . Nothing else in English is even broadcast . Even the homogeneous BBC ‘ local ‘ radio stations have ceased AM transmissions. So there’s not a lot to fish for anymore ( until I learn Spanish ,Portuguese , French or Dutch for when the Ionosphere kicks in after dark. ) This will help my reception of said BBC Wales though and because we’re bang centre between the national transmitters of above stations it may help the awful fade-out or same frequency battle between the masts 100 miles in either direction. ( London & Devon ) 😁Regards from Wessex

[@KanishQQuotes]

My car has Am and Fm radio The reception is amazing in the vehicle for both

[@allthings2allmen]

Glad I saw this! Great quick review of an interesting product. 😁👌👍I have a silly little old early 80's clock radio that has NO antenna. 🚫📡There are no ports, jacks or leads on the back either. I have to fiddle with the dang thing, turning it in strange positions hanging it with wire and it has to be juxtaposed to the extension cord just right too. Then when I walk away it gets better for about a minute then it's like 'rinse and repeat' ( I guess I'm a sucker, I could use a better radio, probably should, I need to ask myself, am I really having fun?🤔🤙 maybe this thing would work with this but the question would be where to attach it. I should get one of these for my stereo and try it out.

[@todderbert]

The loop is passive, so if you have AM on your radio, you may be able to boost the AM signal with it. The wire antenna is for radios with Whip antennas, or external jacks already. Mainly used for Shortwave, but will work on certain radios with FM.

[@allthings2allmen]

@@todderbert Thanks again! I am listening to FM and most likely will soon be using my old 70's Panasonic stereo. Ii does have an antenna wire connection in the back which I'm sure I can rig up something to get a decent enough reception.👍🤙

[@cattaraugustonawanda4426]

Interesting ! I am thinking of making a tuned loop antenna with coupling coil using wire, variable capacitor, and wood frame like the old time antennas. The materials are more $ than the ready made but I want the coupling coil. Wondering if it is possible to add the coupling coil to the tecsun ?

[@Kitsaplorax]

Yes. You can add an external coupling coil. However, it is easy to overload some modern radios with too much signal. Making it switchable is useful.

[@mercster]

I'm trying to get better SW reception inside my apartment. I've got a mass market (Kaito maybe?) plug-in wire antenna on my Tecsun PL-880. It's strung across my big window facing outside. I asked some radio people on reddit how I could improve indoors SW reception; theys aid something about a "magnetic loop". I assume that is different from the Tecsun MW loop antenna featured in this video?

[@todderbert]

correct, a magnetic loop is usually three feet in diameter, and requires power. It will work inside but you have to turn it to gain reception or null it. Works from Longwave up to Shortwave. MFJ carries them and they are pricey. I'm still debating on picking one up, mainly because my wife isn't thrilled about it. There are some cheap chinese ones out there. There was an article about it here: swling.com/blog/2019/09/john-reviews-the-mla-30-mag-loop-antenna/

[@mercster]

@@todderbert Hmm, looks like some on Ebay for $50 or so. Ehhhhh... Thanks for the information. Not sure having a 3' diameter antenna on my little porch. I'll definitely keep these in mind!

[@brianbelchuk9612]

Very relaxing, good job

[@mateojuarez9946]

VIVA LA ONDA CORTA ! NO HAY NADA MEJOR Q LA ONDA CORTA SW...VIVA POR SIEMPRE ...

[@albertcarpentercats]

This antenna you shown the telescopic one is good for small radios.i use to work on them old to new.untill I moved still have some the rest gone.but some new ones don't work well since they are cheap and go around a way to make it not work well.i have a realistic radio that works well and picks up good maybe someday a picture of it to you if I can send it.

[@robburke6877]

I have an old radio shack radio that picks up AM, FM, tv and air traffic control signals. I mostly just use the radio to listen to the air traffic control towers . Will any of these devices help with the air frequency on my radio?

[@stephenwilliams5201]

You bet. I tend to get a clip. And add 5 meters of hook up wire. Not as good as a reel. #2 I get a bfo and mix it's signal and it gets SSB real easy. Last night our first night out. The R9012 went to town. Calls from northern Canada and the Carolinas., Ohio to oklahoma, so an investment in a out board antenna is cheep and smart. Tks for good show.

