Question about line-cord FM antennas

[Jeffhs]

In radios with line-cord antennas (with a coupling device that fits over a section of the cord and attaches to the FM terminal), is it possible to simply slip the coupler off an old cord and reinstall it on a replacement cord? I have a Zenith MJ1035 on which I had to replace the line cord and would like to reuse the coupler. Was there any kind of special wiring involved with these couplers, i.e. a separate wire that connected from the coupler to the FM terminal board? Also, I am at a loss to figure out exactly how to install the coupler on my set's replacement cord, as the replacement has thicker insulation than the original; with the small cardboard insulator inserted in the coupler, I am having a very difficult time installing the coupler on the new cord. Spent about an hour and a half a few nights ago trying to do just that, then gave up and put a length of wire on the FM antenna terminal. (I am finding it nearly impossible as well to open the clip with a pair of pliers so as to allow it to accept a larger diameter cord--I am half afraid to try for fear of snapping the device apart, as it seems to be made of very rigid metal that resists bending.) I will use a piece of wire wrapped around the cord and connected to the FM terminal (as suggested by Chad some time ago) as a last resort, but I'd like to get the coupler working first if at all possible. Would there be any problem with shock hazards, etc. if I simply slipped the coupler over the line cord without using the cardboard insulator or is there something else I don't know about yet (besides eliminating the shock hazard) this insulator did, such as coupling the cord to the receiver's RF input without using a physical length of wire? I think it must have had some purpose in Zenith radios, at least in the MJ1035s, as the one on mine seems to be lined with some kind of metallic material.

Thanks in advance.

[Old1625]

I've done just that--install the clip without the cardboard liner. If the cord is not manhandled too much it should be OK.

But wouldn't you be happier with a dipole....?

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by Old1625

I've done just that--install the clip without the cardboard liner. If the cord is not manhandled too much it should be OK.

But wouldn't you be happier with a dipole....?

You have a point; I am happier with the results I get from an external antenna than I ever was with the line cord antenna, as I will explain. I have not tried to reconnect the line cord antenna since reading your reply to my post, as I get better reception using an external antenna (my MJ1035 gets stations from 50+ miles away on FM with just a 6' length of wire on the FM antenna terminal). No worries/concerns about shock hazards or damage to the FM front end in case of line cord insulation failure, either. These radios work with the line cord antenna, but in 35 years as an amateur radio operator I've learned that the better the antenna on a receiver, the better the reception will be (this rule of thumb applies to any type of radio, not just shortwave sets, but especially to FM since FM signals, especially FM stereo signals, are weaker and more difficult to receive well than AM). It doesn't matter how sensitive the receiver is; if it doesn't get enough signal, it won't work well or, in extreme cases, at all, so it pays to use the best antenna one can find. These older Zeniths (and other makes of FM radios) were designed with external antenna terminals for a reason; however, most of the time, in good signal areas (read urban to near suburban), non-technical people just use the line cord antenna and accept whatever results they get. Much of the time they never realize the full potential of their radios as far as distance reception is concerned, except during temperature inversions and other unusual weather conditions that cause FM signals to skip hundreds of miles beyond their normal service area (I once heard a station from West Palm Beach, Florida at my former home in suburban Cleveland after a summer lightning storm knocked a local FM station off the air, but I knew that was a fluke; I was right--it never happened again).

[Old1625]

It's fun when you can get VHF skip. I remember a few times during summer getting FM and low VHF television reception from parts of FL from here in western MA. I got a channel 2 out of Miami on a Zenith 193 using only its built-in whip antenna. The sound and picture were of excellent quality--for about 30 minutes. Then it was gone, and I was once again picking up the snowy picture of closer channel 2 out of Boston. On an old Zenith roundie color I got (IIRC) channel 4 out of Panama City, FL/Dothan AL area. Co-channel can be a nuisance, but the novelty of it makes up for the inconvenience.