Can I use speaker wire as antenna wire?

It’s common practice for hams to feed dipole antennas in the center with coax line. You can also use speaker cable and make the unbalance happen at the transmitter end with an SO-239 connector as you describe.

Can you use any wire for a radio antenna?

Since most antennas are used outdoors, you must use outdoor-rated wire. You can use uninsulated wire, but it is much better to use insulated wire for safety purposes if there is any chance that someone could come in contact with the wire while you are transmitting.

What wire is used for FM antenna?

There are three types of cable in general use for FM antennas. One is the flat 300-ohm twin- lead cable that has been in use for decades. The second and more popular type is RG59/U 75- ohm coaxial cable. The typical line loss of RG59/U is about 3dB per 100ft at 100MHz.

Can a wire act as an antenna?

Yes, all cables can act like antennas, both to transmit and receive. If two cables are poorly insulated/shielded and sufficiently close to each other, especially if they’re within near-field distance, the electromagnetic field from one will affect the current in the other, and vice versa.

Does thicker wire make a better antenna?

ANTENNA WIRE you get the impression that the thicker the wire is, the better it will be for performance. A thick wire is always better than a thin wire.

Does wire thickness affect antenna?

Thicker wire increases the “bandwidth” of the antenna, aka the “range” of frequencies it can receive. I used 1/16″ aluminium tig welding wire for my v dipole and it works great. As others have noted, the efficiency of the antenna doesn’t really change much depending on the diameter of the material.

Will coax cable work as a radio antenna?

RG6 cable TV coax will work just fine. Radio Shack sells adapters that will work with the standard TV coax F-connectors, and give you a BNC connector for your scanner.

What can I use for FM antenna?

A dipole antenna is often an ideal solution for an antenna for receiving VHF FM broadcasts.

Does copper wire make a good antenna?

With copper being twice as conductive as aluminum and 6 times more conductive than steel, it makes an excellent choice as an antenna material. The increased electrical efficiency means more of your RF energy will go up and out the antenna and not be trapped, creating heat energy.

Can I use speaker wire to make an antenna?

You can use speaker wire, but be aware that how you hang it and the type of antenna you build can lead to problems. If the wire includes a couple of steel strands in it you’re in good shape for antennas. If it’s only copper and you hang it by the ends (and pull them tight) you will lengthen the antenna over time!

What is the best wire for a dipole antenna?

Speaker wire (or ordinary lamp cord) makes an excellent balanced feedline for HF radio with a characteristic impedance of around 75 ohms. It’s perfect for feeding HF dipoles. I used it the first time in 1957 feeding a 40-meter dipole. It is cheaper than coax and has lower loss.

Why is there a silver wire on my speaker wire?

Since we are experiencing more of mothers winter tantrums it would be a good day to get things together inside for later installation of a dipole when the wind slows a whole lot. The silver colored wire isn’t steel, it’s tinned copper and they do this only so you can observe “polarity” when phasing speakers.

Is this speaker wire too fragile for dipole?

Unless it’s very heavy gauge speaker wire (like #12AWG, quite thick) it may be too fragile for serious dipole use outdoors also…wind blows, things move around, it’s a lot of stress. The silver colored wire isn’t steel, it’s tinned copper and they do this only so you can observe “polarity” when phasing speakers.