Re: [IRCA] Monster PVC-Frame Passive Loops
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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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