InterceptRadio.com Forums

I have an Icom r-75. I have a dipole that due to visual constraints, runs out of the wall in the front of my house and hidden along the edge of the front window onto the roof on each side of the window and then V'd over the roof to as far towards the corners as the antenna will allow. I find it frustrating that I have such difficulty even getting NA broadcasts from Asia, Europe, and the Mid East. I'd hate to spend more money on an antenna such as one that could go up my chimney, but I really do not know what to do. Any help is greatly appreciated. Is DX monitoring in the Pacific NW harder?

Daniel

_________________
I love shortwave and scanner monitoring. It is a hobby I have had since boyhood that I recently rediscovered with the purchase of a close out scanner. (BC895xlt) (Icom r-75)

An active directional antenna might help. I've had good luck with tuned/amplified air-core loops.

Also, a real good earth ground brings the noise floor way down. Spend $10 at Home Depot for an 8' copper ground rod. Those short steel rods used to ground your electrical meter are fine for lightning protection but don't do a heck of a lot for RF.

Where can I get that kind of antenna and is there a good indoor one? Regarding grounding, it may not be able to be done due to house issues. But again, the static isn't really the issue. Last night all of the English Broadcast to NM that were listed in MT from China, Russia, etc. did not come in at all. As if they were not on the air. Is this due to our location? Are there good and bad times to listen to various frequencies?
Thanks
Dan

_________________
I love shortwave and scanner monitoring. It is a hobby I have had since boyhood that I recently rediscovered with the purchase of a close out scanner. (BC895xlt) (Icom r-75)

General rule of thumb... High frequencies when the sun is up, low frequencies when the sun is down.

Morning/afternoon:
16m (17.51 - 17.94)
19m (15.10 - 15.74)
22m (13.59 - 13.85)
25m (11.50 - 12.19)

Afternoon/evening:
31m (9.28 - 9.99)
41m (7.10 - 7.54)

Night:
49m (5.76 - 6.31)
60m (4.75 - 5.09)

Here are a variety of antennas, some applicable for indoor use:
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant.html

Also note that the Sunspot cycle is down, and Shortwave will not skip as well because of it.

Try listening to 40 through 160 meters in the evening. 40 through 6 meter may not work as well. Ham operators are having the same problems for the same reasons.

Sounds like a combination of things to me, not the least of which is where we are in the eleven year sun spot cycle right now (i.e., just about at the bottom). Your antenna sounds like a compromise which can't probably be avoided but, as someone else has already suggested, adding a better ground might help things somewhat. An antenna tuner (active or passive) might help. Also, you might try experimenting with the layout of the antenna. Longer is not always necessarily better, especially if making it longer means it has to run near noise sources. Without actually seeing your setup it is difficult to make precise suggestions as to what kinds os changes might be most helpful. Hopefully these general ideas will be of some use. The suggestion already made about trying a tuned (air) loop antenna is a good one. You might also try a ferrite loop on maybe 4MHz and down.

One other thing - yes, your location does impact your ability to receive distant signals to some extent. Bellevue is at about lat. 47 degrees. The farther north one goes, the rougher things tend to get. European broadcasts are going to be more challenging right now because of their polar path than they would be if you were on the east coast or even in the Midwest, but you're not in too bad shape for broadcasts from Australia, Asia, and Japan.

Keep experimenting with the antennas, add a better ground, and try an antenna tuner and, most of all, don't give up. Band conditions will probably begin to improve in the next year and a half or so. Two or three years from now they should be quite good again.

Best of luck.

Eric, AD7BF