# Wire radio antenna



## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I got a clock radio that just has a very very thin wire antenna.

It is a Sony ICFCS660 AM/FM Cassette Clock Radio.

Manual is here. 
http://esupport.sony.com/US/perl/model-find.pl?mdl=ICFCS660

Not the best but was free from The Good Guys to people that shop at the store when they had grand opening on new store just before they closed down.

The Cassette does not work and I think from looking is the belts are longer now then they should be because of heat. So not worth fixing.

But it's small and radio is not bad and sounds are good but hard to pickup stations with a very thin wire antenna.

I took it apart and do not want to try to hook up antenna from the inside. 
But can you just add more wire to it. Maybe some type of small female plug added to it and then I could plug longer wire to it.

I can not till if it's just one wire or two very thin wires in one cover. Does have like a end covering on wire or wires.

Now I just like to pick up more channels or pick them up better.

I will give this to friend who wants a small radio to put by his wife's bed at the care home she is at. To not know if building is full of metal studs inside either. So my only need very small table top if we can do the old T wire antenna I used on my older tuner. Just a wire but a lot longer. Not sure what it was called but you just pin it to the wall. Worked very good but I also have a very good tuner hooked to it.

Waiting to hear back from guy to find out how much room she has and what she can have in the room.

So main point is can I splice into the very thin antenna wire and add to it to make it pick up stations better?


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## N9AVP (Aug 30, 2015)

Probably not. I'm sure the wire antenna is for FM reception only and it's length is precisely for the FM broadcast frequencies and not the AM band. Adding length, or subtracting, will de-tune the antenna and make it perform -worse-. (And thin wire makes no difference whatsoever). Best solution will be to stretch it out, not letting it drape down. Also, position the radio as close as possible to a window. Oddly enough, I got my mother-in-law a very pricey am/fm radio when she was in a retirement community and she also had severe reception problems (and it had a thin wire antenna too). I'm sure it was the building's steel framework that was affecting the performance.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I was afraid of that. To bad they don't make small radios like they used too that got station in really clear. 

I know how the metal effects the cell phones, WiFi so would think anything over the air has trouble. This means lots of motels and hotels and office buildings where the outside and main halls are wood frame but the rest is metal. Hotels and Motels that phones and WiFi works is because they have places all over to pick things up.

I got to looking and a smaller fm mp3 player my be better. Not sure how she can move around. But a arm strap and she will always have it right there. Get one you can just hook up to any computer without iTunes or program because he has iPod but does not know how to use it. Plus it would cost less. Some have small memory cards. Then head phones and a small speaker and she would have it all right with here. 
If she has hard time moving then I think armband would be just the thing. 

I can let him take the Sony ICFCS660 AM/FM Cassette Clock Radio.
I gave him one a older GE Clock Radio but that did not pick up stations very good and the Sony is better sounding so he can try it. 

Thanks for the help.


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

Go to Fry's in Sac, they have a good selection of bedside radios cheap last time I was there.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I do not want to buy one but wanted something to give another man and wonder if I could make what I had better with the antenna. I hate two older clock radios and the Sony sounds good but want to try and get stations in better.

I gave both to him so I hope he gets them to work good so his wife has something to listen too.


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

Gotcha, I have an old Clock Radio that I use that is more than 10 years old, does not have an external antenna at all, but actually gets great reception both AM and FM. I am gonna be real bummed when it finally dies sometime in the next decade or so.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I know how you feel because they make junk now.

Be nice to go shopping at a place like this.

http://radioattic.com/

Sold the pass year. 
http://radioattic.com/sold.htm
Need to click on each image to get more on each radio and see bigger pictures.

Gakken Vacuum Tube Radio Ver. 2
http://radioattic.com/item.htm?radio=0260614
Now it sure has a antenna build in on it.

Bet the older one big up station so much better and some would be up other towns.

So go down memory lane.
http://radioattic.com/gallery_portal.htm
http://radioattic.com/gallery.htm?style=Antennas

But look at this and this shows how to hook up your antenna.
http://radioattic.com/item.htm?radio=0380194

Wow the speakers used be be art the way they look and some have a 24" cone.
http://radioattic.com/item.htm?radio=0380399


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

I had two Crosley Tombstone Radios that I restored years back Paid $50 for the pair sold them for $1100 each. Yes the radios of yesteryear were beautiful. I also restored Old Victrolas. Had a colletion of the Victor Diamond needle Disc's that had 800 records. Had another 600 78's


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## dustyjay (Jan 24, 2003)

I would love to have that Silvertone Radio now. Check out the Speaker in it. Trumpet horn, I bet the sound is great.


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## hewee (Oct 26, 2001)

I know they made things very good and they was made to last. Tube versions can be trouble if you can't find a tube to replace a bad one. 

I would love to have even the smaller pocket radio and they were really good back then.


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