1. Messages
  2. New loggings/antenna tinkering/update

Re: New loggings/antenna tinkering/update

Brian Miller
 

Good point Raphael -

When I said travel anywhere I wasn't thinking about airport security concerns. I rarely travel in airplanes. When I made that statement I had not even thought about the fact that although these antennas are not weapons or bombs, they could easily draw unwanted attention at an airport.

When I commented that they double as a home security system - I was referring to the size, shape and weight of mine. It's like a very heavy club that could be used to ward off a home invasion or a Jehovah's Witness when they come knocking on my door every fifth week despite my NO SOLICITORS sign! No offense to any Witnesses, just the ones knocking on my door. :)

--- In ultralightdx@..., "Pollock,Raphael E" <rpollock@...> wrote:

In summary I love these ferrite antennas! They are much more practical than air-core loop antennas. Not as cumbersome and much easier to maintain.

I totally agree. If you go to You Tube and search under "ferrite rod antenna" you will find several videos of monster ferrite bar antennas at work (play?)...including US as well as several films of some Brazilian models. I agree with the practicality issue, and enjoy mine tremendously...plus the thrill of making something oneself, something that works better than a "made somewhere else" version...

They also double as a home self-defense system and can travel with you anywhere!

I hope that you are right about the travel anywhere statement. I have not yet taken mine on an air plane flight for fear that the Homeland Security folks would confiscate it, much as I would like to take mine with on a trip to Boston later this Spring. If I could, I would love to take it with and go out to Essex or Glouchester for some Dxing on the shore of the Great Pond...

I'll post some pics soon.

Please do, or consider posting a video if you get ambitious!

Raph Pollock


From: ultralightdx@... [mailto:ultralightdx@...] On Behalf Of Jerry
Sent: Wednesday, April 06, 2011 12:12 PM
To: ultralightdx@...
Subject: [ultralightdx] New loggings/antenna tinkering/update



Hello everyone -

I've gone far down the rabbit hole of dxing and radio tinkering in general. Each time I say that to myself, a few weeks later I find myself deeper still without much chance of finding my way out.

The truth is at this point, I've gone so far that I doubt I could ever find my way back and even if I could, I think I would choose to continue.

I love dxing with my SRF-T615, and I usually do that barefoot, but I also have really enjoyed experimenting with the many antenna designs posted on this site and elsewhere. I've built many crate antennas with varying success, I've built a couple of different PVC loops and while I am happy with them I am also interested in the monster ferrite antenna and the FSL antennas that have been written about and constructed by members of the ULR DX group.

I'm still waiting on some ferrite ordered from the Ukraine for my FSL. While I've been waiting I have constructed two ferrite antennas using the 18" "monster" ferrite from Stormwise.

Both were constructed as outlined by Kevin S. in the files section of this website.

One is enclosed in PVC like Kevin shows in the .pdf - that one covers the BCB while my second one is attached to the largest lazy susan that Bed Bath and Beyond sells. The second one is set up for the BCB as well as longwave band. It also has a sense coil and I can easily connect it to my FRG-7 or other ULRs.

I have a PL-310 and a PL-390. I've opened up both of them and put a few turns of magnet wire around the internal ferrite antennas. I've fed the wire through the slots under the stands, as suggested elsewhere on this site.

Last night from around 19:30 edt until around 20:30 edt I finally had a chance to get 'em all together to see what all of the time spent on this might yield.

Four new stations on my first session with this set-up, not to mention all of the fun that trial and error provides...

Stations logged -

from Berkley MI

Tecsun PL-310 w/ 18" ferrite loop antenna

4-5-2011 from 19:30 edt - 20:30 edt

1280 WJST New Castle, PA Pittsburgh Penguins v New Jersey Devils NHL Hockey

1280 WHTK Rochester, NY New York Yankees v Minnesota Twins MLB

940 KPSZ Des Moines, IA Des Moines Buccaneers v Youngstown Phantoms - USHL Hockey

960 WFIR Roanoke, VA - Heard a male announcer give station ID and local weather then back to Dave Ramsey.

I also relogged something during the day with the pl-310/MF ant combo previously only heard in my car - WMMI Shepherd MI on 830 kHz. I logged that one during some daytime testing of the antenna. During this testing I also noted that 670 WSCR in Chicago could be heard using my new antenna, but barefoot it could not be heard at all!

In summary I love these ferrite antennas! They are much more practical than air-core loop antennas. Not as cumbersome and much easier to maintain. They also double as a home self-defense system and can travel with you anywhere! I'll post some pics soon.

Brian Miller

Berkley MI
Join main@UltralightDX.groups.io to automatically receive all group messages.