[IRCA] KNX possibly under CFAX?? Re: 5" Mini-FSL "Heathkit" Construction Article

[Stephen Airy <pianoplayer88key@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Gary,

First off, I wonder if you possibly have 1070-KNX underneath your 1070-CFAX antenna shootout recording linked in the article??  I think I may have recognized the voice in the background.  Here are a few stronger recordings of KNX including that same voice so maybe you could check it out for yourself...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuxAxxZydxY - recorded in front of my house (comparing a few antennas) - includes traffic, voice I recognized

http://www.mediafire.com/?tod6q8ddtt22c9l - received 2-2011 w/PL-606, Select-A-Tenna, chain-link fence, indicating ~69-72 dBu.  Includes their traffic sounder (they do traffic+weather on the 5's) in case you want to try to listen to 1070 again and ID them that way
http://www.mediafire.com/?tod6q8ddtt22c9l - received 7-2010 with barefoot PL-380, same man speaks legal TOH ID mid-newscast


Also how much gain would you say that FSL (or other sizes) have over the stock antenna on mediumwave?  For example how would they compare to the gain shown in these videos?  (comparing the stock ferrite, Select-A-Tenna, SAT + utility groundwire, and in a few also including utility ground without the SAT.  First one is recorded near home, the rest are in a rural area where there weren't so many strong signals to overload the radio (the strongest, 690 XEWW, was 46/25 barefoot, but isn't featured in the linked videos))

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ay5k3txG_Q ; (1550 XEBG - barefoot 29 dBµ, SAT+Util 86 dBµ)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yyH8roZYys8 ; (640 KFI - barefoot 32 dBµ, SAT+Util 82 dBµ)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRB-64G4iws ; (600 KOGO - barefoot 26 dBµ, SAT+Util 79 dBµ)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wCT-DxAfJY ; (830 KLAA - barefoot 35 dBµ, SAT+Util 87 dBµ)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyhuL8sdNeU ; (1110 KDIS - barefoot 19 dBµ, SAT+Util 71 dBµ)


And how good are the nulls?  Would they be comparable to or better than....?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWLX26cQpbQ ; (760 KFMB - lowest 22 dBµ, highest brief peak 93 dBµ, highest steady signal 87 dBµ)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7fU5hIIuOY ; (1170 KCBQ - bottoming out at 15 dBµ, peaking at 82, settling at 80)


Also you wouldn't by any chance have any idea how to attempt to ID the stations underneath the pests in these videos (the ones that briefly come up when they drop carrier at sunset/sunrise?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICaOz_Nvxeo - suspect a Mexican (or other Spanish language signal) under here, but maybe KFMB is, especially after pattern change, what you might call a "meltdown level" signal? ;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoH4ftOjG7M - if you thought KFMB was strong...  this one does have about 10 seconds or so of KCBQ off the air, but presumed KSL IBOC makes it tough to make anything out.  (Normally KLOK San Jose is audible when KCBQ is off, though.)  Hey what was that Chinese or other Asian target on 1170, or do I have absolutely no chance at sunrise during KCBQ's pattern change? ;)  (At least I don't have to try to pull it out from here... ;)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEMLcEqCu3E ; &  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEIU3mP5f38 ; I bet even 1450-KSUH when combining the 9-foot loop AND the 8" (or 12") FSL doesn't get THAT strong! ;) )

Also speaking of very small FSLs...  I've noticed there's a seller or two on Ebay who have some very small ferrite rods (like 3x15mm, 4x10mm, 5x10mm, 4x20mm, 6x16mm, 8x30mm to name some sizes).  I can't find any info about permeability on them, though - maybe someone knows of a source of similarly-sized bulk ferrites that is the proper material?  Of course I realize that those aren't going to compare to the 12" (or whatever size) DXpedition FSL, but do you think they might work for building a pocket-size FSL, for example 2" x 3.5" x 0.75" (either rectangular or oval shaped, or would it be better to keep it round)?  Could something like that possibly improve on a ULR's built-in ferrite?  (Matching or beating a Select-A-Tenna would be nice.)

Or, should I just settle for finding the proper wire to wind this little Amidon-61 7.5" I scored on eBay for < $10 for 150 - 1710 kHz coverage? ;)
https://picasaweb.google.com/118228966367965758611/TecsunPL606#5699882971854492322
I'd prefer to make it be an inductive-coupled version, if possible.  Also if I could find a way to hook it up to a longwire to inductively couple to my radios, it'd be nice.  An example of where I might use said longwire is 32°45'40"N 116°56'50"W.  It's a school campus, though, so I can't leave it out when I'm not using it.  I figure I'd want to have it on one of those spools that holds a 100-foot electrical cord - 600-800 feet of antenna wire oughtta fit on one of those, right?  What would I expect to pay for usable wire (preferably somewhere south of $25-40) for that purpose?  (Of course it'd have to be used as a BOG.)

Speaking of litz wire, is there a hierarchy / pecking order of alternate types to use for winding when there isn't enough room physically or financially to use the big stuff (330/46 or 660/46)?


73,
Stephen

P.S. There's more I could ask (unidentified LW signals, hearing 50kW 1170-KCBQ in the background of 5kW 910-KECR on the PL-606 in the daytime - both use the same TX site 9.3 miles away btw, etc (have videos on youtube demonstrating the previous two)) but I'll save those for some future time.



________________________________
 From: "d1028gary@xxxxxxx" <d1028gary@xxxxxxx>
To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 
Sent: Saturday, February 18, 2012 5:09 PM
Subject: [IRCA] 5" Mini-FSL "Heathkit" Construction Article
 
Hello All,

The 5" Mini-FSL was the first of several compact, AM-only antennas that
were developed for those DXers who thought that FSL models were either
too expensive, too complicated, or both. It was designed to be simple,
effective, easy to build-- and cost only about $90 in part purchases
(as of January 2012). After having been tested against various air core
loops in an outdoor environment, the tiny model really exceeded
expectations-- deadlocking in weak-signal performance with a full-sized
4-foot air core box loop (the antenna of the August 2010 Oregon coast
DXpedition).

In an effort to make assembly of the tiny FSL antenna as simple as
possible, a special, 10-page construction manual has been prepared,
patterned after the famous Heathkit assembly manuals of the last
century. In a step going beyond the Heathkit manuals, multiple
Photoshop-enhanced assembly pictures are included in the article,
showing each assembly step in a clear way. Assembly of the model has
also been made as simple as possible-- all of the parts are readily
available on the open market, and most of them have been stockpiled
here. Pre-cut kits of the PVC frame parts have been prepared, which are
available at cost (along with the other parts, as long as supplies
last). The tiny FSL was designed to be a DXing thriller, and for those
still "on the fence" about giving new antenna design a try, the perfect
introduction to a exciting new DXing experience
http://www.mediafire.com/?9ze98h293s85p86

Thanks very much to Rob Ross of London, Ontario for his generous gift
of 140mm x 8mm ferrite rods to develop this (and other) mini-FSL
models, and to Dave Kellmer of Portland, OR, for providing a generous
supply of the Funnoodle (soft) inner core material. Hopefully this
compact new antenna will provide a major boost in each builder's hobby
excitement!

73 and Good DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)




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