|
Re: Latest FSL Antenna Experimentation
Andy Gardner <ceo@...>
On 27/02/2014, at 9:42 PM, D1028Gary@... wrote:
If you hear her ringing the insurance company to make sure your life insurance is paid up before you go on your cliffhanger dxpedition, you know she's found the receipts for the rods and litz wire! Andy ZL3AG |
|
|
|
Re: Latest FSL Antenna Experimentation
Hi Paul and KAZ,
The highest gain FSL antennas have never been very cheap to build, but when you need a massive inductive coupling boost in an extremely narrow space (like one square meter, on an ocean side cliff), they really do provide breakthrough DXing performance.
As long as you don't share the construction cost details with your wife, your chances of surviving until the next "Cliffhanger" DXpedition are quite good.
73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
-----Original Message----- From: neilkaz To: ultralightdx Sent: Wed, Feb 26, 2014 1:15 pm Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Latest FSL Antenna Experimentation When you consider what Kiwa loops sell for on ebay now, I don't think Gary's great new toy is that expensive. 73 KAZ
-----Original Message----- >From: Paul Blundell <tanger32au@...> >Sent: Feb 26, 2014 2:37 PM >To: ultralightdx@... >Subject: Re: [ultralightdx] Latest FSL Antenna Experimentation > >Wow Gary, that sounds like a monster aerial. I am guessing the performance >of it is amazing to justify the high price? > > >On Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 3:53 AM, <D1028Gary@...> wrote: > >> >> [Attachment(s) <#1446f1daafd0d792_TopText> from D1028Gary@... below] >> >> Hello All, >> >> For those who thought that FSL antennas were already too big, expensive or >> heavy, the latest transoceanic DX-chasing model may provide >> further evidence to support their convictions :-) >> >> Last year's 2013 DXpedition model (a 12" FSL with 86 Russian surplus 200mm >> x 10mm ferrite rods and 14 turns of 660/44 Litz wire) provided very good >> service in chasing South Pacific DX on the Oregon cliffs, but it has >> already been superseded by an FSL which has two significant improvements. >> This latest model also has a 12" diameter, but it uses some huge new 660/38 >> Litz wire which was recently introduced by the Xizi Company in China. This >> massive Litz wire has the same diameter as AWG #10 wire, and includes 660 >> strands of individually insulated #38 wire. >> It provides superior sensitivity for those who can tolerate its weight and >> price ($2.50 per foot), and it clearly provides a significant weak signal >> DXing advantage over the 660/44 Litz wire used in the 2013 DXpedition model. >> >> The second improvement in the new 12" Experimental FSL is a dual-coil >> system designed to improve high band sensitivity. Since the new 660/38 Litz >> wire is too large to tune the entire 531-1701 kHz frequency spectrum with >> one coil in parallel with the standard 281 pf (vernier drive) variable cap, >> two different coils are wound on the 86 Russian surplus ferrite rods, and a >> switching system is used to cover the entire MW band. This results in more >> precise tuning on the high band, as well as improved middle band >> performance. A design photo of the new 12" Experiemental FSL antenna is >> attached, and a more detailed photo is posted at >> http://www.mediafire.com/view/025vcba7b3fdadk/12inchXFSL's-004.jpg >> >> For those who may wish to duplicate one of these monsters, a generous >> hobby budget is advised. The Russian surplus ferrite rods run about $400 >> (including air mail shipping), the 660/38 Litz wire runs about $162 for the >> required 65 feet, the rubber plumbing coupler runs about $40, the variable >> cap about $18, the pipe insulation another $30, and the PVC frame parts >> around $25. All can be yours for a cool $675 (not including the Weller >> professional 100 watt soldering iron ($65) required to solder the huge Litz >> wire, that is). >> >> 73 and Good DX, >> Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA) >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> |
|
|
|
Re: Ultralight DXing the VHF air band
kevin asato <kc6pob@...>
DX on the VHF (vs HF) airband is a bit tough to do. From my location in Southern California south of LAX and west of LBG (Long Beach) I can reasonably hear about 20 miles. My location is somewhat above much of the surrounding Los Angeles basin and I have line of site to the LAX tower about 16Km/10 miles away but have trouble hearing it. And this is with a 2 meter antenna above my house and a scanner or Kenwood TM-241 2 meter transceiver. Not entirely impossible but tough to do. Add this with the brevity of communications and constant motion making location determination tough to do. You need to be familiar with the local airways and waypoints in advance. I typically hear local helicopter operations around downtown Los Angeles calling out coordinates in the blind to coordinate movements with other like pilots in the area.
