[IRCA] Antenna Transplant 101

[D1028Gary@xxxxxxx]

Hello All,
 
     With the current craze of hot-rodding Ultralight  radios by 
transplanting super antennas into the tiny wonders, some  ultra-exciting results have been 
obtained.  However, unless the following  precautions are observed, your 
results are unlikely to thrill you.
 
1)  Choose your antenna recipient carefully.  The SRF39FP, SRF-59  and the 
DT-200VX are good candidates for transplant experiments because of their  high 
resistance to spurs, images and selectivity meltdowns. The DT-210V would be  an 
acceptable choice also, despite its image reception issue.  If your  ULR 
already has serious selectivity or spurious problems, a huge increase in  
sensitivity will aggravate these issues immensely.
 
2)  Choose your antenna carefully.   If you transplant a  short loopstick 
into a ULR, you may be doing a lot of work for very little gain  in sensitivity. 
Size really does matter (both ferrite length, and  diameter).  For best 
results, use the biggest monster you can find!
 
3)  Follow the stock loopstick's coil proportions and circuitry  connections 
EXACTLY.  When you prepare the transplant loopstick, carefully  observe the 
mathematical proportion between larger, shorter and/or piggyback  coils.  
Duplicate these proportions exactly in the larger transplant, and  attempt to create 
a larger proportion "copy" of the stock loopstick (but reduce  the number of 
coil turns to compensate for the increased inductance of the  longer ferrite 
bar).
 
4)  Wind your coils on a cardboard form, that can easily slide along  the 
new, longer ferrite bar.  This is extremely important for alignment  purposes.
 
5)  Alignment is always the final step of the transplant.  You  will know if 
your super-antenna is working by whether or not you can peak a 600  kHz 
signal, by sliding the new coils along the ferrite bar.
 
6)  Super sensitivity is extremely exciting, but may bring minor  side 
effects.  Your radio's selectivity will be assaulted by huge  signal strengths.  Any 
spurs or images will be enhanced.  You may lose  sleep, wondering if the 
sunrise TP period is near.  And finally, you  may wonder exactly how you came to 
the point where creating these tiny little  Frankensteins has become so 
fascinating, and how thrilled you are when they hear  weak TP heterodynes that your 
"classic" receivers have no trace  of. 
 
     After four of these transplants (the first of  which is fully described 
on dxer.ca, under "Super Prison Radio"), I feel that  everyone deserves fair 
warning before subjecting themselves to this  transplant-induced 
ultra-excitement.  DXing will become incredibly  thrilling.  Consider yourself fully 
warned!!!
 
                                                                              
                          73,  Gary DeBock.
 
       



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