In the early days of radio (1920's), stations were often quite distant from the general public and few transmitted with a lot of power. For good reception in rural areas and most small towns, a good external antenna was required. Usually about 100' of wire, insulated on both ends was strung up on the roof, tall poles or from house to barn with a lead in wire connected to radio's antenna input.  click for> Typical outside antenna installations.

Nearly all radio receivers made from the early days to the late 1930's required an external "long wire" to receive radio signals. Some sets had one or more terminals on the rear of the chassis or a pair of wires hanging out the rear that was hard wired to the radio's circuitry. The colors were often black & blue, green & black or they could be any color. Black is usually the ground wire. These wires are for connecting an antenna and ground. The antenna is easily identified; if you are not sure which wire is which, the antenna will be one that makes the radio (when turned on) come alive when you come in contact with the bare end with your fingers. You don't have to worry about getting shocked by touching the antenna or ground wires (assuming they are in fact the correct wires I'm describing) and the radio has been properly serviced by a competent technician.

The ground wire is not always necessary and some radios SHOULD NEVER HAVE A GROUND WIRE CONNECTED!  Such radio's will should have a warning sticker on the back of the set. If you are not sure, do not attempt to connect a ground wire. It's easy to identify a radio that is safe for a ground connection, they are the ones with a power transformer. Again, if not sure, don't connect a ground wire. The radios that are unsafe for ground wires are the low priced, low end sets with series strung tube filaments (more properly called, heaters). Such sets will often have what's called a "Hot Chassis" and a dangerous electrical shock hazard exist with such radios if certain precautions are not observed. Such radios purchased from the author of this article will have a polarized line cord and should never be defeated.

Beginning in the late 1930's, built-in antennas were introduced as part of the latest state of the art equipment for most radio models. At first they appeared on the better quality console models and within a few years were pretty much standard equipment on most all radio sets.

Most radios that require an external antenna may pick up a station or two without one but reception will be weak and likely very noisy. A 15 - 20 foot piece of small gauge bell or speaker wire strung along the baseboard will usually allow reception of stations within a 15 - 20 mile range. For better reception, a longer wire, higher in the air is necessary. I have strung an antenna in my attic that serves quite well for good all 'round reception for continental and worldwide short-wave reception.

Sonny, the Radiola Guy