I'd like to know how you make out. 73, kevin kc6pob -------------------------------------------- Last night for the first time in quite a while I got out my Digitech AR1733 ultralight radio (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1733) and was listening to this while doing some work on my computer. This radio covers the VHF air band and it got me thinking if chasing VHF air band stations on this would be classed as a part of the ultralight DXing hobby? We cover the LW, MW, SW and FM broadcast bands, could we expand to also cover the VHF air band using ultralight radios? Paulhttp://ultralightdxing.blogspot.com.au/ |
|
|
|
Re: Latest FSL Antenna Experimentation
neilkaz <neilkaz@...>
When you consider what Kiwa loops sell for on ebay now, I don't think Gary's great new toy is that expensive. 73 KAZ
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
-----Original Message-----
From: Paul Blundell <tanger32au@...> |
|
|
|
Re: Latest FSL Antenna Experimentation [1 Attachment]
Will <will_k53@...>
Sounds great. Do you use a two ton or 5 ton truck to haul it?
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
I just about need that performance for locals stations. Cheers Will ----- Original Message ----- |
|
|
|
Ultralight DXing the VHF air band
Paul Blundell
Last night for the first time in quite a while I got out my Digitech AR1733 ultralight radio (http://www.jaycar.com.au/productView.asp?ID=AR1733) and was listening to this while doing some work on my computer. This radio covers the VHF air band and it got me thinking if chasing VHF air band stations on this would be classed as a part of the ultralight DXing hobby? We cover the LW, MW, SW and FM broadcast bands, could we expand to also cover the VHF air band using ultralight radios? Paul |
|
|
|
Re: Latest FSL Antenna Experimentation [1 Attachment]
Paul Blundell
Wow Gary, that sounds like a monster aerial. I am guessing the performance of it is amazing to justify the high price? On Thu, Feb 27, 2014 at 3:53 AM, <D1028Gary@...> wrote:
|
|
|
|
Latest FSL Antenna Experimentation
Hello All,
For those who thought that FSL antennas were already too big, expensive or heavy, the latest transoceanic DX-chasing model may provide further evidence to support their convictions :-)
Last year's 2013 DXpedition model (a 12" FSL with 86 Russian surplus 200mm x 10mm ferrite rods and 14 turns of 660/44 Litz wire) provided very good service in chasing South Pacific DX on the Oregon cliffs, but it has already been superseded by an FSL which has two significant improvements. This latest model also has a 12" diameter, but it uses some huge new 660/38 Litz wire which was recently introduced by the Xizi Company in China. This massive Litz wire has the same diameter as AWG #10 wire, and includes 660 strands of individually insulated #38 wire.
It provides superior sensitivity for those who can tolerate its weight and price ($2.50 per foot), and it clearly provides a significant weak signal DXing advantage over the 660/44 Litz wire used in the 2013 DXpedition model.
The second improvement in the new 12" Experimental FSL is a dual-coil system designed to improve high band sensitivity. Since the new 660/38 Litz wire is too large to tune the entire 531-1701 kHz frequency spectrum with one coil in parallel with the standard 281 pf (vernier drive) variable cap, two different coils are wound on the 86 Russian surplus ferrite rods, and a switching system is used to cover the entire MW band. This results in more precise tuning on the high band, as well as improved middle band performance. A design photo of the new 12" Experiemental FSL antenna is attached, and a more detailed photo is posted at http://www.mediafire.com/view/025vcba7b3fdadk/12inchXFSL's-004.jpg
For those who may wish to duplicate one of these monsters, a generous hobby budget is advised. The Russian surplus ferrite rods run about $400 (including air mail shipping), the 660/38 Litz wire runs about $162 for the required 65 feet, the rubber plumbing coupler runs about $40, the variable cap about $18, the pipe insulation another $30, and the PVC frame parts around $25. All can be yours for a cool $675 (not including the Weller professional 100 watt soldering iron ($65) required to solder the huge Litz wire, that is).
