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Making an antenna.

msana

Mar 5, 2011
2
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Mar 5, 2011
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2
Hello,
I am trying to make a cheap(ish) antenna that picks up a wide range of frequencies and also can be fitted into a bread board. Saw something where someone used bent copper pipe attached to a PVC pole and was placed in the ground. Think I could do that and solder a smaller copper wire (to fit into the breadboard) to the pipe and run that back in the house for the project?
Thanks in advance,
-Msana
 

(*steve*)

¡sǝpodᴉʇuɐ ǝɥʇ ɹɐǝɥd
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Jan 21, 2010
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You don't specify the range of frequencies, so I will suggest the obvious...

A long wire antenna.

Just connect a long piece of wire to the breadboard.

A piece of copper tube in the ground is an "earth connection". Along with a decent antenna this will increase the signal for AM broadcast signals and is typically used in crystal radios.
 

msana

Mar 5, 2011
2
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Mar 5, 2011
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I'm wanting to make a similar set up to a crystal radio using the tate ambient module. But I'm looking for something more compact than a 100' wire running out of my house (if at all possible)

Thanks for the reply.
 

Resqueline

Jul 31, 2009
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The frame - or loop antenna was a popular compact choice for radios in the old days. A more modern version (and even more compact) of this is the ferrite rod antenna.
 

davenn

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Sep 5, 2009
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well looking at that tate power module system, you are, has he is doing, going to need as much wire in the air as possible. He is using 100ft length of wire at 25ft in the air.
rectification of RF signals into usable power is very dubious at best. It really only works when the transmitting and receiving antenna are in very close proximity to each other ... less than 1 metre

for the signals he's receiving less than 1 MHz ie. AM broadcast band, it would definately help if you lived close to the transmitter say within 1 or 2 kilometres

It WONT work with small antennas you need lots of wire in the air to intercept a significant portion of the very weak RF signal.

cheers
Dave
 
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