This is an interesting subject, it plays a huge role in the performance of any radio, but often little attention is given to it.
I myself have been hopeless with aerials, usually thinking that a bit of wire poked into the back of a set will do the job (and sometimes it does) So, I’ve decided to look at what works inside the home, something that is practical, easy to make and has good performance.
Some radio sets have a built in AM aerial, either a frame aerial or a ferrite rod aerial. The older sets however usually have an aerial and earth connection round the back to allow a good quality aerial to be connected. They usually receive nothing without one plugged in.
So, to start off with, I’ll scour the internet for some ideas and list them here. When I have time, I’ll try each one out and see what works best.
- AM loop antenna, home made, 21 turns of 1 mm insulated wire, round a cardboard box. connects to the Aerial and Earth of the radio.
- Long run of horizontal wire (about 5 metres)