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Loop wire questions for AM

Broken wrist from an accident finally healed (I've been what they call amphibious (?) since age 13 but have been using the main left hand too much),. So I went prodigal and bought a Realistic DX 390 radio. Next will be an unamplified loop antenna.
Or so I thought, until I saw Home Depott wants 75 cents for a foot of wire within the recommended array of suggested gauges of the various plans I read.

The question is this: On the vast moving gurney display of spools some courageous aisle clerk showed me they carried was a spool of bell wire -- 27 cents a foot. It seemed to be two very fine -- even separable -- strands in one. 30 bucks would be doable for 120 feet or so. Will it give me good gain if I were to run it as a pair around the windings?
I hate to chintz, but a hundred pigs for wire is more than the radio cost me.
 
Copper is really high right now, along with other metals (Gold, Silver, Platinum), which is probably responsible for your sticker shock. About $6 per lb, which I believe is a record high.

I don't know of any reason why doorbell wire would be a problem for building an AM loop antenna. The C. Crane tutorial says:

> 100' or more of any type of insulated wire you can easily work with
 


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