[IRCA] Longwave version of Crate Loop - fantastic!

[satya@xxxxxxxxxxxx]

Hi all:

I took another storage crate and wrapped a whole bunch of wire around it
today to see how it might fare on the LW band.  The results were downright
amazing!

Passively coupled to a Sony 7600GR, the Crate Loop absolutely blows the
doors off of my trusty Quantum Stick, and is noticeably better than a
28x42 inch air-core loop with 350 feet of wire on it.  Pre-sunset beacons
up in Canada were used for the testing.  It works great with the receiver
either inside the crate or butted up against the windings on the outside.

I also have a Quantum Loop with the LW head, and when mating it passively
to the Crate Loop, the signal level is head and shoulders above my
roof-mounted H-900 whip: a faint signal on the whip is loud and clear with
the Quantum/Crate Loop combo.  Again, it works great with the Quantum Loop
sitting inside the crate.

Here?s the specs:
  61 turns of wire (about 280 feet of wire) spaced ~1/8? apart
  Winding area: 13 by 15 inches, 8-inch coil depth
  14-390 pf varicap tuning range: 198 khz - 750 khz
  23-870 pf varicap tuning range: 150 khz - 620 khz
  With 58 turns, range was about 203 khz -770 khz with the 14-390 varicap

I actually ran out of wire, and probably could have gotten up to 70 turns
or more on before starting to lose the upper part of the band at 530 khz. 
Therefore, I  may be able to get closer to 150 khz with just the 14-390
varicap.  Tuning is incredibly sharp, so much so that I need a varicap
with a reduction gear or a small-value fine-tuning capacitor.

73 ? Kevin Schanilec
Bainbridge Island, WA



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