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

[@dutchbeef8920]

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

[@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.

[@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?😊

[@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.

[@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.

[@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 .....

[@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!

[@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.

[@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! .

[@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...

[@Mcman-nf9dz]

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

[@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.

[@philiphexter8618]

I've just got a Tecsun AN -7 antenna extension, and am impressed. I live in a block of flats and reception is very poor. With the extension I could get 23 SW stations in my kitchen and 32 in the communal garden, which is surrounded by buildings. It cost $9.95 0n eBay UK, Similar hits on FM.

[@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!

[@daisypatritio572]

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

[@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.

[@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 ❤

[@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.

[@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.

[@cfldriven]

Shocking

[@doger944]

Man, those AC grounds sure do come in handy.

[@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.

[@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.

[@chancha807]

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

[@adrianciobotaru9595]

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

[@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!

[@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

[@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 😍

[@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)!

[@clockworkbike]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!

[@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 :)

[@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 🇨🇾.

[@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

[@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.

[@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. 😎👍📻

[@thetawaves48]

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

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@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?

[@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. 😄

[@kissingbanditt]

Will that loop work on a PL 660 ? Thanks

[@TheTechPianoPlayerKid]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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.

[@Supernumerary]

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

[@todderbert]

Your Welcome Supernumeray. Glad you found this helpful.

[@jerrycasias2968]

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

[@todderbert]

It is tuned for low frequencies, and a particular segment 530-1710kHz, so I would say no.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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?

[@missouriupser1]

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

[@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.👍🤙

[@1994idk]

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

[@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 ❤️

[@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

[@whitbywv]

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

[@KanishQQuotes]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@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?

[@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.

[@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.

[@wasagamike445]

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

[@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.

[@rajasanaullah1104]

Does a am loop antena reduce the rf interfearence pl reply

[@todderbert]

I've actually had it reduce a radio's internal RFI. Not sure of external sources, since I tune in a "clean" room. It normally boosts the gain of the signal. Two of these working together can help pull a faint station in that is near a stronger station on the dial.

[@kittyplays2324]

Are these good with weather radios?

[@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

[@virathiyam5401]

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

[@alfredoagosto1196]

Is good for all shortwave radios of kaito antenna.

[@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.

[@krucydoesgardeningstuff6785]

Hello. I'm not sure if you could help me. I just got the AN-200 antenna. The wire that I got with the antenna that would plug into the antenna at one end and then plug into the radio at the other end has only one plug at one end and two wires at the other end. If I were to order another wire/cable would you know what I should look for as a search? Thank you for any help! :)

[@todderbert]

It would be a Tip Sleeve cable, or 1/8" TS Mono Cable, popular in Modular Music Setups.

[@krucydoesgardeningstuff6785]

@@todderbert Thank you for the help! :)

[@brianbelchuk9612]

Very relaxing, good job

[@alanpennington1646]

where all the links you said where here ? and a (Terk loop) where would I get one of these please ?

[@todderbert]

Terk Advantage at Amazon: amzn.to/3lWhXzb

[@calendarpage]

Hello. I viewed your video after looking at the Sangean ANT-60 Short Wave Antenna on amazon. I have a Tecsun with a wire antenna that I've attached to a window. The more I look at it, this product seems the same as that antenna, only that the wire is on a spool. Am I missing something? My reception is poor to average much of the time, which makes it hard for me to enjoy my SW, so I'm looking for any improvement short of buying a more expensive model. I'm in the Midwest. Thanks.

[@todderbert]

watch for LED lighting, WiFi, Ect. String the wire up as high as you can outside. I pass mine through my balcony door. Works fantastic, as long as you don't have local interference from neighbors.

[@calendarpage]

@@todderbert I will try placing the wire outside, instead of just on the window. We'll see. I live in a townhouse, so who knows what's going on around me. Thanks for your response.

[@mattwernecke2342]

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

[@bakatoroi]

Did the antenna extender disappear? I can't seem to find it anywhere.

