Receive antenna

[mike43]

Hello......I have been here a few times and have had very good advice from the forum members. I have had to take down my outside random wire antenna, the wire broke after a few years, and I am too old at nearly 80 to start scrambling all over the roof again. I will have to have a loft antenna. I live in a semi detached bungalow and need to erect an antenna for HF receive only. My loft is 8 feet high at the apex, and 22 feet long. Is there enough room for a dipole for listening to HF and some ham bands?. Does a dipole have to be straight or can I make it as long as possible in different shapes. I have plenty of wire and plenty of 50 Ohm coax and an antenna tuner. I also have a good wife who does not care about the holes in the ceiling with wires hanging from them. Any advice will be gratefully received as to what configuration I could use to get as much out of the loft space as I can. Do I need a balun/unun for receive only, or just erect the random wire all around the place?. Thanks...Mike

Plenty of 50 Ohm Coax
An antenna tuner
Plenty of antenna wire
A good receiver

[spaggy]

Hi Mike , I use an ICOM R8500 and after lots of longwire configurations, have been using a PA0RDT Mini whip which is tiny cheap and very good from ultra long wave to HF it needs to be outside and earthed to reduce noise it may be worth your consideration I am also in Kent and 80 years of age so apreciate the slight compromise in scrambling about to erect antennas. Hope this helps if not at least you got an answer.

[Chris P]

have you considered a magnetic loop such as those manufactured by wellbrook

[mike43]

Sorry to Chris P and spaggy for late reply. I have just posted a question regarding a loop Chris, I have put up an MFJ 1886 RX only loop. Wellbrook is a bit out of my pocket at the moment. spaggy I also considered a mini whip but I had already bought the loop. With the loop it is a bit different, no unun* or ATU. I hope to get an antenna rotator if they are cheap enough. At the moment I am turning the mast by hand as it is just outside my bedroom (shack) window and I can reach it OK. I have to get the directional bit sorted. I have also got to get to grips with the SDR Play RSP 1A I bought some time ago. Giving me a headache at the moment learning the software SDRuno but like everything else it will get there eventually.

* forgive my gross ignorance but would a 9:1NooElec balun be of any use here, as I have one in my box.

Thanks again for your help. Mike.