On 8/5/2010 11:25 PM, dhsatyadhana wrote:

Just curious - which radios aren't helped much by the Terk or SAT? My
new PL-390 likes the Terk, but completely ignores a Quantum Stick.

Hi Kevin,

I have also noticed that some radios will not work with the Q Stick. My
PL-380 ignores it as did my Sangean made Radio Shack DX-398 and my
current Sangean PR-D5. I wrote Gerry Thomas at Radio Plus about this
and he was unaware of any radios not working with the Q Stick. My Sony
2010 and 7600GR work well with it. Frankly, the PR-D5 has excellent
sensitivity and doesn't really need it.. I seem to remember that the
Grundig Satellit 700 I had also didn't work with the Q Stick. That
radio was a big disappointment on MW.

Rick W4DST

Hello Marc,

Thanks for your question about the LW ferrite bar.

I made a 7.5" LW plug-in loopstick for the PL-360 and PL-380, and it seems
to work very well on the LW international band. The LW loopstick has
approximately 120 windings of 40/44 Litz wire in a center-wound single coil on
the type 33 ferrite bar, and has a coil inductance of 2000 uh. The long coil
was wound on a thin base of Johnson & Johnson waterproof adhesive tape, to
hold the coil windings in place. A photo of the 2000 uh LW loopstick
(plugged in to the PL-380 model) is shown below.





This LW plug-in loopstick was used to chase LW Russian Trans-Pacific
stations last week in Oregon state, and easily received three of them (Radio
Rossii on 153, 180 and 279 kHz). When the fall DXing conditions improve, this
LW-enhanced PL-380 should be a lot of fun. I hope this information will be
useful to you, Marc, and good luck in your LW loopstick project!

73, Gary


In a message dated 8/5/2010 11:52:01 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
gratiscomputer@fulladsl.be writes:




Hello,

Dear Gary,

You have been making a LW ferrite, how many (aprox) windings have you
applied?? I ordered this wire from dave, and I want to make some
ferrite bars, starting with some old ferrite bars from all kind of
radio's (grundig, philips, etc).

Marc

PS: Here I'm gonna add a hint on howto tune the Kchibo kk-S500 dowto 0
Khz, using the external whip, NOT the ferrite bar (but an external
antenna can be added then ..)

Hello,

I must have made an error, but I suddenly was under 1620Khz on sw.

I know about other Kchibo radio's with about the same design, tuning
wheel +
up/down knobs, so it could exist in other models.

The trick is the following (software "feature", but a nice one):
- set the radio on sw
- tune it to eg 1850Khz
- set it to fast tuning mode
- now with the </> buttons (NOT the tuning wheel) tune down to 1800, 1700
and 1600. With fast tuning and the < button you go 100khz down at a time.
- normally the radio stops tuning on sw when you're on 1620khz, but because
of the "trick" you go under 1620, and can now tune with slow/fast 100khz,
1khz or 5khz at a time. You can tune downto 270khz (I hear Prague radio),
252 is the Irish, and RMC sis on 216. I hear something on
50khz, and between 70khz and 80khz it seems to be full too...
- the radio DOES NOT use the ferrite bar, but the whip, and the tuning
sounds cleaner than with the ferrite bar. The signal strenghth is also
much larger...

This makes the Kchibo a better LW radio in my garden than the sony icf-
sw2010D (!)

--
What's on Shortwave guide: choose an hour, go!
_http://shortwave.tk_ (http://shortwave.tk/)
700+ Radio Stations on SW _http://swstations.tk_ (http://swstations.tk/)
300+ languages on SW _http://radiolanguages.tk_
(http://radiolanguages.tk/)

Hi Stephen,

Thanks for your comments, and yes, I did see your post the other day (but
currently lack the time to reply in detail).

Your chances of receiving South Pacific DX in Southern California are
directly related to your ability to get on an ocean beach away from domestic
splatter just before sunrise, and boost up the sensitivity of your PL-380
(with the SAT, or preferably something bigger) to give it a fighting chance.
This is easier said than done, but it isn't impossible.

Last week on an Oregon beach I had 738-2NR (in Grafton, Australia) pegging
the PL-380's S/N display reading at 25, for example, so DU's aren't always
weak. Some "big gun" frequencies are 567, 594, 675, 702, 738, 774, 792,
891 and 1116. If you can schedule such an ocean beach run just before sunrise,
you don't need to pick a beach spot where all these frequencies are
clear-- just where a few of them are, to give you a decent chance at success.

