Topband: European broadcast stations

I wonder if you guys with terrific antenna systems ever use them to try to listen to European broadcast stations in the 100kc to 300kc area? I've heard just a few weakly a few years ago. Mike K4QET

Re: Topband: European broadcast stations

Hello Michael I have an old Bendix MN-26C Aircraft Navigation receiver and use it in my workshop that also doubles as my 160 meter ham shack. Of course, I use my Beverage wires on the BC band and have listened to LW broadcasts from Europe.  Over the last few years, many of the stations have d

Re: Topband: [PVRC] 2-element receiving arrays

On 3/30/2023 7:47 PM, Frank W3LPL wrote: Hi Dave, Anyone who has experimented with a high impedance antenna such as an end fed half wave has experienced the extreme environmental influence on the feedpoint impedance of a high impedance feed. The required spacing to trees and buildings is very d

Re: Topband: European broadcast stations

I enjoyed listening to the LW stations but unfortunately they are disappearing: On 04/03/2023 8:31 AM David Olean wrote: > > > Hello Michael > > I have an old Bendix MN-26C Aircraft Navigation re

Re: Topband: [PVRC] 2-element receiving arrays

Meaning, We do the best we can and there is no and there will never be a perfect solution.  All we can do is attempt to eliminate as many variables as possible.   My circle array  works better than all of the other things I have tried.  It is near fencing, close to a power line etc.  I don't

Re: Topband: High Impedance RX Antennas

There is an old saying "The enemy of good is perfect."  You will be driven crazy by chasing down every slight variance from the ideal. That being said, it is important to check out the obvious areas where flaws can create big problems. Indeed, the feedline coax, typically RG6 CATV line, is a ma

Re: Topband: High Impedance RX Antennas

Another highly recommended tool is a Time Domain Reflectometer. Tt easily detects any abnormalities in my 8-circle and 4-square arrays and stacked HF Yagi arrays and switches. Other than my hand held antenna analyzer, my hand held TDR is my most often used and most valuable tool for proving that t

Re: Topband: High Impedance RX Antennas

I guess most people have some kind of small antenna analyzer that has a TDR kind of function. I have not warmed up to them yet as the results I see seem to be "all over the place". Maybe I just don't know how to use them yet. My goto TDR is homebrew - using an analog scope. Here is one design p

Re: Topband: High Impedance RX Antennas

A used Tek 1502 TDR is the "gold standard" to me anyway and they can be quite cheap at flea markets etc. They are "arm held" and self contained portable so ideal for up to 1000' runs and have enough resolution that you can "see" defects that you don't really need to worry about. The advantage over

Re: Topband: High Impedance RX Antennas

Another tool I've found indispensable for setting up and troubleshooting phased vertical RX arrays is a two-port VNA. I use an Array Solutions VNA-2180 (now discontinued) for critical measurements. I also have a NanoVNA H4 (https://nanovna.com/) which is a very "affordable" VNA that can be us

Re: Topband: [PVRC] 2-element receiving arrays

It seems that padding the element capacitance as needed for equal capacitance would help. Dave KH6AQ On Thu, Mar 30, 2023 at 4:48 PM Frank W3LPL wrote: > Hi Dave, > > Anyone who has experimented with a high impedance antenna such > as an end fed half wave has experienced the extreme environme

Re: Topband: High Impedance RX Antennas

On 4/3/2023 10:20 AM, Tree wrote: I guess most people have some kind of small antenna analyzer that has a TDR kind of function. In my professional life in pro audio, I started doing Time Domain Spectrometry in 1982, so I have a pretty good handle on how it works. There is a mathematical relat