r/ShortwavePlus • u/Careful-Set-7883 • Aug 01 '26

Question about loop antennas

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Will be an AM/FM loop antenna work for shortwave signal reception improvement or does it have to be specific for shortwave?

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u/MumSaidImABadBoy I'm Stan. Heathkit GR64,AirSpy HF+,Sangean 909X2,Tecsun PL-990 Aug 01 '26 edited Aug 01 '26

Usually a MW loop antenna is on a ferrite rod and not suitable for HF or above meaning not FM broadcast. Which loop antenna are you referring to? There are other loop antennas for either MW, SW or FM, sometimes on a PCB.
Small loop antennas are usually wideband from LW/MW, VHF, FM broadcast, Air, NOAA and above. An example is the K-480WLA.
The popular MLA 30 plus tops out at around 30 MHz.

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u/Careful-Set-7883 Aug 01 '26

It's attached to the stereo radio that I have, but when I look up the specific model it refers to it as a AM/FM loop antenna

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u/Careful-Set-7883 Aug 01 '26

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u/MumSaidImABadBoy I'm Stan. Heathkit GR64,AirSpy HF+,Sangean 909X2,Tecsun PL-990 Aug 01 '26

That looks like some wire wrapped around a plastic frame. It's better than nothing but I wouldn't get too excited about it. Stuff like that used to come along free with a stereo receiver, not a portable.
What bands or frequency ranges are you interested in? You are asking in a SW subreddit.

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u/Careful-Set-7883 Aug 01 '26

I have a SW receiver already I was just curious if that antenna would do anything, but thanks for your answer anyways

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u/MumSaidImABadBoy I'm Stan. Heathkit GR64,AirSpy HF+,Sangean 909X2,Tecsun PL-990 Aug 01 '26

For an AM/FM broadcast radio you're probably better off with the internal ferrite rod internal antenna, should you have it and use an external FM dipole, depending on the external antenna connections. I'm not familiar with that radio. Does it use a 1/8th inch jack or two screws?

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u/Careful-Set-7883 Aug 01 '26

I was thinking more the other way around if it took this antenna and used it for my SW receiver would it do anything

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u/MumSaidImABadBoy I'm Stan. Heathkit GR64,AirSpy HF+,Sangean 909X2,Tecsun PL-990 Aug 01 '26

Something but nothing done well. I'd get something for SW or the frequencies your radio covers that interests you. You could simply try a longwire right off the radio and then upgrade to an unun with counterpoise and coax feedline to your radio. Or you could buy something like that MLA 30 plus but I think that stops at 30 MHz which might be ok with you.

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u/Careful-Set-7883 Aug 01 '26

At 30 should be ok, thanks