Last week in Oregon there was domestic splatter from Portland on the back
side of the 3' loop on several frequencies, but it wasn't a deal-breaker. No
beach location is ever perfect. Just give it your best shot, and try DXing
on the frequencies that are relatively clear.

As far as receiving DU's in your back yard, it may be possible once in a
blue moon, but your chances of winning the lottery would probably be far
greater.

73, Gary


In a message dated 8/5/2010 9:52:55 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time, piano
player88key@... writes:




Sounds like it could be interesting. Do I have any chance from here in
Southern California to log anything with my PL-380 in my back yard?
_http://picasaweb.google.com/PianoPlayer88Key/RadioPicsStuff?authkey=Gv1sRgC
Ier0efojpPg8AE#5501810777831424738_
(http://picasaweb.google.com/PianoPlayer88Key/RadioPicsStuff?authkey=Gv1sRgCIer0efojpPg8AE#5501810777831424738)
(The arrow points to where I would do my DXing if I can't get anything in the
house.)
Or, does the fact that I have been able to hear some local stations on a
crystal set a few years ago with only a few meters of wire antenna make it a
bit difficult?

Also, what are some good frequencies / stations to look for?
Alternatively, is there a good website (or a few) where I could basically look them up
for myself, and be able to group stations by transmitter power or frequency,
for example, and view the antenna pattern plots for the directional ones?
(I don't think it'd be much use trying for a 500kW station when it has a
deep null toward the USA and actually only sends 500 watts toward us... but
if a 5kW station has a narrow lobe that sends 50kW toward here, that might
be worth a shot IF it's not too close to my numerous local blowtorches.)

Of course, I'm still trying to find ideas on how to get improved daytime
reception in a pocket-size package. I posted the other day about this, so
won't go into much detail here, although many of the 50kW stations I want to
listen to at home or around town are at least 200 to 300 miles distant,
with a few possibly being over 400 miles away. Even more important, though,
would be having better front-end selectivity in front of the DSP chip. There
are distant stations 10kHz off two of my strongest locals that I would like
to hear, for example 10kW KNWQ-1140 @ 81 miles (pest = 10kW KSDO-1130, 6
miles) and KERN-1180 @ 237 miles (pest = 50kW KCBQ-1170, 9 miles).

In the meantime, while I'm limping along on my PL-380 and Select-A-Tenna,
are there any particular TP frequencies I should try for, considering the
local RF saturation? My 60+/25 RSSI/SNR local pests are on 600 (IBOC), 690,
760, 910, 1130, 1170 and 1360, with other not-as-strong (50+/25) signals
scattered pretty much throughout the dial.
I tried googling a few station databases, sites, etc, but couldn't make
heads or tails of anything.

--- In _ultralightdx@yahoogroups.com_ (mailto:ultralightdx@yahoogroups.com)
, D1028Gary@ wrote:

Hello All,

When John Bryant first told me (in early 2008) that it was possible to
receive Australia and New Zealand stations on the AM band right in the

middle

of the static-filled summer, it sounded like science fiction. The

concept

of chasing "down under" DX 7,000 miles (or more) away seemed too bizarre

to

be true, especially during the worst possible season of the year. I had
already received several Asian TP's on ULR's (from Japan and Korea)

during the

fall season, but never a trace of anything from the South Pacific.

One of the special traits of John, though, was his great patience in
teaching a newcomer how to accomplish a certain task. John had

appreciated the

way that the ULR boom was bringing new enthusiasm back to the AM-DXing

hobby,

and I think he had the sneaky idea that if he could turn me on to
DU-DXing, my own ULR enthusiasm would get a turbo boost. John invited me

to a join

a DXpedition at Grayland in July of 2008, during which he would be

chasing

South Pacific DX with Guy Atkins.

Both John and Guy were DU-DXing veterans with decades of experience, and

I

was a total novice. To prepare for the trip, I scheduled various solo

trips

to Grayland, trying to hear Australia or New Zealand on the hot-rodded
SRF-39FP "prison radios" (with 20" loopsticks). These radios had awesome
sensitivity, but awful selectivity. Any DU station within 5 kHz of an

audible

domestic station (that's about 99% of them, by the way) were covered by
splatter. My lack of DU success soon caused my enthusiasm to sink Down

Under.

