Most folks today tend to scoff at the premise of the movie “Strategic Air Command” – surely (and my name ain’t Shirley!) they wouldn’t do something like that to a “famous” ballplayer like “Dutch” Holland. Wanna bet? Dad was in the Merchant Marine in WW2 – had a ship torpedoed and sunk whilst he was on it – that’s rude to say the least. Was injured (not seriously) and spent a couple of weeks on board the luxurious “Motel Lifeboat” – was not a good time. Made it through the war – working as a steam plant operator – everything was going right along . . .
Then one fine day a Captain Wing Nut (don’t know if that was his actual name-LOL) from SAC knocked on the door and put it plain as day – we need boiler guys – come join the Air Force and do 2 years in SAC or I go down to the draft board and hook you right up – Korea had just lit off at the time . . .
. . . according to dad it was actually decent duty – so here’s some “Forbes” stuff – 3 silent short films – think “B Roll” footage – and a couple more from K3inKansas – Enjoy!
Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!
One of the nice things about the Switchboard (it is a board with a bunch of switches on it – right?) is the ability to choose between 5 different antennas without having to disconnect and reconnect coax. That gets really old really fast. Bruce – 5 different antennas – REALLY?? Isn’t there one antenna that is the best for SWL (Short Wave Listening)? Let me give you the short and long answer both – no there is not. Now if I left it right there – the answer doesn’t make a lot of sense. Another factor to consider is how much of exactly what YOU are wanting to listen to . . . For example – when I typing this post (2300 UTC-Thursday-08/06), I have the SDRPlay DX tuned to 7.163mHz LSB and the best antenna to grab this mornings chat group right now today is the vertical antenna. Tomorrow it may be the loop on ground – the next day the horizontal random wire – SWL is a lot like real estate. Real estate is about 3 primary things – location/location/location — Short wave listening is about 3 primary things – conditions/conditions/conditions. A given antenna under the right conditions WILL outperform other antennas on a given day . . .
So the qualified answer is NO – there simply does not exist a single “best” SWL antenna for all frequencies and all conditions . . .
So thus we end up with this thing . . .
The biggest thing is figuring out which antenna is going to work best at the time. The powered loop from DX Engineering works really good most of the time – at times the loop on ground with the low noise amplifier is an incredible performer – the ability to switch between different antennas on the fly is way cool.
Two of the SDR’s I use are single antenna inputs (the Airspy HF+ Discovery and the SDRPlay 1B) – which means I need to switch between 5 different antennas into one connection – and yes there are 5 to 1 switches out there – good ones start at about $160 and go north from there, using a 3 to 1 and a 2 to 1 and switching between them is about $90 – comparatively cheaper to do the same thing, which is switching between antennas to see which one at a given frequency/conditions is going to give the best performance while not having to swap coax out – YAY!
The other 2 SDR’s – the SDRPlay DX and DX-R2 have 3 software switchable inputs . . .
One antenna goes to A and one to B – C goes to a three way switch (loop on ground/vertical/discone) – again 5 different antennas and no swapping coax – YAY!
The next(?) part is getting all the grounding in place – the #6 copper you see running across there goes outside to an 8 foot ground rod which is tied into all the grounding side of everything and does indeed make a difference . . .
And then get all the computers grounded – and so on – it all make little bitty differences which adds up to noticeable differences . . .
Before that happens I need to get the incoming coax and the connections to the “board” straightened out . . .
The next part is adding or piggy backing 3 more amplified splitters to the amplified loop/horizontal random wire/loop on ground antennas so I can get my networked SDR and a portable or desktop radio hooked up.
Not having to swap out coax continuously really adds to the enjoyment factor. It has been suggested by several of you folks that I should start posting some of the “listening” I do on YouTube – yea no – not that it wouldn’t be cool – I simply have enough stuff going on at the moment. Maybe over winter I will seriously look into it – and who knows – maybe a couple of you – and we all know who you two are – will string up a wire and start paying attention to what’s going on around you . . .
Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!
Besides the ones that got left at the grocery store during the Easter rush . . .
People ask me – Bruce, why have you never gotten an amateur radio license? Two Reasons – Come May of 2027 it will be 64 years of chasing signals – and I have never gotten bored with it. . . And fools like this . . .
Oh, woe is me – the powers that be changed the test questions again! It’s too easy – you simply can’t be a radio operator unless you can send and copy 600 words per minute of morse code AND give a detailed explanation of an inverted V antenna – gauge of wire/angle of slope/height above ground/for a given frequency AND literally manufacture your radio out of shit you scrounged out of your garage!
Right around 1970 I went to several different Ham Club meetings and was essentially told that I would NEVER be a radio operator like me or him or – because it is simply too easy now! And I said to that particular individual – Sir, I will never be a radio operator like you because I’m not a narcissist to any degree close to what you are – walked out and never looked back . . . (PRO TIP – if you’re going to be an asshole – be polite – it really fucks people up!) (it took him almost 3 weeks to figure out I told him FOAD – LOL!)
Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!
There is no such thing as a rule/ordinance/regulation/statute/law – whatever terminology you want to use – no matter how trivial – that one of our heroes in blue won’t flashbang your baby in its crib/shoot your dog/beat you to death/shoot you/burn your house down with you in it for – “officer safety” . . .
Truly inspires Faith, Hope, and Confidence in the system – doesn’t it??
FFS! – I have well in excess of 400 rounds of odd ball left over end of box ammo sitting in Tupperware! It comes in useful to just randomly stack it in magazines to test stuff – to see how it runs through different types of ammo . . .
Thank You Baby Jesus that I live in America and not a demoncrat commie fuck cocksucker enclave!!
Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!
If you spend enough time digging through YouTube videos on SWL (Short Wave Listening) and amateur radio antennas you will run into Loop On Ground antennas for receiving. The simple fact is that they do work – not a miracle cure-all for all situations – but rather think of them as another tool in the box.
The “stuff” you need? A beverage transformer – I used a Unified Microsystems BT-75 – available HERE from DX Engineering – two main reasons – cost and cost – at 38 bucks the transformer is inexpensive AND it utilizes 75-ohm coax – far less expensive coax.
For the actual antenna wire itself I used Super Antenna SuperWire readily available HERE through Amazonia – really good stuff! The PTFE insulation is just about forever when buried in the ground – and for long term you really want to get it down into the root bed of your grass to prevent snagging it when walking on your lawn or mowing – or in my particular case having it dug up by my three four-legged excavators – dachshunds for their size can move an unbelievable amount of dirt in almost zero time – and 3 of them? – OMG!
The antenna itself is simple – it’s simply a square of wire 15 feet on each side. You terminate at a corner – one end of the wire to one terminal of the transformer – the other end goes to the other terminal – 75ohm coax to a lightning protector and into the house.
To actually do the install is really easy – your neighbors might look at you sideways – oh well. Take an edger set to as deep as it will go and dig out a square – 15 feet on a side – stuff the wire down in the “slot” – use landscape pins to keep it in place – put grass seed down in the slot and cover with potting soil – and water regularly for a couple of weeks. Other than “public” opinion – and my neighbors are sure that crazy guy with all the antennas is quite “different” – nobody said anything to me directly about running an edger around in my yard and not along the sidewalk.
One person asked about the termination point.
When I told what it is – and that we are standing on a 60foot antenna – nothing was said – however, the look was priceless – LOL!
(note the ground clamp- better /more proper grounding generally equals less noise)
The bottom line? – Loop On Ground antennas actually do work quite well – Cure All?? – no one single antenna will work the best on all frequencies during all conditions – but – the LOG antenna gives you excellent tool to pull out of the box and apply to a given situation. There are quite a few YouTube videos detailing layout – construction – and comparisons with other antennas. The “Tube” can be your friend sometimes – there are more things on it besides cat videos or Oliver’s favorite – police K9 chase and chomp videos – LOL!
Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!
There was a deck on this (that’s being charitable) when we bought it – should have been replaced about a dozen years ago. It was right in between real rough and hey! – it just leaned plumb over and laid down into the yard next door . . .
Tracked down a guy that does trailer decks – his actual bread and butter is repossession of decks -might tell some tales about that one day – but he builds them as well . . .
Out with the old – In with the new – woof bam two days – done . . .
The old deck was taken part piece by piece and stacked (not chopped apart) in just over 4 hours – had it been fairly new so the screw heads were all still good – closer to 3 hours!
I spent several days putting lattice on it so my neighbor doesn’t have to stare at the underside of the deck . . .
can we have porcher kissers daddy?
The lattice with the strips of roof membrane/rock thing really makes the deck look “finished” . . .
I spent the better part of a 2 week period looking at gates – online and in person – and found nothing that would look “right” and work worth a shit . . .
Then I came across “Homax Easy Gate Kit” at Menards – so I made the gates to look just like the railing and put them together with the kit – I added little casters to bottom corner of the gates – just to eliminate any chance of sag . . .
I really need to get that bit of sidewalk done before winter . . .
The “gates” really came out nice – they work easily – keep the boys on the deck when needed – and blend in visually very well . . .
the gates look good open or closed . . .
You really need to take your time and cut the boards accurately – for me? That was a challenge! I’m one of those “I have cut this board three times and – Damn It Jim! – (he never said that in the original series – but here are some clips for you) it’s still too short!!” sorta wood butchers – LOL! So it took several days to put them together – but the effort was worth it . . .
The end facing the street has a full width opening – 8 feet – so I put a 5 foot and a 3-foot gate – the 5-foot gate is drop pinned to the deck and remains stationary unless it needs to be opened to move something on or off the deck.
Taking a pic of the hardware on the “double gate” end and Oliver photo bombed me – LOL!
Oliver is like – “Do you need me to pose for you, Daddy?”