[@willardbelinowicz7786]

Good video, you covered a subject seldom tackled. There seems to be at lease three "reel" type antennas, the one you demo'ed, along with one by Sangean and another by C. Crane, the C. Crane is somewhat more $$ and claims to have a capacitor in it to improve reception on parts of the band, do you have any experience with the C. Crane reel type antenna?

[@todderbert]

I have the C. Crane one but have not used it yet. It is made with a clamp style attachment, and I prefer the type with the jack and adapter. In the future I may see if there is a noticeable difference. The Sangean one is similar to the Kaito except that I had an issue with my ANT-60's adapter...it kept scratching all of my antenna whips pretty badly.

[@pennyc7064]

At 4:00 minutes, does the plug part come with the reel antenna, or is it a separate piece to buy?

[@todderbert]

comes with the reel antenna. It used all the time with my radios.

[@davestelling]

Evening - A friend recently sent me a little TecSun AM/FM/Shortwave with SSB radio, and the 25-ft spool-type/roll-up external antenna. Any suggestions how I would rig it up here in my bedroom - should I run it up along the ceiling, and should I use the entire 25-ft, etc? Appreciate any suggestions before I grab a step-stool and roll of tape!

[@todderbert]

usually as high up as you can go, and preferably an outside wall/window or directly outside.

[@esfi6311]

Thanks for all of your videos, I have the an-200 and need to make a cable for it to fit my radios. Do you know what kind of cable works best? I don't have one and my connection to the rear of my kenwood takes bare wire.

[@todderbert]

3.5mm mono patch cable. Take and cut the one end off and strip the wires to get the ground and antenna wires. The center wire will be the antenna.

[@albertcarpentercats]

A good way is use a good ground and antenna and a gang capacitor it does work of coarse a antenna bar a long one works the best.

[@jordandobrikin8611]

Is there new information on the availability of the Whip Extender Could/would you consider upgrading the Video showing how to use the Antenna Jack on the Loops?

[@todderbert]

I performed a band scan with the Tecsun PL-360 hooked up to the loop: kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3WUiJx9q76Aq9E Also I'll pin this information. You can buy the Whip Extender from Ebay: bit.ly/TecsunAN07

[@alfredoagosto1196]

Is good for all shortwave radios of kaito antenna.

[@totoksudiarto5221]

Thank you sir...I enjoy your video...nice explamation...

[@TheRadiogeek]

Very nice video! Your inner geek is coming out now. Geek on Todderbert !

[@whitbywv]

Super beginner here. Thank you better reception on the clip on for short wave

[@missouriupser1]

Would the Kaito work for my Bose wave radio that gets horrible reception in my house??

[@Jim-xz1ew]

The beat way to setup a receiving antenna is a random wire if you can. get it off the ground at least to 20 feet. 30 feet is best. I would target 40 feet. That will work from 160 meters to Noaa radio frequency Then a piece of R 59 coax run into the home. This will help to insulate the house hold noise coming from tv's or lights etc. Then if you want to improve even more use an antenna tuner. Use a manual tuner. This can greatly improve your reception on individual bands. You will need to adjust for the highest noise level on the band. It's not rocket science. Your coax connector (pl-59)will connect to the antenna tuner. Then just a single wire to your receiver from your antenna tuner will work. Don't sell the farm. Just get a small tuner. And you're in business. this will increase your reception by 70 percent or even more. During lightening make sure to disconnect the antenna coax. Statice electricity can build and discharge into your receiver. Not good! Thanks for the video.

[@kissingbanditt]

Will that loop work on a PL 660 ? Thanks

[@kittyplays2324]

Are these good with weather radios?

[@carljohnson834]

Is the diameter correct on the sangean hdr-14 for the antenna extender?

[@raulgongora5288]

Twaskyou sr for the information. Blessings

[@wasagamike445]

Will the extension antenna work on the Kaito KA-600?

[@shorty332]

Would these work on an old am tube radio?

[@todderbert]

Older Tube radios had the wire just looped around the back. If using the Tecsun loop passively with no results, then you would have to have it wired in directly to the radio, then it will work. You will also gain a directional antenna since you can just move the Loop side to side for better reception.

