Side Benefit of FTA - New Hobbies

[1captain]

Hi Linuxman
it looks in picture that you are useing 72ohm coax (TV) it sud work better if you would use a 50ohm coax. I have used only 2-long wire antenns tru out my time, an they have worked ok, but not the best, comparied to a slopper or a die-pole for that freq. 1 that I had was about 180ft run between 2 towers, running north to south an then added another leg to it running east to west wich made it to a L, an total wire was about 280ft run, an the L worked the best, now on long wire didn't feed it with coax ran the wire right into my antenna tunner, it has a balun in it. now I have worked people that have made long wire's into a square, an they have came in with good signal.

Receiver Icom735 with 250khz an 500khz filters in it, yes a ham here.

remember that wire antenns receive in a donut fashion like if you have the wire going north to south, you will receiver signal better east to west, than a north to south signal.

 

[linuxman]

Hi Linuxman
it looks in picture that you are useing 72ohm coax (TV) it sud work better if you would use a 50ohm coax. I have used only 2-long wire antenns tru out my time, an they have worked ok, but not the best, comparied to a slopper or a die-pole for that freq. 1 that I had was about 180ft run between 2 towers, running north to south an then added another leg to it running east to west wich made it to a L, an total wire was about 280ft run, an the L worked the best, now on long wire didn't feed it with coax ran the wire right into my antenna tunner, it has a balun in it. now I have worked people that have made long wire's into a square, an they have came in with good signal.

Receiver Icom735 with 250khz an 500khz filters in it, yes a ham here.

remember that wire antenns receive in a donut fashion like if you have the wire going north to south, you will receiver signal better east to west, than a north to south signal.

Well I just had two "HAM" people visit here this morning to check on my work.

The one guy is my Linux Group buddy who was at the HAM breakfast this morning and brought out another HAM guy who wanted to look at my FTA setup. He is interested in getting into FTA.

They both had a lot of good suggestions about making my antenna a lot better.

The one guy gave me a copy of "Passport to World Band Radio" 2008 edition for more investigation. He also gave me the November issue of the NASWA Journal along with a flyer from Universal Radio, Inc.. So I am all set for some heavy reading.

They both were suggesting that I make the antenna out of 50ohm coax and have the hookup in the center instead of on the end and to put in traps for the various frequencies. Something similar to the Eavesdropper Model T or Model C on page 189 of the Passport book above.

They said my wire was a little too noisy and the other design would help in that regard.

I have a lot of reading and studying to do before my next attempt at something different.

Edit: I like the L shaped idea a lot because I would like to get signals from N/S and E/W.

If you guys have suggestions, links, or make your own designs that you are using, I am all ears.

The space I have to work with is about 100 or so feet N/S and 45 or so feet E/W that is up on my roof. That would get the best overall height.

 

[DishDigger]

I might as well join in for a short note. I am also a ham, since 1989, now Extra class and CVE. The "zapper" probably won't show you much on reception and I certainly wouldn't try to transmit through it. The soldering looks fine, the capacitor voltage rating probably won't be a problem in the way you're using it. The neon bulb will fire (conduct) at around 64 volts, so I think you'll find this more of a lightning arrestor, or "near miss" protection circuit rather than a static eliminator.

You'll find expert advice on this forum for satellite systems, and, it looks like SOME advice in amateur radio ??

Good luck on BOTH.......N5LRL

 

[linuxman]

Just wanted to write an update and a nice find.

I had almost made up my mind to buy one of the G5RV antennas and an antenna tuner to make everything work well.

I called my friend at Skywalker which is just a few miles from here. I buy most of my coax and some LNBs from them.

I asked them if they knew of anyone into shortwave or ham radios and antennas. Turns out there is a new (2 years) in business guy only 3 miles from them that manufactures ham and shortwave antennas. They gave me the address, and I made the trip over there. Just 15 miles from my house.

The owner/engineer has been in broadcast radio for several years, and has traveled extensively world-wide installing and setting up shortwave and ham operations overseas.

He and his wife decided a couple of years ago to start designing and manufacturing antennas, and now do it for many of the dealers found on the internet and the US Govt.

I explained what I had built and the problems with noise etc. He looked up my address on google earth, and measured the building and said he would build me a custom antenna that would be omni-directional, not need a tuner, and would work well on all bands. He said it would also broadcast up to 5 watts as is. He said it would be impedance matched to 75ohm RG-6 coax for the DX-440 input. (he has one, and knew the input impedence) A 10 foot inverted, folded, terminated, dipole antenna.

If I ever decide to broadcast and want more than 5 watts, he can change some of the guts in the center piece, lengthen the wire a little, and go up to 100 watts. I asked how much? He said $75.00 which I thought was pretty reasonable considering the cheapest antenna tuner I could find on ebay was around $70.00.

I paid him and asked when I could pick it up and he said he would bring it out the next day because he wanted to see my FTA setup too.

