Re: [IRCA] Possible PL-606 LW reception on barbed wire fence?

[Stephen Airy <pianoplayer88key@xxxxxxxxx>]

Well I just went back out there several minutes ago, and heard extremely faint audio on a few LW broadcast channels.  I also checked that 404, and with the fence it was only maybe a couple dB or so better, if that, than the barefoot portion of the recording I linked previously.
I also took Bill in BC's suggestion (almost wouldn't have seen the message due to the generic title but I accidentally tapped it on my phone intending to click Tim's message) to take another AM radio (in this case a Sony SRF-59) and check for mediumwave parallels, but I wasn't able to find any.  (I didn't check every single mediumwave frequency - only the ones that have very strong signals, for example indicate well above 70-75 dBu (a few are 86 to 88 dBu) on the PL-606 on the fence.)

Partway through the NDB portion of the band check, though, I heard the coyotes howling down the street.  Not wanting to tangle with those pests, I abruptly aborted my bandscan.  While I was scanning (manually), there were a few frequencies I thought I heard something a little different than the normal no-signal background noise.  I wasn't sure if they were anything legitimate, though, and I was searching for NDBs so I didn't take any notes (translation: speak into the microphone of my pocket 4-channel recorder (Zoom H2n) saying the time, frequency, signal reading, etc, while simultaneously recording the radio via the line-in port).

That's quite interesting about the fence...and the toaster. :)  (Almost got me to thinking I wonder if God has somehow ever used amplitude-modulated radio waves to "talk" to people back when the Bible was being written...;))

I'd actually like to hear a comparison of Gary Debock's FSL with a Tecsun radio (PL-606 for example) vs. the stock receiver using only its built-in ferrite, comparing reception of an NDB (one that's faintly audible barefoot, and preferably AWAY from the electrical interference near the house, or is his QTH just a lot noisier than mine?)

Also does anyone know of any online loop antenna calculators that will work for very small antennas, ferrite sleeve loops, ferrite bar antennas, etc?  The few I've come across are geared more for larger air-core loops and I'd like to start small and inexpensive (smaller than the PL-606 and cheaper than the SRF-59) if possible.  A few ideas I want to try are a 2" long ferrite bar antenna, a 2"x3"x0.5" air-core loop, and a same-size ferrite sleeve loop (using a bunch of half-inch ferrites - could a bunch of those, enough to make a 2" FSL, be had for under $10-15?).

73,

Stephen



________________________________
 From: Tim Hills <thills@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Stephen Airy <pianoplayer88key@xxxxxxxxx>; IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Saturday, December 3, 2011 5:43 PM
Subject: Re: [IRCA] Possible PL-606 LW reception on barbed wire fence?
 

Stephen:

There was a clear difference in the 404, cleaned some of the wax out
    of my ears when the level came up. Odd resonances can happen in
    almost anything, groundwave from MOG could be lining up just right
    to focus it there. Be interesting to go back when the soil is dryer
    or wetter to see if you get the same results in the same spot.

It was just the fence resonating, no other equipment. It's only
    happened once and I've checked again several times. Could be Iron
    and Zinc oxides at the point(s) of contact acting as a
    rectifier/detector. Very cold, no wind and very quiet that night.
    Just the right place at the right time I guess. The toaster I
    inherited from my mother. When I was a 5 or 6 a Ham down the street
    used to come through quite loud on it. I thought Donald Duck was
    trapped in there at first :P

An FSL is on my to-do list but there's a few projects I need to tend
    to first.

73

Tim Hills
Sioux Falls, SD

On 12/3/2011 14:56, Stephen Airy wrote: 
Hi Tim,
> 
>Well if you'll listen to the 404-MOG comparison, that'll give you an idea of the performance of this fence antenna.  That recording is the NDB received barefoot, then with the radio on the fence.  To my ear, there's quite a difference.
>Also I've noticed that not the entire fence works - just a specific section at a specific level.  I just happened to discover it accidentally. :)
>So when you heard Neil on your fence, what radio were you using?  Or was the fence itself demodulating the AM signal and acting as a speaker of sorts? :o ;)
>I've heard AM signals on other devices as well, too.  When I was at my grandpa's memorial service a year ago in his back yard, I could hear two Asian-language stations in the speakers for the audio system.  (The 50kW station on 1430 is 1/3 mile to the northwest, along with a 23kW diplexing with them on 1300.)  Recently I was near 50kW 1170 KCBQ's transmitter site attempting to record a few things with some radios, and noticed that if I held my audio cable right, I could clearly and loudly hear KCBQ's audio on my Zoom H2n recorder (with no trace of 5kW 910 KECR which uses the same antenna farm).  If I touched one end of my audio cable to the metal sheath (on this one - most are wood) encasing the grounding wire on the utility pole, it just about blew my eardrums out.
> 
>73, Stephen
> 
>One of these days I should see about building a small FSL.  I could probably only afford to spend $20-$40 for one for now, though, so Gary DeBock's "affordable" FSL is still way out of reach for me.  Even something inexpensive and small should be a huge improvement over the stock antenna in my PL-606, I'd think (even more so than the fence I've been using).
>
>
>
_______________________________________________
IRCA mailing list
IRCA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/irca

Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers

For more information: http://www.ircaonline.org

To Post a message: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx