Hello All,

To assist Rob in his chase of exotic NDB-DX a new 7" Longwave FSL was
constructed for him this week, with reddish Litz wire, white PVC pipes,
and blue inner padding. Since this little beast will probably be
spending some serious time "out on the ice" the color scheme was
designed to match that of Rob's favorite hockey team-- but even if the
Habs fall out of his favor, maybe this red, white and blue FSL will
remind Rob of the antenna's country of origin?

During final testing last night the sensitive new antenna was checked
out in NDB reception around 0830 UTC, and within 5 minutes was able to
snag a new beacon that had never been heard here previously (from
Canada, of course):

248-QL Lethbridge, Alberta (Ultralight NDB # 223)

This new 7" FSL will undoubtedly help Rob bury me in NDB-DXing totals
before long, so it is with some reluctance that I send it off to London
:-)

73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
7.5" LW loopstick PL-380 + "Rob Ross" 7" Longwave FSL (photo at
http://www.mediafire.com/i/?97r63uz9r7duf1z )

Hi Jerry,

Happy USA Thanksgiving to you, too! :-)

<<< What is Your Variable Capacitor mounted on? >>>

Because of the shortage of Funnoodle swimming tubes (as we got out of
the summer season) it was necessary to come up with a new method to
securely mount the 381 pf variable capacitor from Crystal Radio Supply
directly on the 3/4" PVC pipe (during construction of 7 inch
"Affordable" Medium Wave and Longwave FSL's). After some tinkering, a
foolproof method was found, which is actually easier than mounting the
variable cap on the Funnoodle surface. A 2" long section of the 5/8"
I.D. rubber air hose (that I sent you) is cut straight lengthwise, then
super glued to the top of the PVC pipe as shown in the photo (with the
rubber air hose section on top of the pipe, in between the 5" long
Funnoodle inner core and the PVC "Tee" fitting). From that point on,
the variable capacitor mounting procedure is exactly the same as that
described in the 7 Inch "Affordable" FSL article, using the three 18"
long tie wraps to securely lock the variable cap in place. As it turns
out, this method actually proves to be easier than the previous
procedure in providing secure and stable variable cap mounting. It's
also possible to use the slightly narrower 120 pound-test plastic tie
wraps for variable cap mounting, which allows the use of larger tuning
knobs on the variable cap without any binding. This was done on Rob's
Longwave FSL, allowing for comfortable tuning out in the dark, and cold
:-)

<<< Re the Duro Super Glue for Glueing on the Rubber Feet: I just got
mine
from an eBay supplier today. What is the best method to glue on the
Rubber Feet to the PVC? That is, should I run a Bead of the Super
Glue on the Bottom and Sides of the Rubber Hose Feet then attach them
to the PVC Pipe? >>>

The best method is to cut the rubber hose sections to the same length
as the PVC leg stubs, then cut them in a straight line lengthwise, trim
off any loose edge shavings and then wrap the rubber hose sections in
place around the PVC leg stubs before applying any glue (as shown in
the photo). After this simply bend back the rubber hose sections on the
side of each leg stub enough to apply a thin bead of super glue
horizontally, then press the rubber hose to securely seal it to the
side of the PVC pipe. Use only a slight amount of glue, since the
rubber hose is already fairly secure when wrapped around the PVC pipe
(even without any glue). The glue simply locks the rubber hose in place
for rugged DXpedition operation, or other outdoor activities. Good
luck!.

73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)