The Fine Things are Always Hand Made

Super Antenna

If your Scott has two antenna posts and a ground post and you are using a single long wire antenna, then 1) strap the ground post to the near antenna post and 2) your long wiire to the other antenna post.

Scott sold a double doublet antenna starting about 1934 - Scott Super Antenna System with twisted twin lean-in. There are several versions of the Scott Super Antenna instructions, showing a sketch with dimensions. The later versions (1936 or later for sets with two antenna posts) show some kind of can (filter or transformer) hung at the conjunction of the four antenna wires where the twisted lead-in is connected. My example is a 4 page instruction shows with four wires each 24.5 feet long and attached to that can. But I have no idea the content or values inside that hanging can.

However, the first version Super Antenna from about 1934 uses no external can hanging from the antenna, the lengths are unequal and, so, is likely the better one to try to repo. This is the version I made years ago. Requires two 47 or 48 foot lengths of stranded wire to allow a little surplus for attaching insulators, 4 ceramic or glass antenna insulators, plus one 4 inch square piece of non-conducting material with a hole near each corner. Scott used a ceramic, but I used a varnished wood square dipped in wax. Each one of the two wires are passed through opposite corners to the square - on opposite sides of the square so they do not touch each other. The two wires are NOT centered on the square. Attach insulators to each ends of the two wires. Finally, adjust the finished lengths off the center square so as to yield a length of 29 feet for the flat top portion and the shorter length of 16 1/2 feet for the remainder of the wire. These finished lengths are critical. Do the same with the second antenna wire. Note, the two wires pass each other at the square without touching each other.

Prepare the twisted length of lead-in with a finished total length of 110 feet exactly. Any excess is to be coiled in the receiver cabinet. If a longer twisted lead-in is required, add another 110 foot length. The lead-in wires are attach to the antenna at the square. Solder one lead-in wire to one antenna wire and the other lead-in wire to the other. If your Scott has 2 antenna posts, use them. Otherwise, for earlier models with only one antenna post, use the Scott outboard antenna switch that is usually hung on the rear center tube shield. That switch has 4 labeled posts, and inside there are some coils. "Broadcast" position is for the broadcast band and the first shortwave band, and change to "Short Wave" for the higher SW bands.

Erect the antenna so the two 29 foot lengths become the flat top. The two 16 1/7 foot are then raised off the ground at about a 30 degree angle to the flat top wires. The short length is below the other antenna flat top wire. Thus, each flat top wire passes through the square where a lead-in wire is soldered and continues down at a 30 degree angle below the other flat top wire. If you attach the antennas to trees, use screen door springs between the insulators and the trees to allow for changing tension.

For use on multiple radios, insert a two pole rotary switch at a convenient location on the lead-in. From the rotary switch, add twisted lead-in to each radio, but maintain the over all 110 foot length to each radio from the antenna. For an outdoor antenna lightening protection either use a lightning arrestor or a cut-off knife switch to ground, or both. Scott recommended a arrestor brand called Vis-O-Glow.

For early radios like the AC-10 or 2-DIAL, which have a control to peak antenna resonance as you tune, I would just stay with the recommended length long wire antenna. For the 1932-34 DELUXE with the outboard antenna tuner, I would just stay with a long wire as well.

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Permalink Reply by Jon Ketron on October 5, 2017 at 9:20am

Dave,

Thank you for posting this information. Great details you have provided for E.H. Scott recommended antenna systems. I am somewhat of a visual learner. Is there an E.H. Scott pictorial diagram I can reference. If I remember correctly, the AW15 manual had a pictorial diagram. Was this one of several reference you used? I plan to eventually recreate this set up in place of my current 80 foot outside long wire. I also have a 135 foot dipole setup for my 350 watt Hallicrafters transmitter. It would be interesting to test an E.H. Scott receiver on this dipole taking note of reception quality. Question: Did E.H. Scott recommend a certain length for antenna installation on all AW receivers? I could of swore I had read an article stating any length greater than 80 feet for an AW antenna will produce unsatisfactory results. I could be incorrect.

Jon

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Permalink Reply by David C. Poland on October 5, 2017 at 12:35pm

Jon - Recommended length seem to vary . Recommended a good ground. From owners manuals I have:

AC-10 instructions say 40 tp 60 feet total including the lead-in, one multi stranded continuous length.

Also, double or triple insulators on the far end. Run the wire East-West if possible.

If inside, do not run around more than 3 walls of the room.

2-DIAL Long wire never more than 70 feet including lead-in. But for short wave, can be up to 150 feet.

DELUXE 1st version with single speaker - I have never seen an owners manual, but suspect same as 2-DIAL.

DELUXE non- AVC and later AVC version (twin speaker era and subsequent pedestal speaker era)

instructions say 60 to 80 feet including lead-in. Up to 100 feet for distant locations. An outboard

antenna tuner with 2 controls for local and SW came with the radio and Scott cabinets were drilled

for the two controls near the power switch hole.

FIFTEEN: Wunderlich era Same 60 to 80 foot long wire. A second antenna for short wave was available using

the two red antenna posts, and change rear chassis toggle switch DOWN, otherwise toggle is UP.

FIFTEEN: post Wunderlick era Recommends new Scott Super Antenna with external antenna coupler switch. Just a single antenna post and ground post.

Otherwise use 80 foot long wire.

AW-23 HIGH FIDELITY early and late - Recommended the Scott Super Antenna.

For a long wire, no length specified.

Note- Fall 1936, revised Super Antenna in conjunction with added 2nd antenna post and internal

Super Shield transformer upgrade. Scott discontinued the external antenna coupler. But with a long

wire antenna, jumper the ground post to the near antenna post and connect long wire to the other

antenna post.

AM Philharmonic and subsequent models continue with two antenna terminals and a ground terminal. Scott recommends the Scott Super Antenna etc ... as per AW-23 as noted above. With the 1940 FM models, an additional antenna terminal(s) for the ultra high FM/TV band antenna, otherwise, jumper to the regular antenna post.