How to Make a Homemade Am Radio Antenna
Interference of AM radios inside the home due to home appliances is a common problem. AM Radios with antenna on their back are known to pick up these interferences and therefore you hear static through the speakers. If you are looking to construct a homemade AM antenna, you will be glad to know that the procedure is very simple. All you need is a long copper wire. This can be obtained from the nearest hardware store. Typically, this type of antenna is least susceptible to receiving signals from your home appliances.
Instructions
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1
Consider selecting a tree that is about 100 meters away from your place of residence. The higher the antenna is, the better chance for receiving strong signals. Buy a pair of ceramic insulators from any hardware store. The insulator must have a wood screw mounted on the side. Now consider screwing one of the two ceramic insulators at the highest point of the tree that you can reach. Mount the second insulator on the home about 8 feet above the surface. For the radio to work effectively, it is important to have a long antenna. You will also be required use a bare braided wire, which could be bought from the hardware store.
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2
Now run the antenna from the home through the ceramic insulator you had purchased from the hardware store. It is recommended to attach weight to the end of the copper wire. Using this method, when the tree moves in the wind, the wire will also move with it and not break. Use of a lightning arrestor at the home connection is highly recommended. Buy a clamp to ground the arrestor to the metal water pipe in the home. However, if are not sure that the pipe is fully metal, you should consider using a ground rod instead. Insert in the ground at least 5 feet in the surface. Connect the ground clamp with the arrestor in the same way.
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3
For connection to the radio, it is advised to use coaxial cable to enter the home. This will help reducing the interference to the receiver at any point. Now consider connecting the ground wire from the ground clamp to the outside ground braid of the cable. You can take out an AM radio from any old car to use as a receiver. These radios can be easily purchased from your local scrap yard at affordable prices.
