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Re: [IRCA] Monster PVC-Frame Passive Loops
Hello Derek,
Thanks for your interest in the PVC loop project.
Although photos of the 18", 2' and 7.5' PVC loops are posted on the
Ultralightdx Yahoo site, since you are apparently not a member of the group, I
will send the photos to you (and anyone else who is interested) directly.
Full construction details on these PVC loops will be available soon, in an
upcoming article. Good luck on your project!
73, Gary DeBock
In a message dated 4/13/2009 6:08:04 P.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
eargazimm@xxxxxxx writes:
Hey to you have any pics to go along with the write up for the
loops???? I'd like to build one of these....
Thank you.....
Derek Vincent
Vmedia360.......everywhere
On Apr 13, 2009, at 4:27 PM, D1028Gary@xxxxxxx wrote:
> Hi Chris,
>
> Thanks for your interest in the PVC-frame passive loop project, and
> I'm
> sure that you had lots of fun making your 4' altazimuth loop PVC
> frame (and
> discovered a few of the tricks I learned). Actually, my original
> plan was to
> make only two or three loops of modest size, but after settling on a
> standard design (and discovering how these PVC loops work like
> gangbusters for
> DXing), I couldn't resist making seven of them, all the way up to
> the 10 foot
> diagonal size.
>
> It's very important to choose the suitable PVC diameter to match the
> size
> of the loop being constructed, since tubing which is too small will
> result
> in a sagging loop (and sagging DX performance). One of the major
> lessons I
> discovered was to carefully test out a frame's ability to support
> its own
> weight (and the weight of the wire) before proceeding to glue it
> up. My final
> recommendations (and the tubing diameters actually used for the seven
> loops) are as follows:
>
> 18" (side) Tabletop Model 3/4 inch PVC
> 24'" Tabletop/ Rotating Model 3/4 inch PVC
> 3' Rotating Model 1 inch PVC
> 4' Rotating Model 1 inch PVC
> 5' Rotating Model 1 inch PVC
> 6' Rotating Model 1 1/4 inch PVC
> 7.5' Rotating Model 1 1/4 inch PVC
>
> The PVC fittings for all the above diameters (crosses, elbows, tees
> and
> caps) were all available at my local Lowe's store, along with precut
> 5'
> sections of all the tubing I needed, in each diameter. The project
> was like a
> DXer's dream, with the antenna frames extremely easy to construct, and
> providing a completely symmetrical mounting system for optimum
> sensitivity and
> nulling ability in each individual loop size.
>
> Each of these PVC loops is easily rotated for nulling by placing the
> loop
> in a support frame, as pictured in the photos on Ultralightdx. The
> diamond-configured frame rotates on an unglued "tee" fitting, which
> is inserted
> into the center pipe of the support structure. The support
> structure's center
> pipe is cut to be about one inch longer than the two side pipes,
> making it
> easy to tilt the entire loop for increased nulling simply by
> shifting the
> support frame's center pipe along the ground, in the desired
> direction.
>
> The DXing performance of each individual loop has certainly been all I
> could have hoped for! I had several weak TIS stations down at the
> noise level
> that had escaped identification for weeks, but the 2' PVC loop
> provided
> positive identification of all of them within a couple of days
> (with the $9
> Tecsun R9012, no less). The 7.5 foot (side) PVC loop brings in the
> notoriously
> weak Yakima, WA TIS and eastern Oregon NOAA stations on 1610 kHz at
> night
> (frequently even near the overload level) on the R9012.
>
> Thanks again for your comments, and it will be lots of fun to write
> the
> full PVC Loop article with construction details. Good luck also on
> your 4'
> altazimuth loop!
>
> 73, Gary DeBock
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> In a message dated 4/13/2009 10:16:39 A.M. Pacific Daylight Time,
> chris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
>
> Hi Gary,
>
> Very nice PVC loop designs! What diameter of PVC did you use for
> the frame?
> Are these loops rotatable or tiltable?
>
> I'm currently building a 4 foot altazimuth PVC loop. The PVC frame is
> finished and the base (made of wood) is finished. The only major
> things
> left
> to do are cut grooves in the PVC pieces for the wire, wire the
> frame, and
> interface to the base. You used PVC elbows to extend the wires out
> away
> from
> the main frame. Several plumbing stores have saddle tees (looks like
> half-pieces of PVC pipe) http://www.plumbingworld.com/pvcsaddletee.html
> ,
> for example. This would mount directly on the PVC frame (on top of
> the 4
> arms of the loop frame). Then, one can attach a grooved PVC pipe
> piece on
> the saddle for the wire, probably using epoxy. There are other
> options for
> the saddle tee like threaded pieces combined with an adapter. I'll
> send a
> photo if you'd like.
>
> Once the above loop is done, I plan on mounting an E100 (or another
> portable/ultralight) on a piece of lexan that would be placed
> inside the
> loop frame somewhere, mounted with tie wraps. A 6' earphone
> extension cable
> would plug into the E100 and then earphones after that.
>
> What sort of DX are you hearing with your PVC loop antennas? How
> does the
> DX
> compare with your other antennas? I can't wait to read your article
> (and
> about the great DX these loops pull in...hi).
>
> 73,
>
> Chris
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: irca-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:irca-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]On Behalf Of D1028Gary@xxxxxxx
> Sent: Monday, April 13, 2009 10:24 AM
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; am@xxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: [IRCA] Monster PVC-Frame Passive Loops
>
>
> Hello All,
>
> The annual "March Madness" antenna project here this year was to
> construct
> a series of tuned passive loops, using ultra-cheap PVC tubing and
> fittings.
> Loops of 18", 2', 3', 4', 5', 6' and 7.5' (side dimensions) were
> assembled, using PVC diameters suitable to support each size
> without any
> sagging.
>
> One of the primary design considerations was to isolate the loops
> from the
> support structures as much as possible, to provide clean
> electromagnetic
> reception patterns. Perfect symmetry of the coils was also an
> important
> objective, with equally-spaced wire slots cut in each of four frame
> tubes,
> and
> the tuning capacitor located exactly at the loop ends, with the far
> end of
> the loop routed through a short PVC tube to the capacitor. These
> steps
> seem
> to have provided maximum sensitivity and nulling ability for each
> loop
> size.
>
> Lightweight, rugged, waterproof PVC was found to be an ideal frame
> material
> for tuned passive loops, and of course, it is also ultra-cheap
> (even in
> the larger sizes). The 7.5 foot (side) monster loop frame cost all
> of $35
> to
> build, and the cost of the "tabletop" 18-inch model frame was
> about $7.
> The 7.5 foot (10 foot diagonal) PVC loop does require some serious
> real
> estate for construction, however, and is certainly not recommended
> if you
> have a
> shaky relationship with any of your neighbors :>)
>
> Photos of the 18", 2' and 7.5' PVC loops have been uploaded to the
> Ultralightdx Yahoo group site, and are available upon request. An
> article
> containing full construction details for these new PVC-frame loops
> should
> be
> written shortly, which hopefully will provide a new, inexpensive
> option for
> boosting the DXing ability of any receiver.
>
> 73, Gary DeBock
>
>
>
>
>
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