He came out yesterday afternoon. I already had the 10 foot support made for the inverted V of the wire and the coax run.

He attached the center piece, and placed the end pieces where he thought would be the best for reception given the high power wires all around the building. The radio now works flawlessly and the noise is very quiet. I heard signals and channels that were not previously available to me. Truly amazing difference.

I have some pictures of the wire, layout, and the test results on the antenna he built for me in a spectral graph.



You can find his antennas at Radio Wavz. You can also see the engineer and some of his antennas being installed and tested on youtube/radiowavz. Some pretty interesting stuff.

I could have spent a lot more money and done a lot more experimenting and never come up with as quality antenna as I have now.

 

[1captain]

Hi Linuxman.
Well glad an good to here you got a good working antennna. more you can reduce noise from a antenna the more you will here. but the best thing is you got a antenna builder right around the courner for you "PRICELESS".

but let me warn you better watch it, if you think FTA ia addictive, you just wate till till you start tunning thrue the bands, an staying up late a nite, in early moring hours it is common to here coast to coast, an even have heard the boys down under on 40 & 80meters, an after that may wind up with a transiver, then you will be hooked. but belive me it is not bad at all to have for a hoppy. with me down here in Fl, wich is very good for hams cause of location, I have worked North an South pole stations, an can not tell you how maney countrys also, have been a ham since 1974.
Good luck an enjoy it.

 

[jayelem]

When I was a grasshopper we had a Montgomery Ward Airline 8 band Solid State Radio that I used to play around with , in fact I'm looking at it right now ...... LOL , many years later a friend bought an entry level Rat Shack model and I got into SW Radio listening again.

First SW Radio I bought was a $200 dollar Grundig Radio with SSB Single Side Band , I enjoyed listening to the ham operators and I also sent out QSL reports and received a few QSL reply cards.

I have one of those long wire kits which I never installed , instead I continue using the retactable wire on the spool that came with the radio , I had lots of fun listening and trying to get Radio stations from far away.

It's great to hear about SW Radio and Ham Radio operators .

 

[linuxman]

When I was a grasshopper we had a Montgomery Ward Airline 8 band Solid State Radio that I used to play around with , in fact I'm looking at it right now ...... LOL

Does it look kind of like this one that I am looking at right now?



I have had this radio for about 10 years now. I got it when I bought out the company from the previous owner. I have played with it some, but inside this building, I could never get much on it. As far as I know it doesn't have an input for an exterior antenna. Maybe I can find a manual for it.

I never considered it when I wanted a shortwave for the BLSA because it doesn't have a digital read-out.

Mine works fine, but just limited inside the building.

1Captain wrote:

Well glad an good to here you got a good working antennna. more you can reduce noise from a antenna the more you will here. but the best thing is you got a antenna builder right around the courner for you "PRICELESS".

I agree, it is "PRICELESS"!

[quote[but let me warn you better watch it, if you think FTA ia addictive, you just wate till till you start tunning thrue the bands, an staying up late a nite, in early moring hours it is common to here coast to coast, an even have heard the boys down under on 40 & 80meters, an after that may wind up with a transiver, then you will be hooked. but belive me it is not bad at all to have for a hoppy. with me down here in Fl, wich is very good for hams cause of location, I have worked North an South pole stations, an can not tell you how maney countrys also, have been a ham since 1974.
Good luck an enjoy it. [/quote]

I am listening to Radio Taiwan in English right now clear as a bell 5950Khz.

I don't know how late I will be staying up, but it is interesting.

 

[osu1991]

That picture brings back memories. My dad had that exact radio, I remember playing with it and listening to stuff on it growing up. I think it was sold in a garage sale when my parents were cleaning out the house about 18 years ago after the divorce. My dad was big into the cb and ham radio's, we had a huge antenna on our house. It was annoying, when cable was first wired into our house, my dad would over power the system at night talking to people all over the place. I never got into it, but I know there are still a couple of his modified base stations and disassembled antenna's in the attic.

 

[Inno]

Hey guys, one more benefit to this thread. It prompted me to look up my high school electronics teacher on line and write him an email to thank him for all the valuable things I learned in his class. It made his day!!! He's still in to HAM radio and was glad to hear from me. And what got me thinking of him was this thread so thanks for starting it!

 

[jayelem]

Does it look kind of like this one that I am looking at right now?

View attachment 31248

I have had this radio for about 10 years now. I got it when I bought out the company from the previous owner. I have played with it some, but inside this building, I could never get much on it. As far as I know it doesn't have an input for an exterior antenna. Maybe I can find a manual for it.

I never considered it when I wanted a shortwave for the BLSA because it doesn't have a digital read-out.

Mine works fine, but just limited inside the building.

