Antenna for Drake 2b

[bosco]

I am a newbie DXer owning a Drake 2b receiver.

I am asking for help for suggestions for a multi band antenna for listening only.

I don't have much room to put up a dipole antenna unless it is an "inverted v".
I would prefer a vertical or something else.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[W5LZ]

bosco,
Never had the '2B', but did have a '2C'! Wish I still had it, they are very nice receivers, one of the absolute best for their time period. All things considered, they would certainly hold their own today.
Almost anything can be used as a receiving antenna, it only has to be electrically conductive. A resonant antenna tends to do a better job than a non-resonant antenna, but that's only a matter of degree, and certainly not something that should restrict your choices. Longer tends to be better than shorter antennas. That's a relative thing concerning the frequency of use and wave lengths. The polarity of an antenna will also determine how well you hear a signal. That's sort of "iffy" because polarity can, and does, change if that received signal has taken a 'bounce' because of 'skip' (propagation). The 'shape' and 'type' of antenna is important because of all of the above, some will be beneficial, some not. The practical aspects, where you have space to hang, or erect the antenna will play a part with what 'type' of antenna you can have. Have lots of trees? Probably a horizontally strung antenna would be easier to put up than a vertical one (unless you have a particularly tall tree?). If you have a tower, mast, whatever, hanging an antenna from one certainly is an idea. All kinds of considerations for what would be convenient or not.
There are any number of antennas that -could- work well for your particular set of circumstances, but there's no -one- best single antenna. All those 'things' that make up your particular circumstance can/will play a part in it. What may work just dandy for me may not work very well at all for you, and visa-versa. I like to 'play', experiment, with antennas. See what works and what doesn't, and figuring out why. You have a really nice opportunity to do some 'playing', if you like that sort of thing. I wish I could tell you the particular antenna that would work 'best' for you, but there are just too many 'variables' to guess at that without a lot more information about what you have available. That '2B' you have can make a lot of really 'odd' antennas very usable for receiving, so lots of opportunities there. If it conducts, it can be an antenna, or part of an antenna, it just takes soe imagination!
Have fun!
- 'Doc

 

[VA3ES]

Any long, end-fed antenna will work. Ideally it should be 60' or longer. You will need a receiving antenna tuner, such as the MFJ-16010 Random wire tuner

The problem with a vertical antenna is that for it to work properly, you will need a counterpoise system (ground radials), which may or may not be easy to install at your location. There are other considerations with a vertical, including cost, installation problems, and what bands you want to listen to. A vertical on 75M has a very low angle, which means you will not hear station within 1000 miles. If you wnat to listen to locals (within a few states of you) you will be out of luck. Verticals are great DX antennas, but poor for local work.

 

[W5LZ]

VA3ES,
I think you're underestimating those verticals on 75 meters, or 40, or almost any of the HF bands. Vertical antennas are not limited to receiving signals at low angles, or transmitting only at low angles. They can receive at those higher angles too, and do so quite readily. It really does depend on "Momma nature" and her propagation.
If I remember correctly, that '2B' has a pre-amp. If so, it tends to act as a 'tuner' to some extent (not really, but certainly does something that's the equivalent).
I think one of the strongest signals I ever heard on 75 meters was using a vertical and something like 200 - 300 miles away (usually after dark, whatever time that happened to be). Oh well, there are no 'absolutes' with antennas.
- 'Doc

 

[bosco]

Thanks very much to you both for your antenna information.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

You're correct about those verticals and mother nature Doc. A few years ago I worked a dxpedition on Sable Island off the coast here on 80m using 100 watts and a crappy inverted L with no radials. I am guessing the lack of radials is what caused some high angle radiation from it. When I called from my little station in the middle of the pile up the CY operator said "Big station! BIG! BIG! STATION!!" so I immediately knew it could NOT be me. He then stated my callsign and I responded back to him. He laughed about the loud 40+/9 signal from such a crappy antenna. Sable Island is 225 miles from me BTW.

 

[VA3ES]

VA3ES,
I think you're underestimating those verticals on 75 meters, or 40, or almost any of the HF bands. Vertical antennas are not limited to receiving signals at low angles, or transmitting only at low angles. They can receive at those higher angles too, and do so quite readily. It really does depend on "Momma nature" and her propagation.

While Mother Nature and the vageuries of propagation do have some influence, verticals tend to have a lower angle of radiation. The point here is that one should not have to depend soley on propagation for their contacts, but should have some control over their signals by virtue of their choice of antenna. Under extremely good propagation conditions, a bed-spring willl work as an antenna.

If I remember correctly, that '2B' has a pre-amp. If so, it tends to act as a 'tuner' to some extent (not really, but certainly does something that's the equivalent).

I think you're thinking of the receiver's "preselector", which is essentially a tunable preamp.

I think one of the strongest signals I ever heard on 75 meters was using a vertical and something like 200 - 300 miles away (usually after dark, whatever time that happened to be). Oh well, there are no 'absolutes' with antennas.
- 'Doc

My experience with verticals on 75/80M appears to be distinctly different than yours. I've worked Europe and the UK with a vertical, but couldn't work statrions 300 miles from me.