Todd Thomas

I recently discovered my 20+ year-old radio receiver still works, and this has reinvigorated my interest in getting my #hamradio license. Also want to experiment with #SDR because waterfall displays 🤩.

In the past I mostly used this receiver for aviation comms, but I wanted to branch out to some other bands so tried #WWV. I'm about 60 miles south of the antennae sites, but only hear static on all five freqs. Is this because the stock rubber ducky antenna is inadequate for HF?

Sep 30, 2025 at 4:08amIvory for Mac
Show threadChuckSep 30, 2025
@toddthomas Generally yes (the antenna is unlikely to have much gain at 5MHz). Still at 60 miles, that is pretty close so even a crappy antenna should get you _something_. Squelch all the way off? (you'd be hearing a lot of static). Correct modulation mode? (AM)
Show threadTodd ThomasSep 30, 2025
@ChuckMcManis thank you for the suggestions. I’m indeed set to AM mode, and I've tried the squelch all the way off to try picking anything out of the static. I've mostly been lazily listening from indoors, but I did once try an outdoor site with a clear northern horizon. Still no luck, but that was also in the middle of the day. The unit receives VHF like aviation and the 2 m ham bands okay from indoors, and I also hear the MF commercial AM stations. Will try a longer antenna.
Show threadAI6YR BenSep 30, 2025
@toddthomas Most likely bad antenna, if you wrap a piece of long wire around the rubber duckie you can probably make it work better. Also, depends on the conditions if you can hear WWV or not... varies by time of day and how the bands are propagating.
Show threadTodd ThomasSep 30, 2025
@ai6yr I will try this, thank you.
Show threadAI6YR BenSep 30, 2025
@toddthomas 5Mhz will be heard at night that close, but you may not hear anything higher than that... maybe not at all since you're too close. (you can't generally hear frequencies that are much higher that close, the signal skips over your head!)
Show threadComrade WeezSep 30, 2025
@ai6yr @toddthomas could also try local MW AM stations
Show threadTodd ThomasSep 30, 2025
@weezmgk @ai6yr Thanks for the suggestion. I can hear these pretty well.