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The C.Crane Twin Coil Ferrite^TM AM Antenna does what it says it will do. After unpacking and putting the antenna to work I am impressed. The product box claims the antenna is, “The best antenna for ANY radio portables to home stereo.” Outside of one unverified exception I have to agree. Using the Twin Coil Ferrite ^TM AM Antenna with my C.Crane CCRADIO Plus and my ICOM R-70 receivers improved reception and reduced the effects of sky-wave fading.

In the simplest terms, my description of this antenna is that it selectively, tunes, and amplifies an AM radio signal of a specific frequency and inductively couples the amplified signal to either the internal loop antenna of your receiver or directly to the receiver’s external antenna connectors.

I had a very good idea what the antenna did before I bought it, but frankly I wasn’t sure it would live up to the advertising hype. Over the years I had experimented and built other aids to AM radio reception and had always opted for a large outdoor receiving antenna. The most recently used external AM antennas at my home have been a 160 meter Amateur radio dipole a ten foot square loop antenna, and an eighty-foot end-fed long-wire antenna. These antennas are big, bulky and in the case of the loop awkward to use.

The big advantage to this antenna is that it does not have to be located outdoors and it really does work. There is no magic nor smoke-and-mirror deception. This antenna is not the super-deluxe mystery antenna that uses your house wiring to provide everything from AM radio to HDTV reception. The Twin Coil Ferrite^TM AM Antenna really is the AM antenna for the average consumer that lives in reception-challenged areas of the country, or anywhere else. In my opinion, anyone can set it up and use it effectively.

The Twin Coil Ferrite^TM AM Antenna is indoors with you at your AM radio. Using an optional extension cable the antenna element can be located outdoors or on another floor in your home. In fact I purchased a fifty-foot extension cable thinking I might have to get the antenna element out of the basement where I listen to my radios. That turned out not be necessary. There is a decided advantage to keeping the product at the radio. The antenna element has directional characteristics. You rotate the antenna element to get the best signal strength. Mounting the antenna element facing one direction on an outside wall negates the ability to rotate it for best signal.

My receivers are located in the walk-out basement of my home. The basement has concrete walls surrounded by earth on three sides. There are a few small windows. Even surrounded by concrete I hear AM radio stations on my receivers. The reception is weak and at night the fading on a weak signal means the signal sometimes vanish for periods of time.

To make the antenna work you apply power to the tuning control with the supplied AC adaptor or a standard nine-volt battery. The antenna element connects to the tuning control using the supplied five-foot cable. Connect the output ferrite stick connects to the tuner control and is positioned on or near the radio you want to use. As described in the product manual, when you use the antenna for the first time, you find the physical place your radio where the signal from the tuner control is strongest. C.Crane calls it the sweet-spot. (Here is a link to the product manual.)

This product has a few wires and cables. Wires and cables annoy some people. I was able to keep most wires and cables behind the radio and behind the tuner control. This might not be a solution if you are wire intolerant An under-counter AM radio might present a few challenges. In a case like this you would take weekend project time mounting the product in a place where it could be adjusted and the cables disguised. In my radio room, my bedroom, or the den I just move everything to a table and set it up within a few minutes. Portability was a concern of mine. This product is easy to bundle up and take along. I saved the sturdy product box for that purpose. Note that C.Crane warns customers on page 13 of the manual against placing the tuner control near water or moisture.

Take the time to read the manual! Page six covers initial use after all the cables are connected and power is applied. Get the hook and loop fastener out of the box find the sweet spot and mount the ferrite stick to the radio. Use the large tuner control dial to adjust the tuner to your favorite frequency and the smaller knob to fine tune the signal. Having a radio with a signal strength indicator is a big plus because the meter gives you a visual indication of signal strength as you use the tuner control. On many portable radio models you will be listening for a signal peak. When you listen for a signal peak tune the large dial slowly and when a louder signal is heard adjust the smaller dial for maximum volume.

Rotate the antenna element for best signal strength, especially when adjusting the tuner control seems not to make a big difference in strength. My observation has been that a careful adjust and readjust of the tuner control and rotation of the antenna element produces the best signal results. When everything is peaked you experience improved signal strength, fewer long fades, and in some cases reduced noise and interference. C.Crane tells new users that when you are using the product for the first time to read the manual and have a bit of patience. That is good advice. Once you have the knack you can use the product with excellent results.

I am still trying the antenna with various types of radios and as I try each one I’ll share my experience. The RadioShack Accurian HD radio did not seem to work with the Twin Coil Ferrite AM Antenna connected directly to the antenna terminal of the radio. The loop antenna that came with radio was misplaced and until I can obtain a replacement I cannot determine whether AM radio reception will improve on the HD radio. I did wind an attach a multi-turn coil of insulated stranded hook-up wire but also did not have good results. My suspicion this has more to do with the design of this radio and little or nothing to do with the design of the C.Crane product.

The ICOM R-70 took to the antenna right away. Using the supplied RCA female patch cord with two bare ends one bare end attached to the long-wave high-impedance antenna input and the other end to the ground terminal. This allowed tuning from 530 KHz to 1600 KHz. The IC-R70 has a signal strength meter that made tuning the antenna a breeze.

The Icom R70 in my radio room is normally connected to an end-fed long-wire antenna. The long-wire picks up everything. It does not have the directional characteristic of the Twin Coil Ferrite^TM AM Antenna. End-fed long-wires have a characteristic to be careful of and I learned this the hard way. When there is a lighting storm and the lightning is close by voltages can be induced in this antenna that will damage radio equipment. My radio was damaged by a close-by lightning strike and required $200 in repairs. The C.Crane product allows me to use my AM radio indoors powered by a battery during a lightning storm. No external antennas! No danger of damage to me or my equipment.

I’ll soon be trying the antenna with ICOM R8500, the ICOM 756 PRO-III, a couple of inexpensive AM table radios including an old RCA tube radio from the late 40’s.

The Twin Coil Ferrite ^TM AM Antenna is an excellent product. It spends most of it’s time on the nightstand next to my radio peaking the signals of stations I enjoy listening to as I fall asleep. I’m very pleased and I suspect most other folks that buy one will have the same positive experience.

Remember that you cannot escape the laws of physics as those laws apply to the science of radio-wave propagation. All you can do is try to minimize the effects of fading, adjacent channel interference, and signal strength with add-on products that mitigate those effects to a degree. There is no magic pill. When the station you do not want to hear is stronger you rotate the antenna element to minimize it’s strength and improve the strength of the station you want to hear. When both of those stations are coming from the same direction the stronger station is going to win even if it is the one you do not want. This product is an excellent supplemental antenna solution and it is not too terribly complicated! Perhaps we should just give Mr. Crane time? Maybe he will some day defy the laws of physics. This Twin Coil Ferrite ^TM AM Antenna comes real close