Very similar only your model looks more updated cosmetically , one thing I can say is that the speaker sound is so rich that it made AM (MW) band listening a pleasure , my radio is somewhat beat up and the telescopic antenna has seen better days , I am attached to it because it has been with us forever and even had a place in the kitchen for many years ...... most of all I miss the people who used it most when I was a kid , my grandparents .

I was thinking you could connect an external antenna with an improvised Alligator clip.

 

[linuxman]

Very similar only your model looks more updated cosmetically , one thing I can say is that the speaker sound is so rich that it made AM (MW) band listening a pleasure , my radio is somewhat beat up and the telescopic antenna has seen better days , I am attached to it because it has been with us forever and even had a place in the kitchen for many years ...... most of all I miss the people who used it most when I was a kid , my grandparents .

I was thinking you could connect an external antenna with an improvised Alligator clip.

After much reading about antennas especially the "Long-wire" variety, that thought dawned on me last night. I did look at the unit closely and saw two un-marked 1/8" mini-din holes, one on each side. I am sure one of those are for ear plugs, but the other might be for an external antenna input. I will have to experiment with it a little.

What channels I can get do sound very good.

I remember a friend of mine back in the 6th or 8th grade had a trans-oceanic radio which I remember being fascinated with. His dad was an engineer at a local manufacturing plant and they were much farther up the social and economic ladder than we were.

Prior to TV, we just had a desktop AM radio and my Grand-Mother had a desktop AM radio that my Dad would hook up a wire to and throw it out the window to listen to the Grand Ol Opry on Saturday nights.

 

[linuxman]

Hey guys, one more benefit to this thread. It prompted me to look up my high school electronics teacher on line and write him an email to thank him for all the valuable things I learned in his class. It made his day!!! He's still in to HAM radio and was glad to hear from me. And what got me thinking of him was this thread so thanks for starting it!

You are welcome!

I am glad I started the thread as it seems there is some interest in Short-wave listening and Ham radio on this forum still.

Maybe Scott can put together a section for talking about Ham and SW Listening somewhere here.

 

[14karat]

I'm not a ham, but almost got into it (I've been around them all my life) but Linuxman's thought about the AM radios and throwing the wire out the window triggered an old memory...
Dad went through a spell when he was big into galena crystals. He built several crystal radios and taught us (myself and 3 older brothers) how as well. Probably the first experience I had with any type of circuit.
We lived in a rather large farmhouse with a huge tin roof. Made an excellent antenna.
I remember picking up those Nashville stations late at night with the things... and all of us setting around with an ear bud!

 

[linuxman]

Oh my Gosh!!

The old Monkey Ward has an external input. I gently pulled the back cover off and traced the wires from the two inputs. One goes to the speaker and is for ear phones, the other one hooks into the same place the long telescopic whip hooks into and works on all the bands the long one works on. There are two telescopic whips on it. One short, and one long. I don't see anywhere for an external for the short whip.

Plugged in the outside antenna and the old girl jumped to life. WooHoo!!

Had to move the band selector back and forth a few times to shine up the contacts, and have to wiggle it on some of the bands to make contact and the old girl isn't nearly as easy to tune, but it works. Pulling in the same signals as the DX-440, plus has a couple extra bands the 440 doesn't.

I may have to build another shelf by my desk for the radios to set on.

 

[rv1pop]

Keep it up linuxman, you will soon really be hooked. Next you will be talking about "home brew" and it will not be the drinking kind!

 

[linuxman]

Keep it up linuxman, you will soon really be hooked. Next you will be talking about "home brew" and it will not be the drinking kind!

My Ham Buddy in St. Louis invited me down to eat breakfast with his Ham Club tomorrow morning. They meet every Saturday morning at the same restaurant.

Help! Help! I feel my feet slipping!!!! Whooooosh!!!

 

[Inno]

Keep it up linuxman, you will soon really be hooked. Next you will be talking about "home brew" and it will not be the drinking kind!

I think it's already too late!

Got me thinking about re-purposing an old VHF antenna on my tower for FM, okay so it's not quite the same thing but it's still all about the search for signals.

 

[jayelem]

Had to move the band selector back and forth a few times to shine up the contacts, and have to wiggle it on some of the bands to make contact and the old girl isn't nearly as easy to tune, but it works.

Oh oh ..... same here

In fact I told my brother not to use it just in case I couldn't get it back to the SW bands , I haven't had it plugged in for a couple of years , when I get some time I might power it up and see what I can get but I have a feeling that moving the selector knob back and forth may fail at any moment .

 

[phlatwound]

......I may have to build another shelf by my desk for the radios to set on.

I've seen your setup, Fred, and it's pretty "busy" right now.....you may have to add another wing onto your building for the radio stuff!

 

[ACRadio]

I just wonder what the digital revolution is going to bring to the world of TV DX when analog is turned off and the broadcasters migrate back to VHF with their digital signals. It could be an interesting time next summer with "digital sporatic E."