Long-wire or loop aerial?

[RidgerunnerV]

I am getting back into radio after too many decades of not.

I got myself a an ATS-20+ receiver. Because I am very limited for space, I have a "long"-wire aerial: about 20-metres, with 16-metres or so running east to west (across the fron of the aparment) and about 4-metres running north to south.  The feed point is the most eastly end.

As well as general SWLing and slowly getting back into amateur radio (preferring homebrew QRP stuff), I have a "dream goal" - to get Radio Caroline, on 648 kHz. However, I am in northern Finland, near the west coast.

For this, what would be a good route - long-wire plus ATU plus pre-amp or one of those MW loop aerials with a sh!t load of turns? Or any better suggestion?

[BoomboxDX]

Why not try both? A tunable loop isn't hard to build. All you need is a plastic milk crate (roughly 30cm square -- that's the size they sell in the US box stores), 33 meters of wire (roughly -- 110 feet in US measurements is what I used to build mine) and a 365 pf variable tuner capacitor. Some tape, a few zip ties to hold the tuner to the crate, and two alligator clips. With my crate loop I've heard stations from 2000 miles away or more (3000 km?).

I don't know what antenna connector the ATS 20+ has, but if it doesn't have a loopstick, I think you'd have to use a sense loop to couple the crate loop to the radio.

If you have a tuner cap, it would be worth trying.

As for outdoor wire antennas, I'm not sure what would be best for MW, when it comes to choosing a loop over a regular long wire. I think with MW, the longer the better. You don't really get a lot of directionality with a MW wire until you reach half wave, which is around 250m if you're trying to get the lower end of the MW band. 250m is impractical for a lot of DXers, because we don't have that much territory. I had a 150 foot low wire and was able to DX the MW band with it in 2011-2012. I think 150 ft is around 50 meters? I heard Mexican stations 1500 miles away (2000 km or so) or more with that wire.

[RidgerunnerV]

Thank you - I will go for the loop then. 👍

The ATS-20+ has a BNC connector and it comes with just a little telescopic good enough for band II FM.

I just so happen to have a 365 pF air-spaced variable capacitor from a long-gone Lowe SRX-30 receiver.

Haven't seen a milk crate in decades, but knocking up a wooden X-frame is no problem at all.

[ThaDood]

You could do what this dude did.   https://www.iw5edi.com/ham-radio/3822/how-to-build-a-tuned-loop-antenna   Same thing, but mine is just a 45 degree tilt, to look like a godseye, that I can hang on a wall. Does the same thing, very bi-directional, and very good side nulls. Good luck!!!

[RidgerunnerV]

Thank you!

I now have two plans - 1. Build a loop and 2. extend the long wire around the side of the apartment and garden.