# How can I rig an AM antenna? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 27, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-rig-an-am-antenna/354419 "2006-04-27T03:55:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![AnabolicDoberman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@AnabolicDoberman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnabolicDoberman)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-rig-an-am-antenna/354419/1 "2006-04-27T03:55:23Z")
I have a stereo receiver that I need to rig up an AM antenna. theres 4 screws on the back to attach the wires, 2 for am 2 for FM. Can I use a regular tv anntenna? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-rig-an-am-antenna/354419/2 "2006-04-27T04:00:56Z")
Standard TV antennas are much too short for effective AM band reception. What you really need is a couple hundred feet of wire, either run straight up a tree or something or coiled up into a loop. You can buy inexpensive AM loop antennas at places like Radio Shack and other electronics retail stores, which would be considerably less trouble than making up your own. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-rig-an-am-antenna/354419/3 "2006-04-27T05:39:13Z")
And loop antennas are directional. Imagine that a coil is the loop. Maximum sensitivity is in the direction of the edges of the coin. Minimum is in the direction of the faces. ---
**Author:** ![AnabolicDoberman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecd19e/32.png) [@AnabolicDoberman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AnabolicDoberman)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2006, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-rig-an-am-antenna/354419/4 "2006-04-29T03:30:02Z")
> [@Q.E.D.](#): > > Standard TV antennas are much too short for effective AM band reception. What you really need is a couple hundred feet of wire, either run straight up a tree or something or coiled up into a loop. You can buy inexpensive AM loop antennas at places like Radio Shack and other electronics retail stores, which would be considerably less trouble than making up your own. I went to 2 different Radio Shacks today and they no longer sell AM antennas, except for the expensive amplified AM/FM antennas. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2006, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-rig-an-am-antenna/354419/5 "2006-04-29T03:43:59Z")
> [@AnabolicDoberman](#): > > I went to 2 different Radio Shacks today and they no longer sell AM antennas, except for the expensive amplified AM/FM antennas. Well. Things HAVE changed since I managed one (about 3 years ago). Well, ok. If you want a general-purpose AM loop antenna, I found a few on eBay. Or you can wind your own. Wrap 100-120 feet of thin insulated wire (between 22 and 28 AWG should do, either PVC insulated or magnet wire) around a form about 6-10" across–the exact figures aren’t terribly critical. Bring the ends out, strip them and attach those to the AM terminals on your radio. Quick and dirty, but it ought to get you fairly decent reception on all but the weakest stations across the band. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2006, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-i-rig-an-am-antenna/354419/6 "2006-04-29T04:34:59Z")
Make the form can be either square or circular. Lay the resulting loop antenna flat and it should be pretty much omnidirectional in the horizontal plane which is where all of the stations will be.