antenna extension experiment

[WA8ZTZ]

I use two wires, one 450 FT long and the other 500 FT long. The wires are parallel to one another and spaced about 2 feet apart and are left unterminated at the far ends. Leaving them unterminated allows me to operate them bidirectionally using a phaser. Each wire is matched to 50 ohm lead-in coax through an ICE beverage transformer (adjustable from 6:1 to 12:1). Unfortunately, I don't think these transformers are being made anymore, but you could roll your own. I've had great results with the BOGs on MW and LW and encourage anyone to give it a shot if you have the room. Aside from being very simple, they are stealthy too!



Yep, but this was heard on my D-KAZ loop, another superb MW & SW antenna. It's good to have options

OK, tnx for the antenna info.
Going to do some experimenting with BOG when the WX improves.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Hit his youtube channel-it's crazy the stuff he has gotten!

Wow, that's amazing.

 

[prcguy]

I've got an Alpha Delta SW antenna I don't need that is resonant on most SW bands and AM broadcast band. Its a 60ft long sloper with two parallel wires and a couple of loading coils that uses a tower or mast as the counterpoise. Wanna compare it to your PAR?
prcguy

 

[ridgescan]

I still have a B&W ASW-60, a 35' SWL trapped dipole antenna in my radio closet that I still need to deploy for a comparison tryout.

 

[ridgescan]

I've got an Alpha Delta SW antenna I don't need that is resonant on most SW bands and AM broadcast band. Its a 60ft long sloper with two parallel wires and a couple of loading coils that uses a tower or mast as the counterpoise. Wanna compare it to your PAR?
prcguy

That looks like a good one I think HRO still carries. How did it do for you when you had it deployed?

 

[prcguy]

I've never used it. Do you want to try it for a couple of weeks and report back?
prcguy

That looks like a good one I think HRO still carries. How did it do for you when you had it deployed?

 

[WA8ZTZ]

I've got an Alpha Delta SW antenna I don't need that is resonant on most SW bands and AM broadcast band. Its a 60ft long sloper with two parallel wires and a couple of loading coils that uses a tower or mast as the counterpoise. Wanna compare it to your PAR?
prcguy

Thanks but had a homemade sloper very similar to the A-D deployed here for several years. Don't have a tower but used the grounding electrode down conductor from a tripod on the peak of the roof as the counterpoise. The sloper actually worked quite nicely on all HF bands but the PAR definitely has better performance on LW and seems slightly better on MW.

btw... inadvertently loaded up the antenna on 40M for the contest over the past weekend, put 75 watts into it for awhile before realizing my mistake, not recommending anybody do this as it is intended as a receive only antenna, but the antenna suffered no ill effect and was receiving DX just fine this morning... good to know it is ruggedly built.

 

[ridgescan]

I've never used it. Do you want to try it for a couple of weeks and report back?
prcguy

Nice offer but no thanks. Why didn't you ever use it?

 

[prcguy]

I'm low on antenna space.

Nice offer but no thanks. Why didn't you ever use it?

 

[ridgescan]

I'm low on antenna space.

Me too. I'm in a top floor apartment in a 10-unit building and already have THREE antennas up there. So by the grace of God, I thereby go into the ether with a fully equipped comms shack

 

[ridgescan]

Thanks but had a homemade sloper very similar to the A-D deployed here for several years. Don't have a tower but used the grounding electrode down conductor from a tripod on the peak of the roof as the counterpoise. The sloper actually worked quite nicely on all HF bands but the PAR definitely has better performance on LW and seems slightly better on MW.

btw... inadvertently loaded up the antenna on 40M for the contest over the past weekend, put 75 watts into it for awhile before realizing my mistake, not recommending anybody do this as it is intended as a receive only antenna, but the antenna suffered no ill effect and was receiving DX just fine this morning... good to know it is ruggedly built.

Good thing ya didn't fry that trans box!

 

[Fast1eddie]

Gentlemen, very interesting reading. Now divorced, I reside in a second floor apartment of a wooden frame 2 story 4 unit building. Have a end fed Par in the attic feeding a Stridesberg active 4 output HF combiner sending signals to my R 9000 and R 8600. I have the remaining unused outputs terminated into a 50 ohm load. Aside from locally generated QRM (winter is tough with portable heaters clicking on and off), I do manage to monitor some good DX. Just not into it as much as I had been in prior years, guess the divorce knocked much wind outta my sail.