John and Guy (among others) had perfected DU-DXing with communication
receivers and large external antennas, but I still felt that the

Ultralight

radio had a place in DU-DXing-- and John and Guy somehow agreed with me!

Together we worked to create the Slider E100 (with Murata CFJ455K5

filter), the

first stand-alone Ultralight radio capable of chasing DU's with a
reasonable chance of success. I was on Cloud Nine, and found myself

finally able to

receive Australia, New Zealand and Fiji on the AM band right in the

middle

of summer, like John had said!

Much more than Asian TP-DXing, DU-DXing is an ocean beach pursuit. South
Pacific DXing seems to require a healthy dose of salt water for success,

at

least on ULR's. West coast DXers should head for the beach about an hour
before sunrise, and bring along a selective ULR (Tecsun PL-310, PL-380,

D96L,

or a Slider E100 with Murata filter). DX signal boosters like tuned

passive

loops certainly raise your chances of success (the bigger the better).

To

my knowledge, Guy Atkins, Kevin Schanilec, Norm Clark and Colin Newell

have

all received South Pacific DX on ULR's, and if you are on the West

Coast,

right now is the peak season for YOU to try it!

73 and Good Luck,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA)

Just trying to fill in my log in the 900 to 1000 segment tonight.

950 WIBX Utica, NY 5 kW
970 WNYM serving NYC, but New Jersey address 5 kW
980 WOFX Troy, NY [near Albany] 5kW

The above are 5 kW stations within a few hundred miles.

This one looks to good to be true-

990 WTIG Massilion,Ohio 112W [only 250W day] ?

ESPN Radio. I clearly heard a 'Subway' restaurant ad, ESPN Radio ID, and sports talk for awhile. No Call letters, but I can't find a listing for any other ESPN station on 990 any closer. I can still hear it under a religious station with Chuck Colson, and one or two Spanish stations with music formats. I wish I stayed with it longer when it was coming in better. Anyone know if there power went up, or of any recent format changes to ESPN Radio in the Northeast on 990?

PL-360 with Jim's style transformer Hoop loop with a diamond weave antenna. - FARMERIK

Hello All,

When John Bryant first told me (in early 2008) that it was possible to
receive Australia and New Zealand stations on the AM band right in the middle
of the static-filled summer, it sounded like science fiction. The concept
of chasing "down under" DX 7,000 miles (or more) away seemed too bizarre to
be true, especially during the worst possible season of the year. I had
already received several Asian TP's on ULR's (from Japan and Korea) during the
fall season, but never a trace of anything from the South Pacific.

One of the special traits of John, though, was his great patience in
teaching a newcomer how to accomplish a certain task. John had appreciated the
way that the ULR boom was bringing new enthusiasm back to the AM-DXing hobby,
and I think he had the sneaky idea that if he could turn me on to
DU-DXing, my own ULR enthusiasm would get a turbo boost. John invited me to a join
a DXpedition at Grayland in July of 2008, during which he would be chasing
South Pacific DX with Guy Atkins.

Both John and Guy were DU-DXing veterans with decades of experience, and I
was a total novice. To prepare for the trip, I scheduled various solo trips
to Grayland, trying to hear Australia or New Zealand on the hot-rodded
SRF-39FP "prison radios" (with 20" loopsticks). These radios had awesome
sensitivity, but awful selectivity. Any DU station within 5 kHz of an audible
domestic station (that's about 99% of them, by the way) were covered by
splatter. My lack of DU success soon caused my enthusiasm to sink Down Under.

John and Guy (among others) had perfected DU-DXing with communication
receivers and large external antennas, but I still felt that the Ultralight
radio had a place in DU-DXing-- and John and Guy somehow agreed with me!
Together we worked to create the Slider E100 (with Murata CFJ455K5 filter), the
first stand-alone Ultralight radio capable of chasing DU's with a
reasonable chance of success. I was on Cloud Nine, and found myself finally able to
receive Australia, New Zealand and Fiji on the AM band right in the middle
of summer, like John had said!

