MAKING AN AM RADIO ANTENNA

[alg2468]

This may sound a bit odd, but is there any way to build an am radio antenna using parts from old radios?
For example, I have several old pocket radios still intact and working and would like to use them to build antennas. I notice if I get an old pocket radio, put it near another radio, power it and turn it on to the AM band and turn the dial the other radio seems to hiss when turned to certain frequencies, which makes me think that by attaching thin gauge wiring to the tuning capacitor (like the Terk AM Advantage Antenna has), of the pocket radio, it can form a large antenna that amplifies the signal, causeing an increase in amplification of the signal. I've seen instructions for building an AM antenna on several websites, but I've never has success because most radios have internal ferrite antennas without external antenna terminals and when soldering on wiring to tuning capacitors nothing happens. Any ideas on how to do this?

 

[KeithE4]

This may sound a bit odd, but is there any way to build an am radio antenna using parts from old radios?
For example, I have several old pocket radios still intact and working and would like to use them to build antennas. I notice if I get an old pocket radio, put it near another radio, power it and turn it on to the AM band and turn the dial the other radio seems to hiss when turned to certain frequencies, which makes me think that by attaching thin gauge wiring to the tuning capacitor (like the Terk AM Advantage Antenna has), of the pocket radio, it can form a large antenna that amplifies the signal, causeing an increase in amplification of the signal. I've seen instructions for building an AM antenna on several websites, but I've never has success because most radios have internal ferrite antennas without external antenna terminals and when soldering on wiring to tuning capacitors nothing happens. Any ideas on how to do this?

The "hissing " is probably from radiation of one radio's local oscillator. On older radios, the local oscillator is 455 kHz above the desired listening frequency. Try this: Tune one radio to 1055 kHz and the other to 600 kHz, or use other frequencies 455 kHz apart. The LO signal from the second radio should be audible in the first one.

As far as building an AM radio antenna, you'll be better off constructing your own loop antenna. Doing a Google search will turn up many web pages on the subject.

 

[kenglish]

You might salvage a tuning capacitor and some wire.....

Check out this You-Tube video on Loop Antennas:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=QpGXECoY6zg

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

This was with older AM radios that had a connection for an antenna or aerial, but I used to run a long length of one-strand wire as far as it would go - out the window and far from the house (away from the various types of interference) up to a high point ( a tree, etc.) and then angle it about 90 degrees to another high point. I had good success with this for both day and night reception.

 

[Tom Wells]

With a radio having no connections, you can wrap one to three turns of fine wire loosely around the ferrite rod.
If you bring two wires out of the radio, you can couple a loop easily.
Or connect one to earth, the other to your longwire.
If you don't wan't to open the radio build a rigid-wire coil to set the radio inside, or wrap turns around the radio.
Same connections.
Too many turns or tight winding will throw off selectivity---DON'T OVERCOUPLE if winding on the ferrite.

 

[kenglish]

Just placing your radio next to the loop antenna will often couple a very good signal in to it.

There was an article in one of the shortwave magazines a few months back, where TWR (Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles) was having a plastic sheet-like circuit board made in to a cheap loop antenna. They figure they can make and mail them for less than a dollar each to listeners.