[@todderbert]

they may have stopped making it. can only be found bundled with the PL-606 now.

[@bakatoroi]

@@todderbert Thanks for replying!

[@jamesbarclay9265]

Does the little Tecsun R90-12 have tunable BFO for SSB? This is important for ultra DX Amateur and other reception

[@todderbert]

On modern receivers you see SSB capability on the digital radios. I do not know of an all analog radio that is new production that includes the BFO. I do have a few classics I like to use with a BFO: The Sony ICF-5900W kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYmqZ4yAo8ljbc0 , The Panasonic RF-1150: kzbin.info/www/bejne/rnmqqq2QfNuqp8k

[@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!

[@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.

[@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.

[@airbus7375]

Doe this fix also help for VHF airband?

[@todderbert]

For the VHF Airband, you could use the antenna extender.

[@airbus7375]

@@todderbert thanks!

[@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.

[@GSampiyonable]

Will this loop antenna work with DSP Radios?

[@todderbert]

Yes, effective on smaller units. Larger radios such as the C.Crane EP-Pro don't benefit as much.

[@TheRadiogeek]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@markketello5757]

On the reel antenna, do you use it coiled, or roll it out?

[@todderbert]

roll it out, and hang it as high as possible.

[@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

[@megenberg8]

what can one do to connect an antenna to one of these newer type portable am/fm bluetooth radios that have the black wire 'antenna' coming out the back? i thought maybe i might in some way attach the wire 'antenna' to a small steel 24" retractable antenna, and tape it to the back of the radio. or get a more expensive ($93) model that comes w/ nice little legs to set on the table beside the radio. are these wire 'antennae' on radios these days actually better than the old steel retractables? the same? or not as good? thanks! : ) btw, i have been unable to find ANY info on these wire antennas coming out from the back of radios of late!

[@todderbert]

I have never had fantastic results with the wire antennas coming out of the radios. You can position them but you have to tape them or attach them in a raised position to get decent reception depending on your surroundings. Have a fixed retractable antenna that swivels is ideal for most radios. You can tune the FM reception by retracting or extending the antenna depending on where you are on the dial. Newer DSP radios get an enhancement from the reel antennas featured here. Mainly used for better shortwave reception, FM will benefit on that type of radio also. I notice my inexpensive DSP portable radios really pull in the stations when hooked up to a decent length of wire hooked up outside. Some of my radios do worse with the extra wire because it detunes the receiver. Trial and Error ;) Though you can't go wrong with a solid DSP radios like Sangean, Eton, and C.Crane produces. Also Sony 506 and 19 models for a lower price point.

[@megenberg8]

@@todderbert thanks!

[@andrewtaylor5421]

Thank you for your video. Do you know if that sangean ANT60 will work on the Sangean800 radio to improve weather channel reception. The sangean 800 radio uses the earphone jack as an antenna I believe.

[@todderbert]

the passive loop will be best with it for AM. The ANT-60 may help with FM, but NOAA frequencies do not benefit from a long wire.

[@andrewtaylor5421]

@@todderbert thank you for your time, you know you radios.

[@andrewtaylor5421]

@@todderbert just checking back in as it’s been a year or so, have you come across anyway to increase weather radio reception?

[@zachwoodyard]

Do you know if the Kaito reel antenna works better than Crane's reel antenna? Or are they about the same? I just bought the Crane Skywave SSB and the reel antenna that came with it works but not very well it seems. Maybe I'm just not positioning it well.

[@todderbert]

The Kaito has a tighter fit over the antenna versus the C.Crane one. The C.Crane's design seems to be for larger diameter antennas.

[@ajaysharma-yj4od]

Hi which antena is good for old wooden valve radio sw,me,am?

[@todderbert]

The passive loop connected to the circuit. I have seen old receivers with this done and they perform very well.

[@jons7250]

Some of the Kaito T-1's state for "short wave" while others state "FM and short wave" Any difference?

[@todderbert]

No difference, I notice an improvement on small DSP radios when I use it for FM.

[@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.