I frequently monitor Canadian Coast Guard great lake maritime weather broadcasts on 2Mhz, pretty good catch considering it is groundwave hitting my wire in the Pittsburgh (yuk) suburbs. Bought a Timewave Noise Canceler which helps.

I've been considering - briefly- active antennas due to added unnecessary amplification of local noise.

What a wonderful world it would be without WiFi, Fios, cheap electrical appliances and closeby neighbors!!!

I have a goal of purchasing a small dwelling in Freeport Pa, down by the river. Nice little town and lots of countryside with minimal electrical noise for the old man to enjoy radio with.

I would like to experiment with the Par some, but due to the attic's confined space and my limited mobility (I've had three knee replacements over the last two years), it's kinda tough kneeling up there and junior ain't too crazy of helping his old man. As we all were!

I did download and print the active antenna article, would be something neat to build. Heck, just getting to the Outer Banks would be a treat for me.

Thanks for the enjoyable read, good DX and 73.

 

[ridgescan]

Good to see ya Eddie and hope you get to where you want

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Eddie,
Noise is an ongoing problem here in suburban hell. Have a MFJ 1026 which helps considerably. My latest acquisition is a MFJ 722B filter which really knocks down the buzz.
Hopefully all goes well with your move to the country and you are able to put up some good antennas and appreciate those nice radios in a noise free environment.

 

[a29zuk]

+1 here with a MFJ 1025(same as 1026 but with no telescoping antenna). Works great on the local noise.

Jim

 

[Fast1eddie]

Surprisingly, the Time wave does a terrific job of eliminating it, if not most of it and am able to copy some weak signal. I would like to extend the noise sense antenna, just tough standing on short ladders for now.

My lease expires March of 19, hate to move in cold weather, but it all works out in the end.

Good to hear from you Ridge, bands were singing a few weeks back, thought of you as I copied some good aero comms from the Pacific region.

Ta ta 4 now....

 

[Steamed_Hams]

WA8ZTZ, just wanted to say that I've read this thread and am insanely jealous of both your setup and DX catches. (But jealous in a good way!)


I've read nothing but good things about the EF-SWL and have had it on my to-buy/wishlist for some time. Seeing as I've recently moved into an apartment, however, and the rules don't exactly allow for permanent or semi-permanent outdoor antenna setups, I'm not sure how much use I'd be able to get out of it.
Still though, I guess I could set it up just for when I'm at home and ready to sit down for some DXing. And I've got two very nice trees right outside of my window that would be ideal to hang it up on. But I'm just thinking out loud here.


I'm really intrigued (and impressed!) by your LW catches. I've heard picking up LWBC stations is possible, especially on the east coast, and considering I live not far from the Virginia Beach oceanfront it's something I'd like to try. (Not that it'd be as impressive as getting them all the way in Michigan, of course. )


Anyway, thanks for the read and hope you get more good DX! And Eddie, I second what ridge said, and hope you're able to make it to the Outer Banks before too long (and before gas hits $4/gallon here &#9760!

 

[WA8ZTZ]

WA8ZTZ, just wanted to say that I've read this thread and am insanely jealous of both your setup and DX catches. (But jealous in a good way!)


I've read nothing but good things about the EF-SWL and have had it on my to-buy/wishlist for some time. Seeing as I've recently moved into an apartment, however, and the rules don't exactly allow for permanent or semi-permanent outdoor antenna setups, I'm not sure how much use I'd be able to get out of it.
Still though, I guess I could set it up just for when I'm at home and ready to sit down for some DXing. And I've got two very nice trees right outside of my window that would be ideal to hang it up on. But I'm just thinking out loud here.


I'm really intrigued (and impressed!) by your LW catches. I've heard picking up LWBC stations is possible, especially on the east coast, and considering I live not far from the Virginia Beach oceanfront it's something I'd like to try. (Not that it'd be as impressive as getting them all the way in Michigan, of course. )


Anyway, thanks for the read and hope you get more good DX! And Eddie, I second what ridge said, and hope you're able to make it to the Outer Banks before too long (and before gas hits $4/gallon here &#9760!

