posted on Oct, 1 2017 @ 05:53 AM
I need some suggestions from the bright folks here on setting up a Shortwave radio receiver. I think I've got most of the right parts, but RF being
as much art/magic as it is science, I need some suggestions. Principally what I need is help setting the antenna up properly (and within reason for
what I'm trying to do). The set up I have works, but the reception is not ideal and I already know antenna design is the lynch pin in the whole set
up.
First, here's a list of what I have to work with...
Radio - ICOM IC-R75 - Multi-band, multi-mode, commercial grade receiver with a coverage range of .3kHz - 60mHz
Antenna - (for now) LnR Precision EF-SWL HF end-fed receive antenna with a 45' radiator (with EF matchbox and end insulator)
Other - An MFJ Guardian Angel Lightning surge protector (model MFJ-270), (2) 20' lengths of pre-terminated 50 ohm RG-58 coax, (1) 100' length
of un-terminated RG-58 coax and a handful of PL-259 connectors and gender-benders, barrels and couplers. Various other electrical parts.
Now, here's what I've done so far...
1. I connected a 20' length of male-male (PL-259) terminated coax to the radio. I connected the other end of this coax to the MFJ- Lightning surge
protector.
2. The MFJ lightning surge protector is connectorized with female-female PL-259 connections (antenna and radio side). So I connected the MFJ
lightning protector to the EF matchbox of the antenna (which is also a female) with a PL-259 (male-male) barrel connection.
3. I then connected the coax (from step 1) to the remaining female connection of the MFJ lightning protection.
4. I then ran a #12 AWG ground wire from the ground lug on the lightning protector over to an electrical outlet ground. (I did this by using a wiring
up a piece of romex to a standard grounded plug, but only landed the ground wire on the plug itself (so the hot and neutral are NOT landed inside the
plug)).
For the time being I strung the antenna lead on my back deck which is elevated about 8' above the ground. Because my deck is only 30' long I could
not lay the entire length of the antenna straight, and had to lay the remaining 15' of the antenna at a right angle to the rest. The net result is
an end-fed antenna which is approximately parallel with the ground below at an elevation of 8', and an "L" shape of 30' and then 15'. The
antenna lead does not cross over itself anywhere (and the coax is also straight).
I'd like some suggestions for how I can improve reception with this set up without having to set a 50' tower or something crazy like that.
Thanks in advance!