Much more than Asian TP-DXing, DU-DXing is an ocean beach pursuit. South
Pacific DXing seems to require a healthy dose of salt water for success, at
least on ULR's. West coast DXers should head for the beach about an hour
before sunrise, and bring along a selective ULR (Tecsun PL-310, PL-380, D96L,
or a Slider E100 with Murata filter). DX signal boosters like tuned passive
loops certainly raise your chances of success (the bigger the better). To
my knowledge, Guy Atkins, Kevin Schanilec, Norm Clark and Colin Newell have
all received South Pacific DX on ULR's, and if you are on the West Coast,
right now is the peak season for YOU to try it!

73 and Good Luck,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA)

All three coils arrived today, but I have only had a few hours to fiddle with them. They all work very well, but I am finding some surprises. For one thing, they appear to pick up signals off the rim instead of broad side, and inductive coupling when tuned with a cap is also best with the windings in the radio ferrite antenna parallel to the diamond weave coil windings. Even good radios which are not helped much by the SAT or TERK can receive a huge boost from the 9.25 inch OD AM BCB 350 uH coil. On some sets like that, there is a huge peak at a certain point along the internal ferrite antenna, and others not so much. I noticed on one modest portable tuned to a fairly weak, but listen able station, when I brought it near the coil tuned with a cap to the same frequency, it completely nulled the signal when broadside to the coil, and had a strong signal when in a parallel position. I am tuning with a vernier cap from Crystal Radio Supply, and there is no sign of a sharp peak which is hard to tune. I haven't tried a cap without a vernier yet.

The RSSI readings with just the MW coil hardwired to the PL-360 are greatly improved over the tiny factory ferrite, and so far seem at least as strong as Gary's 7.5 inch ferrite custom made antenna. They do behave differently as far as noise and nulling, so it is hard to make comparisons.

-FARMERIK

Carl schreef:

Does any one in the group know of any plans for a homebrew indoor fm
yagi ?I would like a portable fm yagi for ulr's.It could be used out
doors if not small enough for indoors.I am thinking that the frame
including the boom could be made from PVC like Gary's PVC am loop and
hold at least 3 or preferably 4 or more elements.How could this be
connected to a Grundig G-8 or other ulr with good fm performance ?
Any ideas ?Even one that could be put together from a kit would be
great. Thanks.
Carl DeWhitt
Maryville,Tn.

And also this one:

http://www.dxzone.com/cgi-bin/dir/jump2.cgi?ID=3267

Marc

--
What's on Shortwave guide: choose an hour, go!
http://shortwave.tk
700+ Radio Stations on SW http://swstations.tk
300+ languages on SW http://radiolanguages.tk

Hey Carl:

I have a portable Moxon (a folded 2-element) made out of wire and PVC: the
plans are here:
http://www.moxonantennaproject.com/fmdxer/fmdxer.htm
Although 3 or 4 elements would obviously perform somewhat better, the
advantage of a Moxon is that it has surprising directivity (easily better
than a normal yagi) and is very compact for travelling. Plus, a Moxon is
natively a 50 ohm antenna, meaning you don't need a matching balun. Check
out all things Moxon at:
http://www.moxonantennaproject.com/

As for connecting an antenna to a G-8 (Tecsun PL-300WT), it's a snap!
Simply connect one lead with a clip to the base of the FM whip, and the
other lead to the spring in the battery compartment. I snaked a short
wire out of the battery compartment, filing a little notch in the battery
compartment cover, to make it easier. The joy of the Tecsun PL-310 is
that it has an actual FM/SW antenna jack; however, I verified that the
same level of performance is obtainable by clipping the antenna to the
whip and battery spring when compared to using the jack, so you're not
missing anything with the G-8, which is as hot as any other rig on FM
(including the 310 and 380), so you already have the best FM receiver.

Kevin S
Bainbridge Island, WA

Does any one in the group know of any plans for a homebrew indoor fm yagi
?I would like a portable fm yagi for ulr's.It could be used out doors if
not small enough for indoors.I am thinking that the frame including the
boom could be made from PVC like Gary's PVC am loop and hold at least 3 or
preferably 4 or more elements.How could this be connected to a Grundig G-8
or other ulr with good fm performance ?
Any ideas ?Even one that could be put together from a kit would be great.
Thanks.
Carl DeWhitt
Maryville,Tn.