Hello Richard,

 

     Thanks for your comments, and the information on your SRF-59 inductive coupling with the PR-D5 and ICF-EX5.  Your approach is one that's new to me, although booster bars (such as the excellent units kindly made and given by Gil Stacy and Kevin Schanilec) are heavily used here, and most of the TP's I logged on the ICF-2010 last fall were inductively coupled from the Quantum Loop 2.0+, which of course required tuning twice.

 

     The loopstick transplants, especially the latest (SPR2 7.25" and SPR3 14.5") experiments, generally boost the SRF-39FP sensitivity past the ICF-2010 stock level, but not past the 2010 + Quantum Loop level. The 2010 + Quantum Loop is a very effective combination, although it does require tuning twice. It would be like a dream to construct a stand-alone modified Ultralight, with the same sensitivity as the 2010 + QL combination.  I think it's possible, but the loopstick may not fit through a standard doorway  :>)

 

     Loopstick transplant science has had a tremendous boost because of the Ultralight phenomena, but these improvements are not limited to Ultralights.  It would now be routine to give radios like the ICF-2010 and ICF-SW7600GR larger, more effective antennas, assuming the owner could live with an external mounting system.  My own impression is that an ICF-2010 with a 14" loopstick could outperform a 2010 + QL combination, but we will never know for sure until somebody actually tries it. 

 

     Thanks again for your comments, Heatwave, and the "Super Prison Radio 2" article should be finished soon, giving everyone detailed instructions on making this DX dynamo from a commonly-available 7.25" loopstick. 

 

                                                                                                              73,  Gary