Mme Lisa. . . .

My Crosley on comes in clearly and loud enough to hear if I am touching the antenia, and when I let go...the vol goes down to a point that you cant hear and the reception goes to "BLEEP".



One certainly needs to know WHAT that Crosley model is , in order to be more exacting on an analysis, but in trying to cover what might be happening lets just cover the main two possibilities.


The first situation is that the unit is designed using an an antenna coil that is nestled down under the chassis or on top side being somewhat in the proximity of more massive metal components that are shielding its signal pick up capabilities,

In that situation they make provison by the utilizing of either capacitive or a small of inductive coupling into that antenna coil with
a connection being made in via a provided ANTENNA wire connection.


That situaton willl then be dependent upon the use of a decent length of wire being strung out and one end of it connected to that
provided ANTENNA wire input connection. In that manner the larger exposed area of the external antenna wire is picking up your radio signal and then transferring it into your set to the antenna coil.

When your hand was holding the ANTENNA wire, it was the agent that was using the whole length of your body as being an antenna "wire" and thus being coupled into the radio, and was thus superior to the radio signal pick up capability of that mere short length of wire.

If this is your situation, you just need to "pipe" some / more signal into the set via the use of a longer length of wire being used for your signal pick up antenna.

Now you may not immediately have a long length of wire available, but for evaluation purposes, one usually has access to a 10-25-50 ft extension cord. . . .right ? In that situation the prong end provides ready access for connection,, and then you can string out to see the minimum length needed to enact more favorable reception.

Once evaluated for length , and in the selection of other wire for the purpose, copper or aluminum wire as small as a hair can suffice , with the exception of its fragility to breakage if disturbed , and then a brad / thumbtacking high on the wall -ceiling junctures.



Now for the other situation, IF your meaning of ANTENNA on the set is actually a larger spiral wound loop antenna typically mounted to the sets rear.

In that case, the actual design of that larger area coil unit is made so that it will be mounted more open to its exposure to radio signals DIRECTLY.

However, on a select few sets, they additionally provide for an external antenna input via the same input capacitor or a few turns of wire around the periphery of the many turns of wire making up the loop antenna proper.



The last if suspected possibilities would be the set using a rear mounted loop antenna and your reference to holding the ANTENNA
would be referring to grasping the LOOP proper and the signal then coming up. In that case the antenna input tuning trimmer capacitor might be misadjusted to a less than optimal setting.

Just some of the most likely possibilities. . . . .

73's de Edd