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Re: [IRCA] Monster PVC-Frame Passive Loops
Feel free to post or send the pictures. I'd like to see them also.
Bert New
Watkinsville, Georgia
Proudly Serving You Since 1964!
> From: D1028Gary@xxxxxxx
> Date: Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:32:04 -0400
> To: irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Subject: 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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