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
|
|
|
|
Puyallup, WA Ultralight TP's for 2-26
Hello All,
Asian results here this morning were very similar to those reported by Dennis, as a band which was comatose at 1405 came to life with a sunrise enhancement boost favoring the upper band TP's.
The session started off in a dreary fashion at 1405 with no Asian audio (or even carriers), but at 1415 a couple of low band NHK big guns (594-JOAK and 693-JOAB) broke the ice with fair audio in and out. Around 1420 the usual collection of high band TP's made their appearances, with 1377-CNR1, 1503-JOUK, 1566-HLAZ, 1575-VOA and 1593-CNR1 all fading in and out with fair audio, along with the Korean big guns 972-HLCA and 1134-KBS. From 1430 on the high band Asians definitely got the best of the morning's propagation as 1575-VOA hit some very good peaks with its male/ female Asiatic language speech, becoming the strongest performer of the session. Although the high band Asians were favored this morning both 594-JOAK (good on peaks) and 603-HLSA (fair audio in and out) were still around at 1440, as well as 972-HLCA at a good level on peaks. Overall it was a fairly average morning, but much better than the dire predictions related to unfavorable solar conditions.
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
C.Crane SWP 7.5" Slider loopstick Ultralight +
12" Experimental Medium Wave FSL antenna
|
|
|
|
Re: Ultralight DXing Report - Launceston Tasmania - 25/02/2014
Paul Blundell
Hi Gary, Thanks for the reply. I have decided to put most of my time and effort for the next little while (and maybe longer) in to Trans-Tasman DXing with a view to logging and confirming as many New Zealand stations as possible. I am going to review my logs and build a list of frequencies I am most likely to hear them on.
With 2WEB on 585kHz all I was able to hear clearly enough was an announcers name which I have checked against the website but I don't think this is enough to say 100% it is what I heard. Normally 2CO booms in on 675kHz which makes hearing anything else a challenge, last night I was able to null this out enough to hear the Radio New Zealand station. Regards
Paul On Wed, Feb 26, 2014 at 2:36 PM, <D1028Gary@...> wrote:
|
|
|
|
Re: Ultralight DXing Report - Launceston Tasmania - 25/02/2014
Hi Paul,
Congratulations on your excellent loggings in Tasmania, including the two new stations of 585-2WEB and 675-RNZ. Both of those stations are regular visitors on the Oregon coast cliffs, so I do have some knowledge of their signals and formats.
585-2WEB's Programming Director, David Sharp, is a member of our Ultralightdx Yahoo group-- and is very welcoming for reception reports. He can match up something as limited as a song title easily with his station log, to confirm reception. Very few stations in Australia (or elsewhere) are so DXer-friendly.
675-RNZ is usually the second strongest of the RNZ network stations on the Oregon cliffs, with 567-RNZ the "Top Gun" of all the Kiwi stations. 639-RNZ and 756-RNZ are also regulars during most Oregon cliff DXpeditions. Congratulations again on your loggings, Paul, and keep up the great work!