Any kind of DXing from an apartment is tough. Never even bothered to give it a try back in my apartment days. Aside from the antenna restrictions there is the noise issue of all the neighbors electronic devices spewing RFI/EMI.

However, let me suggest a short vertical that you may be able to attach safely somewhere outdoors. The ApexRadio 303WA-2 has worked well for me on LW, MW, and HF. It performs surprisingly well for a short vertical. Before the naysayers pile on and say that a vertical is prone to picking up noise let me say this... Just last early evening, was tuning around on LW using a wire antenna and hearing very few NDBs but mostly noise. Noise is a constant battle here. Anyway, tried the Apex vertical and amazingly the noise dropped to almost nothing. Was able to log 28 beacons in about a half hour of listening. No real DX, mostly stuff out to about 300 miles but not bad considering the time of day and season. Was using my Satellit 750 which is a nice all around radio for casual listening but not my hottest DX machine. So, probably would have heard a few more beacons with a communications receiver.

From your location, you may want to consider a mini DXpedition to the beach for some LWBC DX. This is not the best time of year. Winter is better with long hours of darkness (you need a night time path between you and Europe/Africa) and no T-storm static. Do some research on a Beverage On Ground
(BOG) antenna. A fancy name for laying several hundred feet of wire on the ground. With the end pointed at Europe on top of sandy soil you should have a good chance at some LWBC DX. You will just have to find a spot on the beach where you can lay out some wire (the more the better) without a problem.

Anyway, thanks for the reply and let us know what you come up with.

 

[Steamed_Hams]

I'm using a 750 too! I bought it last spring and it's the first shortwave radio I've ever owned. So far I'm pretty happy with it though I am looking forward to picking up more along the way, in part to see how they all stack against one another. That, and because nobody tells you this hobby is surprisingly addictive.


I've been surprised that listening in my apartment hasn't been as bad as I'd originally imagined it'd be. That said, it's not particularly great either, with even dependable nighttime stations like Radio Romania International and Radio Havana Cuba coming in very staticky, though afternoon broadcasts (on higher frequencies) from Radio Saudi and others come in pretty fine by comparison, oddly enough. Mind you, this is all just from within my bedroom; our balcony is quite small, and while I enjoy listening outside, summer has already visited us in her usual brutal way.

The Apex looks good, especially for that price. Sadly though I'm on a budget and there's no way it wouldn't rouse suspicion from the apartment management. (The rules state the only things allowed on balconies are plants and furniture; I don't think they'd buy my explanation of an antenna like that being some sorta highbrow outdoor modern art piece.) But it's definitely on my list for later, along with your BOG/LW DXpedition idea!


As for other apartment listening ideas, well...there's more than a couple of other threads about that subject on just this site alone, and I'm afraid of dragging this thread off topic more than I already have.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

I'm using a 750 too! I bought it last spring and it's the first shortwave radio I've ever owned. So far I'm pretty happy with it though I am looking forward to picking up more along the way, in part to see how they all stack against one another. That, and because nobody tells you this hobby is surprisingly addictive.


I've been surprised that listening in my apartment hasn't been as bad as I'd originally imagined it'd be. That said, it's not particularly great either, with even dependable nighttime stations like Radio Romania International and Radio Havana Cuba coming in very staticky, though afternoon broadcasts (on higher frequencies) from Radio Saudi and others come in pretty fine by comparison, oddly enough. Mind you, this is all just from within my bedroom; our balcony is quite small, and while I enjoy listening outside, summer has already visited us in her usual brutal way.

The Apex looks good, especially for that price. Sadly though I'm on a budget and there's no way it wouldn't rouse suspicion from the apartment management. (The rules state the only things allowed on balconies are plants and furniture; I don't think they'd buy my explanation of an antenna like that being some sorta highbrow outdoor modern art piece.) But it's definitely on my list for later, along with your BOG/LW DXpedition idea!


As for other apartment listening ideas, well...there's more than a couple of other threads about that subject on just this site alone, and I'm afraid of dragging this thread off topic more than I already have.

Keep experimenting, it's all part of the fun of the hobby. There is all sort of information out there on this site and elsewhere about portable, loop, and stealthy antennas for people in restricted environments.