75 or 300 antenna connection? I know nothing really.

I figure it is time I learn something about it.
All of my receivers are 80's or early 90's models and have antenna connections where you either unscrew a cap and put in a wire OR spring-loaded connectors for bare wires.

Anyways, does an antenna need to be a specific type of wire or will just any ol wire do like spare speaker wire?
Also, does it really matter if one uses the 75 or 300 ohm conectors?

Finally, when one does use the 75 or 300 connectors, does the wore need to be a continuous loop, like say someone used "any ol wire", would the two wire strands need to be connected together at the end that is NOT hooked into the stereo?

I know his looks like dumb questions. Until now I would just hook up a stereo antenna any ol way and it seemed to work but I would like to do it properly.

this photo below is pretty typical of my receivers, no coax connectors.
But like this basically -
Would a specific wire be needed? If so, does it need to loop both connectors for 75 or 300?
Just trying to do things right

 

Any ole thin guage wire will do usually, the separate AM & FM connections is a bit confusing though.

 

If your antenna uses twin-lead cable, connect it to the 300 ohm terminals. If it uses coaxial cable, connect it to the 75 ohm terminals -- or if you don't want to strip off the end, use a 75-to-300 ohm adapter. If you're using a single piece of wire or a coat hanger or whatever as an antenna, connect it to whichever terminal gives the best reception.

 

westlife, alright, that explains why the 75 ohm connection often is the way it is.

Well, I shall try that.

 

Most 1970s tuners/receivers with both 75 and 300 ohm terminals just had a 75/300 transformer built in to make the switch. "Just a hunk of wire" often works best on the 300 ohm input with the ground left open.

 

To add to what is already mentioned above, if using a 75 ohm coaxial cable, here are a couple of examples of the 300 ohm to 75 0hm adapters (called baluns or matching transformers):

https://www.amazon.com/Channel-Mast...ywords=balun&qid=1558713928&s=gateway&sr=8-18
https://www.amazon.com/RCA-VH54R-Ma...ywords=balun&qid=1558713928&s=gateway&sr=8-10

There are many more of course..........

Note the first one is indoor / outdoor --- if indoors you don't need to protective boot shown.

 

I appreciate the feedback.

 

I have a 75 ohm coaxial outdoor antenna (Fanfare FM2G). The coax cable runs into my house. My Tivoli Model One radio has a direct connection for the coax cable. My older KLH Model 21 has a 300 ohm antenna connection (two screw heads as shown in VWestlove's post above) so I use a 75/300 ohm balun attached to the antenna connection on the KLH radio to interface with the coax antenna cable.

Scott