73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
-----Original Message----- From: tanger32au To: ultralightdx Sent: Tue, Feb 25, 2014 5:08 pm Subject: [ultralightdx] Ultralight DXing Report - Launceston Tasmania - 25/02/2014 Date: 25/02/2014
Time: 21:00 - 22:40 Local
Location: Home, Launceston Tasmania
Radio: 7.5” Loopstick Tecsun PL-380
Total stations logged: 119
New stations logged: 2. 585kHz - 2WEB / 675kHz - Radio NZ
Furthest station logged: 1296kHz - 6RN. 2768km
Notes: Last night’s session was very interesting with two new stations logged. Band conditions were an improvement on the normal for here and this meant that most stations received were producing very clear audio. 2WEB on 585kHz is only a possible as I had trouble nulling out other stations on this frequency but a name I heard matches up with information from the website. Radio New Zealand on 675kHz was a new logging and this raised out of the band noise and 2CO towards the end of my session around 22:30 local. Other New Zealand stations on 909, 1386, 1548 & 1602kHz were all received at good signal levels with 1602kHz being a real standout and only having slight mixing with another local station on 1611kHz.
|
|
|
|
Ultralight DXing Report - Launceston Tasmania - 25/02/2014
Paul Blundell
Date: 25/02/2014 Time: 21:00 - 22:40 Local Location: Home, Launceston Tasmania Radio: 7.5” Loopstick Tecsun PL-380 Total stations logged: 119 New stations logged: 2. 585kHz - 2WEB / 675kHz - Radio NZ Furthest station logged: 1296kHz - 6RN. 2768km Notes: Last night’s session was very interesting with two new stations logged. Band conditions were an improvement on the normal for here and this meant that most stations received were producing very clear audio. 2WEB on 585kHz is only a possible as I had trouble nulling out other stations on this frequency but a name I heard matches up with information from the website. Radio New Zealand on 675kHz was a new logging and this raised out of the band noise and 2CO towards the end of my session around 22:30 local. Other New Zealand stations on 909, 1386, 1548 & 1602kHz were all received at good signal levels with 1602kHz being a real standout and only having slight mixing with another local station on 1611kHz. |
|
|
|
Puyallup, WA Ultralight TP's for 2-25
Hello All,
There was a fair variety of Asian signals on both the low and high band this morning, but the lack of any significant sunrise enhancement boost left most of them floundering at an anemic level.
At 1415 the Japanese big guns on 594, 693 and 747 were already in and out with fair signals, to be joined by 972-HLCA and 1134-KBS with similar signals around 1430. Around the same time both 1566-HLAZ and 1593-CNR1 came up to fair audio in and out of the splatter, while 594-JOAK and 972-HLCA briefly managed good levels. A recheck of the low band around 1435 revealed a whole collection of ghostly signals from 603-China (mixing with HLSA, both at poor levels), 639-CNR1 (barely audible in KFI splatter), 648-Russia (poor at best), 657-Pyongyang (thankfully weak) and a presumed 738-BEL2 in anemic Chinese. This low band collection apparently wasn't very impressed with the sunrise enhancement boost (or lack of it), and collectively bailed into the noise about ten minutes later (around 1445), along with 693-JOAB, 747-JOIB, 1566-HLAZ and 1593-CNR1. This left only the diehards 594-JOAK and 972-HLCA around by 1450, neither of which were particularly energetic. Overall it was a pretty meager session for strong audio, but not too bad in the variety of Asian signals that showed up.
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
C.Crane SWP 7.5" Slider loopstick Ultralight +
12" Experimental FSL antenna
|
|
|
|
ULDXDB - Logging Database
Paul Blundell
Over the past few months I have been looking for a program to log information on the various radio stations I hear using my ultralight radios. After testing a few different programs and even trying to program my own from scratch I settled on using Access 2007. Below is a screen capture of my results so far. I have also uploaded a blank database to the group which can be used for your own purposes.
|
|
|
|
Puyallup, WA Ultralight TP's for 2-24
Hello All,
Several Asian stations had fairly potent audio this morning, although it was mainly a collection of the usual big guns, with almost no sign of second tier TP's.
At the 1410 start of the session (while still in total darkness) both 972-HLCA and1566-HLAZ had very good audio, possibly indicating that they had both been vibrant for some time. These two Korea big guns continued to manage very good signals in and out until 1420, when they were joined by 594-JOAK at a very good level. Curiously, these three big guns were the only TP's in audio here until around 1435, when they were joined by 603-HLSA and 1593-CNR1 at fair levels after a sunrise enhancement boost. These five Asians were the only ones to make an appearance here this morning, with the regulars on 693, 1377, 1503 and 1575 all MIA for audio. Despite the limited number of TP's showing up during the session the three big guns on 594, 972 and 1566 were potent indeed at times, proving once again that Asian propagation is far from predictable. Best signal of the session was from 1566-HLAZ at 1410, although 972-HLCA around 1450 wasn't far behind with its male and female host variety show.