[@garywest3763]

I Like that AM loop, Do you run that loop to a ground? I use a AM antenna Grounded Loop, What it is. simple description you have a Loop with one end of the wire going to Ground the other end gets extended out to a attachment point, Tree, or a fence, some where off of the ground. I have two sizes a home unit and also a smaller mobile sized am antenna. that is the simple description. I take a length of wire, can be 20gauge copper wire, on one end I wrap it about 5 times making 5 each loops about 6" inch diameter loops, I then put three wraps of tape around the Loops to keep the loops together and hold them in place. There should be two ends of wire with the loops some where in the middle of the length of wire, One of the wires coming off of the loop I have enough wire to run that to a ground, that can either go out a window to a ground rod pushed into the earth, Or I can also use the Houses existing Ground wiring, I have a wiring Checker that plugs into the receptacle that checks that the receptacle that it has been wired correctly and that it has a good ground. This tells you if your house, one) has the receptacle been wired correctly, and, two) if the houses wiring has a ground in the receptacle. Older houses may Not be wired correctly or my not have a 3rd prong grounded receptacle wiring in the house, or could have the 3rd prong But No ground wire. I think 1965 or later, maybe OK but some don't, have a separate ground any way you still need to make sure the wiring has been done correctly. They make a 3 prong Plug Ground adaptor, this has 3 prongs but two are plastic and Non conductive, only the 3rd ground plug is conductive for a Ground Only. The other wire coming off of your loop gets extended out to a tree branch Or a fence, etc and tied to it. I also made a Travel version of this that has a winder that the wire and loop can be wrapped around and the ground wrapped and soldered to a Nail other end 20 feet of wire for tying to a tree branch, then the loop passes over the radio similar to how you were doing it. Disclaimer: this is for informational purposes Only do your own research and at your own risk

[@todderbert]

Thanks for sharing this information. I've been looking into building a larger box style indoor loop.

[@garywest3763]

do you run that Loop you are reviewing to a ground?

[@todderbert]

I could, there is a 1/8" jack that I'm guessing has a ground wire, I'm not sure how it's hook upped internally.

[@tomjones239]

@@todderbert The jack is connected to a two turn coil. You can use a beverage antenna/ground to boost reception with the loop. I used two aprox 350 ft longwires as a dipole once (strung out in opposite directions) connected to a 120 turn coil (close wound) of 26 AWG magnet wire on a paper towel tube placed near the radio and could get Houston, Dallas, New Orleans and Oklahoma City at noon in NW Louisiana. I went from 3 AM stations to about 50...loud and clear, during the day.

[@thinkzinc100]

Is there an adapter that has a coax female on one end and a clip that attaches to a telescopic antenna on a pocket radio?

[@glennvanderbusse4137]

Hi and thanks for the video. I have just started watching your videos and have purchased a Digitech AR1780 from Jaycar in New Zealand, as this vid was made 6 years ago do you know of any new antennas that can be plugged into the radio. Cheers Glenn v from NZ

[@todderbert]

I still use the Kaito T-1 wire, but if you are looking for an upgrade for SW, the MLA-30+ Loop antenna is one to look into.

[@glennvanderbusse4137]

Hi and thanks for your reply, the MLA sounds good for an outside antenna so that could be a starter and what about a 2nd antenna something portable that I could use indoors as well for SW and AM (MW) and for when I am out at remote locations. I have tried MW but don't seem to have any luck at all here in New Zealand. Cheers.

[@mattwernecke2342]

Will that Kaito inch extender work with the crane cc skyward? Thanks

[@sundeepcc4244]

Todderbert, I've XHDATA-D328 and Sony ICFP26. I'm divided between choosing Tecsun AN-200 and Tecsun AN-100 to improve AM reception? Please suggest the appropriate loop antenna. thanks!

[@todderbert]

Yes it will. The Sony may benefit the most. I have noticed Analog radios tend to handle the gain better than a DSP radio.

[@anthonycosta2312]

Todd try the select a tenna. It's is excellent for directivity. Very sharp nulls.

[@joecachia2]

Would the AM LOOP antenna ( an200 ) work with an SDR dongle. I'm getting an upconverter for my noelec SDR to be able to listen to MW and SW ( my dongle only handles 25Mhz upwards ) . I don't knowif I'll be able to hear anything with the SDR once I get the upconverter ( its a ham it up clone I think ) so I'm looking at things I might need to get hold of.

