I made a new year’s resolution to put up an outdoor antenna in 2025 and this article will chronicle the progress.
Previously I had an MLA-30+ on a balcony, but it was in an inconvenient location for where I really wanted to listen to radio, so I took it down. I have a 20-foot wire up a tree, but I have to go outside to connect to it, and the weather is turning cold. I don’t want to stumble down the sloping outdoor stairs to get to it in the dark and it’s not any fun in the rain.
So, the general plan is to put up a straight long wire antenna from a tree to the house, around 25 feet long. There will be an earth ground and a 9:1 balun for impedance matching, plus a lightning arrester. Shielded cable will run from the balun to a window where I’ll use one of those under window antenna strips to get in inside. Everything will be shielded between the wire and a connected radio.
This article will be updated with progress. Maybe it will get finished before the ATS-25 MAX Decoder radio arrives.
Post 1, January 2, 2025
First thing I did was to take inventory, and I decided I didn’t have enough wire for the antenna, so I ordered some from Amazon (nothing on local Ace Hardware website);
I decided on 20 gauge wire for no particular reason, except it didn’t seem too big and didn’t seem too small.
The second question is whether to use a BALUN, an impedance matching transformer. One typically uses a 9:1 BALUN matching a long wire to 50 ohm coaxial cable. The problem here is whether the portable shortwave radios I use have 50 ohm inputs. This question will be resolved by experimenting with my current wire up a tree antenna to see whether the antenna works better with or without. That signal strength value on the display will finally be good for something. I’ll also try several radios to see if that makes a difference.
The third question is whether to really add a lightning arrester. I have one, but it will be a little awkward in my design, and I don’t intend to leave radios plugged into the antenna when I’m not using them.
The last piece of equipment I will probably get is a spring. The tree is pretty strong, but it still might sway in a strong wind and I don’t want to snap the antenna.
Post 1, January 6, 2025
Slow going on the project. The middle Atlantic states are buried in snow and it’s 34 degrees and raining right now. The antenna wire is slated for delivery today although I have my doubts.
Post 2, January 9, 2025
The wire arrived. I put together my test rig for the BALUN. The “radio side” will be the same:
- F-type window/door jumper strip
- F to SMA adapter
- M-M SMA adapter
- SMA cable 10 ft.
- SMA to phone plug patch cable
Outdoors with BALUN from Antenna and Ground:
- Jumper lead with clips to antenna and ground leads
- BALUN
- SO-239 to F adapter
Outdoors without BALUN from Antenna and Ground:
- Jumper lead with clips to antenna and ground leads
- Phone plug to SMA patch cable
- SMA to F adapter
The outdoor test area is still covered with snow.
Post 3, January 29, 2025
It’s installed.
The weather relented and most of the snow has melted. The Geese are still walking on the remnant of ice on the cove.
Photos of the antenna aren’t particular revealing, so I’ll skip it. The end result was roughly 40 feet of wire attached to a tree with a spring and an insulator 15 feet off the ground. The antenna runs horizontally to a window that’s 10 feet off the ground. That connects to the 1:9 BALUN, the under window strap, an SMA adapter and finally about 10 ft of SMA cable to which I can hook an adapter for a 3.5mm phone plug or a BNC connector. For radios with no antenna connector, I have an alligator-clip for the telescopic antenna.
OSHA best practices were followed for ladder safety. There is no lightning arrester, but I do not intend for the antenna to be left connected when not in use. The antenna is electrically complete and apart from a little prettying up, it’s done.
Now what to test first? That’s easy. The first go at the new antenna will be given to the Jstvro ATS25 max-Decoder. That radio seems to be made for an external antenna. Its performance with the supplied whip and a short clip on wire has been subpar. Let’s see what it can do!