Fence as an antennaa

[Ridethewave1]

My grandfather has a relatively big farm and a massive shack where I can do whatever my heart desires. Recently I've been trying my luck with radios and while things have been working I'm struggling a bit with the reception. It's not terrible, but the farm is quite remote, so I'd like to boost the signal. There is an olde fence from before he expanded the farm, about 30 feet, so would I be able to use it as an antenna? Most importantly, will it give me the boost I'm looking for?

 

[Deleted member 8]

What frequencies are you talking about? If it's HF, then the fence would probably work fine. When I was getting started in radio before I had my Tech, I strung a 50' wire about 20' up and was able to pick up a lot with an SDR dongle.

 

[GreenBeanJason]

My grandfather has a relatively big farm and a massive shack where I can do whatever my heart desires. Recently I've been trying my luck with radios and while things have been working I'm struggling a bit with the reception. It's not terrible, but the farm is quite remote, so I'd like to boost the signal. There is an olde fence from before he expanded the farm, about 30 feet, so would I be able to use it as an antenna? Most importantly, will it give me the boost I'm looking for?

A remote farm is perfect for radio!

yes, that 30 ft fence technically can be an antenna.
But it won't give you any boost and it might add noise. Fences are often poorly matched and pick up local interference.
For a real boost, use a dedicated wire antenna (like a dipole or long wire) cut for your desired frequencies, strung up in the clear. That's where you'll see the biggest improvement in reception on a remote farm.

 

[Bix Caleen]

Interesting! not sure but it might depend on the metal and grounding. you can try testing with a temporary connection. have you tried running a proper ground or checking if it's still conductive?