[@todderbert]

There is a gentleman on my discord that is using an AN200 with his RSPdx and is not happy with the results. He says he can null a bit with it. I am in the process of acquiring an SDR and a MagLoop and will produce some videos of it in operation to help out those who need to choose a low cost method of listening to the AM broadcast band effectively.

[@joecachia2]

@@todderbert that would be great . Thanks.

[@JosephMerolle]

Todderbert is the MLA-30 plus antenna the best option we have thus far?

[@todderbert]

Its good, but actually I still use my Kaito T-1 Wire with good results.

[@crawfish069]

That looks a lot like the C Crane Skywave I have. I'm trying to learn how to improve the Skywave's FM reception. So I could take some 18g wire, put it on my roof, run it through my window where the radio is, and use a gator clip to clip the wire to the antenna. Does the wire have to be in a loop or can it be just a single wire going up to the roof?

[@todderbert]

I have had good luck with the Kaito T-1 wire strung out to my balcony. Improves FM dramatically. The Antenna extender helps with reception also.

[@jeffking4176]

Thanks for the tips. Excellent ‼️👍📻 And I really hope they do start selling those whip antennas--maybe if enough people call about them.....

[@todderbert]

Your Welcome Jeff. We could also email them about those whip extenders.

[@soupdragon12345]

Any of these good for my Bc75xlt. Thanks .

[@alexandrefernandosousa917]

Obrigado pelo vídeo !

[@todderbert]

Your Welcome, glad you enjoyed it.

[@isaacberryXERXEESE]

put bismuth or a superconductor near the base of your antennae of your FM Megahertz receiver ,,,1,00,000,000 Standing wave increases signal reception...

[@obiecastro2482]

Hello friend Todderbert still a waste of money,,for Tecsun loop A,,,,i want to avoid the hissing sound,,,,it makes my tennitus worst....pls other better or the best antenna?

[@MagicRoosterBluesBand]

What are the limits of a simple wire antenna setup for these portable SW radios? I currently have 60 feet on my PL-606, but half is indoors so I'm continually experimenting. Probably need a coax cable for indoors to reduce noise and the rest outside of my condo. Can dipole antennas work ok on these SW portables?

[@todderbert]

yes, if your radio has a sw/fm input jack, you can use a dipole to help fm. as far as overloading, your 60ft wire is probably enough for most anything :)

[@MagicRoosterBluesBand]

@@todderbert thanks! Just installed a coax cable inside to my alligator clips on the radio, then to the outside 50 foot speaker wire around my fence. Much better. I had too much wire indoors, causing too much noise. I have no ground on the antenna for now. Think a ground will help with the PL-606?

[@HappyDiscoDeath]

Hmmmmmmmm... I have a Retekess V115 AM/FM/Shortwave radio, and the Kaito retractable antenna intrigues me. My radio doesn't have an external antenna jack, so (unless it uses an internal antenna for shortwave reception) I could use that antenna to boost reception. This would be awesome, as I don't pick up a damn thing inside my apartment.

[@Thoreau-e4l]

Is that Kaito company out of California? If It is, I just ordered a pl880 from them.

[@todderbert]

Yes, I think they go by Electronix or something along those lines.

[@MarshalArnold]

Sorry if this is a silly question, but will any of these work with those SDR dongles? Or do you need an actual radio?

[@todderbert]

These are for Portable Radios. SDRs are usually paired with specific antennas. I use an Active Loop with mine, the MLA-30. Great for SW and MW.

[@MarshalArnold]

@@todderbert awesome, many thanks!

[@pistolpete131]

I bought this same induction field antenna back in the 80's. Radio shack made it. Exactly the same only it was blue. I mean exactly. With tunable capacitance. How things stay the same. I used to bread-board my circuits with components from the shack. It was the only place I could go. Very old technology. I'm 55 years old now. Fun to see a young guy get excited over what has gone before 😆 nothing new. WWII used such things. How funny. All things change except for the electro magnetic spectrum. Haha

[@hdofu]

There’s a reason radio waves are still in use... they still are effective ways of sharing communications