amateur-radio – Guns, Fun, Food and More

Ground Loops

OOPS! – Wrong ground loop – LMAO! 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 thinkContinue reading “Ground Loops”

Do It Inside – from Fred in the Shed

Great video from Fred in the Shed about the outside vs inside antenna thing. Think about it – you live in a box that dampens the signals coming in and tends to trap all the noise your “stuff” is making inside – outside is better – but – it does take some effort to setContinue reading “Do It Inside – from Fred in the Shed”

All I Get is Noise!!

Here is one approach to the issue . . . And there are other ways to mitigate noise – first pic is the is with the loop ( DXE-RF-PRO-1B ) facing 90/270 degrees – remember – as you are looking through the loop it hears equally well to the sides – the open is theContinue reading “All I Get is Noise!!”

SKY KING – SKY KING / DO NOT ANSWER . . .

I do so want a discone antenna – and THIS is quite a discone antenna . . . Maybe I can talk my CFO aka Blushing Bride into one of these – I’m not holding out hope for a Collins built 70 footer – LOL! Been working on the radio room and just about haveContinue reading “SKY KING – SKY KING / DO NOT ANSWER . . .”

Case in Point . . . The Loop is Directional – But – There are Limits . . .

Adding obscure lower power stations to the list is fun stuff to do – and don’t think I am knocking anybody’s station – if somebody has the wherewithal to put a station together and put a signal and program out there – That is WAY Cool! So at the same time China Radio International isContinue reading “Case in Point . . . The Loop is Directional – But – There are Limits . . .”

Loop vs Random Wire / 10/05/24 – 17.570 @ 1215 UTC

This first one is the loop antenna . . . This second one is the wire antenna . . . Not too shabby – World Adventist Radio / Madagascar – 100KW I believe . . . If conditions are decent – they both perform well – when it’s crap conditions the loop will tend toContinue reading “Loop vs Random Wire / 10/05/24 – 17.570 @ 1215 UTC”

Does All This “Stuff” REALLY Make a Difference? – MFJ-16010??

Working off of my random wire antenna this morning. And it is a good morning for it – very quiet conditions. Here is what your seeing in the video – FEBC – Far East Broadcasting Company – 15620khz – pushing 100 kilowatts – not the brightest flashlight in the room – but a GOOD signalContinue reading “Does All This “Stuff” REALLY Make a Difference? – MFJ-16010??”

Bruce – Does that Loop Antenna Thingy Actually Work?

Yes – Yes it does – and quite well I might add . . . The picture below shows the radiation pattern for a loop antenna – which is also its receive pattern – it has two defined receive “spots” and two defined “null” spots . . . Here is WLS Chicago at about 5AMContinue reading “Bruce – Does that Loop Antenna Thingy Actually Work?”

Progress – Slow – but Progress Regardless

It is actually ridiculous just how trashed out the bench/desk became – but in my defense – I am not a neat “freak” by any stretch and it took 5 months of gathering all of the bits and pieces up and and not losing them – so I stacked everything on the bench. If IContinue reading “Progress – Slow – but Progress Regardless”

“Radio Stuff” / Slight Change in Plans

Something was in the back of my head about the “Chameleon” antenna – just before ordering I read the specs/reviews/YouTube etc. again – and I changed my order to the DX Engineering RF-PRO-1B® Active Magnetic Loop Antennas DXE-RF-PRO-1B – which should better serve the purpose – a LOT more ( mucho more ) pricey –Continue reading ““Radio Stuff” / Slight Change in Plans”