And then they all realized I was taking pics – Oliver plopped down on his butt into his “I’m cool” pose – Curtis is doing his “on-guard” pose – and Theo is doing his “I focus Daddy, give me treat!” pose . . .
The boys get more use out of the deck than we do! They run from the back fence all the way to the front of the deck – gotta check out the street don’t you know! – the boys keep the lady next door (and her yard) under close scrutiny – never know when an evil cat might be lurking! And get along with her? – it makes for a special day when she comes over and gets porcher kissers through the railings – and when she comes over and sits in the yard with Mommy and Daddy? – it’s a genuine magic moment!
So, if YOU are thinking about a deck (?) look around and check prices from just about anyone that will bid the job (the assumption is that it’s not a DIY thing) and look some more – the variance in prices will more than likely shock you. The other nice thing about getting a contractor is code compliance for your locality – and there are variances depending on exactly what and where you’re doing it. The other thing is to check with folks that have used that contractor – use a little common sense here, folks . . .
Been a busy summer so far – and still awhile (and several projects) to go yet – that is one thing you learn about South Dakota – get it done BEFORE the snow starts flying – LOL!
Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!
So I drove to Hot Spring SD and back – 13 hours – gas stop – about an hour break – gas stop – and home – talk about feeling like a hot steaming pile of puppy poop the next day -Oh My!! – 794 miles in a hurry . . .
Ex – son in law retired and his hobby is keeping him busy – his favorite genre is the Star Trek universe . . .
putting the light kit battery pack and controller in . . .
he airbrushed the base then hand painted the rest – way cool . . .
and the reason for my road trip . . .
paint schemeas “Tommy’s Tigator” – done as full SAC “noo-ku-lar” combat flash paint AND Hound Dog Missiles . . .
and don’t tell me you weren’t expecting that clip – LOL!
Boeing B-52D-75-BO (S/N 56-0591) “Tommy’s Tigator.” This aircraft was used to test hydrogen bomb blast effects during the Operation Hardtack tests at Eniwetok, Runit and Bikini. (U.S. Air Force photo)
The Hound Dog missile program was quite a step forward for the B52 program –
And done in period (app. 1962) paint scheme – an Ellsworth AFB KC135A
Now all I need to do is glue the boom on the KC and hang them from the ceiling . . .
My backup pi4 shit the bed so I replaced it with a refurb windows box from amazonia – yes they have gotten that inexpensive – of course I had to change everything around to make it fit – modern problems – sigh . . .
I have the layout about where I want it . . .
And a ton of connectors and adapters are coming – the 4 SDR’s will each have their very own connections and can switch between the 5 antennas without having to change coax around . . .
Bruce? – What?Will he do models for me?? – I’m not sure that would work out – the labor will scare you – and then the shipping is beyond ridiculous – bubble wrap inside of bubble wrap and into an over sized box – it’s realistically far cheaper for me to road trip across South Dakota and back then shipping it – even adding 2 days of feeling like death warmed over – if you are bound and determined let me know – I will check into it – but – I don’t think you are emotionally prepared for the estimate – nor am I responsible for ANY emotional trauma you have from learning the shipping costs – LOL!
Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!
retire they said – it will be fun – you will have so much time on your hands they said
So this was what I started with . . .
first the loop and random wire – then added the discone . . .
left to right – random wire – PRO 1B loop – and a wide coverage discone . . .
Added a 60 foot Loop On Ground . . .
(not visually impressive)
Then added a DX Commander 30 foot mast – with wire length about 28 feet . . .
Both the vertical and horizontal random wires are terminated with LDG 9:1 unun’s . . .
And then the deck project . . .
(and yes – that is a spare run of coax – never know when I might want to test drive a different antenna)
Had it built with steps at both ends – then I added gates fashioned to look like railing when they are shut. Still need to add a little bit of concrete on the right . . .
The steps on the back end were added so the boys could go out in the “yard” although size wise it’s better classified as a “garden” – which leads right into the fence project . . .
Which then leads right into the patio project . . .
this pic gives you a good view of my loop on ground antenna – impressive ain’t it? – lol!
Been working on the radio room – trying to get it to where you can just crank a switch rather than disconnecting and reconnecting coax to change antennas and SDR’s – that is a cluster all on its own – two of the SDR’s that I use have single inputs – three have 3 software switchable inputs – and I’m running 5 different antennas to them . . .
Get a dachshund they said – it will be fun! We are up to three of them – and I freely admit that there is never a dull moment around here – LMAO!
I will detail some of the “projects” and how they went the direction they ended up going here in the next few posts . . .
Wait one minute Bruce – Five Different antennas? You’re crazy!! – They are all going to perform with some overlap in performance – however depending on the frequency and conditions I’m hearing stations that are incredibly rare to copy here in the north central U.S. – and in my defense – I was somewhat sane three dachshund’s ago!
Have Fun! – Run the Gun! – and remember – Fish Heads are Cheap!!
Guns, Fun, Food and More 