radio antanna for testing

[willy12844]

Can anyone one tell me how or what I can use to test a 40 year old AM radio. I'd like to test it before I put it in and don't have a spare antenna.
Thanks,
Bill

[ray_mcavoy]

You can use a piece of wire (approx 3 feet long) as an antenna for testing purposes. Just strip a little insulation off one end and stick it into the center part of the radio's antenna socket. If it's fairly small gauge wire you might have to fold the last quarter inch or so of the wire back onto itself to make it big enough to stay in place and make good contact with the socket.

[randy500]

I usually just stick a coat hangar wire in there, I have a bunch of straighted hangars I use for stuff around the shop.

[willy12844]

thanks folks we got her tested and she works super, as does the speaker.
thanks again,
bill

[davepl]

Just FYI, FM is trickier, and they come with a fixed-length antenna due to the way FM works, but AM is pretty easy, and as noted, a chunk of wire will do.

Just didn't want anyone in the future dismissing an FM radio because they couldn't get a signal with a coat hanger!

[briank]

Thanks dave for that info. Im putting an am fm in my 70 jimmy with the original antenna and wouldnt have known that.