603 HLSA Namyang, S. Korea
Fair Korean pop music at 1447
during peak sunrise enhancement
972 HLCA Dangjin, S. Korea
Good Korean male speech during
variety show at 1450
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
C.Crane SWP 7.5" Slider loopstick Ultralight +
12" Experimental FSL antenna
|
|
|
|
Re: Shortwave Broadcast bands DX ??
Lee
So I joined !!!!
Lee...G6ZSG. |
|
|
|
Tecsun PL-660
ricar1969@...
Hi there, am looking at the Tecsun 660 and want to try the Navtex on 518 Khz, I need to know if the BFO works down on this frequency as some radios the bfo only works on the short wave bands, thanks Richard
|
|
|
|
Puyallup, WA Ultralight TP's for 2-23
Hello All,
It was great to see Bruce and Nick (of the northern TP-DXing "planet") yesterday at Bruce's get together, along with Chuck, Guy, Tom and our visiting east coast celebrity, Bill. We had a great time discussing anything and everything that was DX-related.. including some upcoming visits to certain Oregon coast cliffs, Perseus SDR recording programs, and my own show-and-tell display (the new 12" experimental FSL, with monster 660/38 Litz wire and a dual-coil system designed to boost high band sensitivity).
This morning's TP-DXing session didn't feature very many energetic Asians, although sunrise enhancement from 1430-1450 did briefly raise up the signals from 594-JOAK (very good during peaks) and 693-JOAB (good signals in and out) to decent levels. The low band didn't have much more action this morning, with only poor to fair signals from 558-HLQH, its // 603-HLSA, 657-Pyongyang and a presumed 738-BEL2 in and out during peak propagation around 1445. 972-HLCA had good signals at the 1420 start of the session but tended to slide downward from there. The high band had appearances from the usual collection of big gun performers (1377-CNR1, 1503-JOUK, 1566-HLAZ, 1575-VOA and 1593-CNR1), although none of them was particularly vibrant this morning. 1575-VOA was probably the steadiest of this anemic bunch with fair to good signals in and out around 1445. Overall it was a pretty mediocre morning, but probably typical for late February propagation during a lean solar year.
73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA) C.Crane SWP 7.5" Slider loopstick Ultralight +
12" Medium Wave FSL antenna
|
|
|
|
Re: Shortwave Broadcast bands DX ??
Lee
Thanks for the heads up address, I`ll go and join...
Lee....G6ZSG. |
|
|
|
Ultralight DXing Report - Launceston Tasmania - 22/02/2014
Paul Blundell
Date: 22/02/2014 Time: 22:10 - 23:15 Local Location: Home, Launceston - Tasmania Radio: 7.5” Loopstick Tecsun PL-380 Total stations logged: 111 New stations logged: 1 Furthest station logged: 1386kHz- Radio Tarana (2430km) Notes: Last night was the first time in about a week that I have had the radio out. Checking my test frequencies of 711kHz, 909kHz and 1386kHz first all showed signals of a decent level with 1386 kHz being a little bit down in signal level compared to normal. I then started at the bottom of the band where I found a real surprise of a new station for the log, 4QL on 540kHz which is also used by a 7SD running 5KW about 45km from my location. This was the first time I have ever logged a second station on this frequency, I did notice the audio of 7SD was dropping in and out about every 5 seconds and this allowed me to hear enough audio to add 4QL to the logs. Moving up the band didn’t produce any new stations to add to the logs and a number of stations I normally hear towards the top of the band were missing in the noise. By the time I got back up to 1386kHz the signal levels had really dropped off and it was barely audible. At this point I called it a night, happy with a new station added to the logs. |
|
|
