To properly listen to shortwave radio (≈ 3–30 MHz), the antenna makes a big difference. These are the most commonly used antennas for radio listening:
Long Wire Antenna – the simplest
Dipole Antenna - Very efficient and less noisy.
Magnetic Loop Antenna - Good for those who live in apartments or cities.
T2FD Antenna - Professional antenna used for listening to many frequencies.
I cannot sing the praises of the MLA-30+ (active magnetic loop) enough for use indoors as an HF antenna.
I have one of George Smarts Wellbrook loop clones, a so called “Wellgood” loop.
Just Google “wellgood loop” and you’ll find the pages about it on George’s site. He often has bare boards or assembled modules for purchase. (The remote balanced preamp, and the in-shack power-down-the-coax adapter.)
Electrically it is very similar to the Wellbrook (out of production now) but from what I read about the originals and how they often fail due to water ingress, somewhat better built. Though, much of that is down to you the owner.
I bought the two boards ready made. I couldn’t be bothered to make from scratch, though that is entirely possible (Look on the project history pages on Georges site, it’s all fully “open” re the design etc) and just did the mechanical boxing up and making the loop itself from a 3 and a bit m length of scrap Heliax (solid copper outer type coax.) That makes a loop about 1m dia’. Others have used an Aluminum strip, or even just a single stiff wire loop, or thin wire loop in a tree, they all work. (They work better though, with a lower resistance loop, so thicker wire or even micro-bore plumbing copper pipe!)
Using that with a classic Icom R9000, or any other RX’s here (R70, Kenwood TS870 on RX) and I find it an excellent performer, from way down well under 100kHz, to 30MHz.
(NDB beacon reception is most impressive too!)
It also doesn’t get “upset” if I’m listening (for example) to Radio Caroline on MW, and I stoke up some data mode on 20m. No degredation at all. Some frequency combinations cause the R9000 to protect itself, but no damage is done. Amazing as it is very close to the wire transmitting antenna.
NO affiliation other than a very satisfied SWL user.
Regards to All.
Dave B.