What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

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lthanlon
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by lthanlon »

Andrew (grayhat) wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 7:19 pm
ok... but you can still use the old "tape loop"; pick some wire, form a loop on the inside (glass) of a window...
I've done that with the reel-up antenna that came with my Tecsun PL-880, but it didn't work as well as The Square. I've yet to try an active antenna. What's your opinion of those?
Leigh T. Hanlon
Chicago, USA
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VK5014SWL
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by VK5014SWL »

Andrew (grayhat) wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 10:36 am
VK5014SWL wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 10:01 am You must be reading my mind. I did try the NooElec Preamp on the YouLoop powered by my RSP1A's Bias-T. It does improve some signals, even indoors. However, the model I use covers 20MHz-4GHz. I am yet to acquire something like an LNA4HF. I am starting to think I have a problem? :lol:
well, the regular NooElec LanA which covers the upper frequencies will make little good to the YouLoop since that antenna is designed for LW/MW/SW reception, the LanA HF will instead boost the signals in the range where the YouLoop works better, not just that, here's another idea for your indoor antenna; let's say you buy the LanA-HF and add to the order the 9:1 Balun https://www.nooelec.com/store/balun-one ... bones.html once you'll have them, you may start by trying the LanA with the YouLoop, if the results won't satisfy you, pick a run of speaker wire (the black/wire "zipcord" one, separate the two wires and use them to form a loop running near the ceiling around the perimeter of your room, connect the ends of the loop to the balun, the balun to the preamp and finally, using a run of coax, the preamp to your receiver
I am yet to experiment with lengths of cable, but it is something I would like to try. Unfortunately, I don't have much of a backyard—roughly 10 square metres.

I do have a Zeppelin randomwire antenna that I would like to deploy, but with such little space, I might wait until I move house.

For now, small indoor antennae can suffice.
Frankie
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by Frankie »

The Sony AN-LP1 works quite well, and better when inductively coupled with another loop of Chinese descent, the Degen MS-31. Years ago I just found out, if you hang the MS-31 loop one right over it (and both on the inside of a window), you get more and louder signals even without turning the MS-31 amp on :) (The AN-LP1 amo needs to be on most of the time though.) What matters is the "amp" of the Degen to use as a fine-tune.
With this setting I got Radio Tarma in Europe as a personal first a few years ago.

edit: typos.
Last edited by Frankie on Thu Jun 09, 2022 7:15 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Andrew (grayhat)
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by Andrew (grayhat) »

lthanlon wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 9:03 pm
Andrew (grayhat) wrote: Tue Jun 07, 2022 7:19 pm
ok... but you can still use the old "tape loop"; pick some wire, form a loop on the inside (glass) of a window...
I've done that with the reel-up antenna that came with my Tecsun PL-880, but it didn't work as well as The Square. I've yet to try an active antenna. What's your opinion of those?
A reel up won't work like a loop, what I was suggesting is to tape a wire rectangle inside the window glass at some inches from the window frame (if it's a metal one), connect the ends of the resulting rectangular loop to a balun and from there run the coax to the receiver, willing to turn that antenna into an "active" one would then just be a matter of adding a preamp right after the balun
lthanlon
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by lthanlon »

Andrew (grayhat) wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 3:47 pm A reel up won't work like a loop, what I was suggesting is to tape a wire rectangle inside the window glass at some inches from the window frame (if it's a metal one), connect the ends of the resulting rectangular loop to a balun and from there run the coax to the receiver, willing to turn that antenna into an "active" one would then just be a matter of adding a preamp right after the balun.
Ah, OK. Thanks for the additional details. That could be an option for me.
Leigh T. Hanlon
Chicago, USA
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Jock Elliott
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by Jock Elliott »

Can you dangle 20 feet of wire from a window and bring it back in when you're done?

I don't live in a highrise faraday cage, but I, too, have an indoor antenna (50 feet of wire run around the ceiling of an 8 x 12 room.

You might have a look at this and see if it gives you any ideas: https://swling.com/blog/2022/06/testing ... eselector/

Cheers, Jock
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Andrew (grayhat)
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by Andrew (grayhat) »

lthanlon wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 5:15 pm
Andrew (grayhat) wrote: Wed Jun 08, 2022 3:47 pm A reel up won't work like a loop, what I was suggesting is to tape a wire rectangle inside the window glass at some inches from the window frame (if it's a metal one), connect the ends of the resulting rectangular loop to a balun and from there run the coax to the receiver, willing to turn that antenna into an "active" one would then just be a matter of adding a preamp right after the balun.
Ah, OK. Thanks for the additional details. That could be an option for me.
Notice that the loop may just be formed by a single turn of wire or you may add multiple turns, just a matter of experimenting a bit, for example, you may pick a run of zipcord, say the two conductors are red and black, now, you pick the two conductors wire w/o unzipping it and with the help of some tape, you stick the four corners to the inside of your window glass, at the bottom you connect the red wire from a side with the black wire from the other side, and connect the two remainings wire ends to a balun (or even directly to the MLA-30 preamp if you already have it) and from there to the receiver, with such a config you'll have a two turns loop which may offer better reception for lower frequencies, then willing to test with a single turn loop, you may just rewire the loop so that the two wires at each end will be connected in parallel, easy to do and will allow you to find the best config for your needs
N2HUN
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by N2HUN »

I don't know which is best but I've used a W6LVP loop indoors and it worked well for me on shortwave. See my response in another post on this site. Good luck, hope you find what you need.
w0hrf
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by w0hrf »

Hi,
If you are in a situation where you cannot use an outdoor antenna, then I would use a directional loop antenna. The unidirectional loop article that was recently posted looks like it would give you the ability to possibly null out the unwanted noise you may be experiencing. The advantage won’t be to peak the intended signal, it will be to reduce the noise so the intended signal is listenable.

Another alternative would be to use a phasing unit with two antennas. One is going to be your main listening antenna, and the other will be a noise antenna, and you would use the phasing unit to null out the noise.

I built my own phasing unit and use two active loops. My loops are located outside and away from my residence, but there are noises occasionally that one of my neighbors is generating that I can null out. You could use a relatively small wire as your noise antenna.
James Townley
Chisholm, MN
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Andrew (grayhat)
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Re: What is the best indoor antenna for SWLing?

Post by Andrew (grayhat) »

w0hrf wrote: Sun Aug 21, 2022 7:47 pm If you are in a situation where you cannot use an outdoor antenna, then I would use a directional loop antenna. The unidirectional loop article that was recently posted looks like it would give you the ability to possibly null out the unwanted noise you may be experiencing. The advantage won’t be to peak the intended signal, it will be to reduce the noise so the intended signal is listenable.
I think you're referring to this loop :D
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