End Of An Era At This Listening Post

[ridgescan]

Get an antenna switch and use the Wellbrook for all of them. Beats having to move the antenna lead around and is sure to be cheaper than buying additional antennas.

I have three Alpha Deltas from the old QTH; two Delta-2s and one Delta-3. Thing is, I can't get coax upstairs to that room-Rose won't allow drilling and this is a big house so it's a long, long way from the room to the loop.

 

[ridgescan]

Too much RFI noise inside my QTH for the 1020 to be of any use. However, taking it outdoors away from the noise it works quite nicely...
oh well, so much for an "indoor" active antenna. On the AM broadcast band the 1020 with its whip performs similar to the Crane TCA in a side by side comparison (although in some cases the TCA has an advantage due to it being able to be rotated). The 1020 has tons of gain, on strong sigs the 1020 gain needs to be turned way down to prevent RX overload.

Here too. We don't have "cable" TV/internet here, we have only satellite services. So the internet company is running these "Eero" WIFI extenders both upstairs and downstairs to "blanket" the whole home with WIFI signal. I think this is the killer of the MFJ box.

 

[Patch42]

I have three Alpha Deltas from the old QTH; two Delta-2s and one Delta-3. Thing is, I can't get coax upstairs to that room

I guess I didn't understand your setup. You were talking about wanting to run the R75 and SX-88, which I assumed would be where you have the lead from the serious antenna.

Rose won't allow drilling and this is a big house so it's a long, long way from the room to the loop.

I suppose it would be impolitic to suggest you remind her of that policy when she next asks you to hang something on the wall.

 

[WA8ZTZ]

Ridge,

Check out the MFJ 4600 series window feedthrough panels to get around the "no drilling" edict.

 

[ridgescan]

I guess I didn't understand your setup. You were talking about wanting to run the R75 and SX-88, which I assumed would be where you have the lead from the serious antenna.


I suppose it would be impolitic to suggest you remind her of that policy when she next asks you to hang something on the wall.

Ha! She won't even hang stuff on the walls I don't blame her for drawing the drill-line. This really is a very nice home and I kinda feel the same way.

 

[Patch42]

This really is a very nice home and I kinda feel the same way.

Obviously your choice, but you're the one that has to live there. What's the point of a home if not to provide for the needs of the occupants? I don't personally want to live in a museum where you can't touch anything. There's a lot of room between pristine home that's never been altered and junky space with wires hanging from the ceiling in every room. And there are ways to tastefully hide wires and such.

Perhaps once the newness has worn off you can broach the subject again.

 

[ridgescan]

I'm finally back with a listening station

 

[N8IAA]

Obviously your choice, but you're the one that has to live there. What's the point of a home if not to provide for the needs of the occupants? I don't personally want to live in a museum where you can't touch anything. There's a lot of room between pristine home that's never been altered and junky space with wires hanging from the ceiling in every room. And there are ways to tastefully hide wires and such.

Perhaps once the newness has worn off you can broach the subject again.

Have you ever heard "Happy Wife, Happy LIfe"?

And, sometimes you just need a break. Ridgescan does have a setup.

Used to have a great attic space for my radio room. Never drilled a hole for coax. All passed through windows and antennas inside.

Moved to my location 22+ years ago. Compromised with the wife as to outside antennas. No issues.

 

[ridgescan]

Have you ever heard "Happy Wife, Happy LIfe"?

And, sometimes you just need a break. Ridgescan does have a setup.

Used to have a great attic space for my radio room. Never drilled a hole for coax. All passed through windows and antennas inside.

Moved to my location 22+ years ago. Compromised with the wife as to outside antennas. No issues.

Good deal! And she is really good about this stuff. My old QTH was all about rigs. feed lines, switches and big antennas. I just cannot do this like I used to as I'm not alone in a bachelor pad anymore

 

[Boombox]

There also is inductive coupling, where no holes are drilled. Not so good for transmitting, but would probably work OK for receiving, depending on how it was done. I've heard of guys putting foil or other sheets of metal outside and inside a window, and the glass acts like a type of capacitor, allowing signals through, the two sheets acting as an inductive or capacitive connector of sorts.

 

[Patch42]

I've heard of guys putting foil or other sheets of metal outside and inside a window, and the glass acts like a type of capacitor, allowing signals through, the two sheets acting as an inductive or capacitive connector of sorts.

I think you may have missed the part about aesthetics being an important aspect of the final solution.

 

[danesgs]

Ditto all the above, radio is a blood fever, it never leaves you. Sort of like Lycanthropy. Every full moon you have to turn the knob and listen to the howling.

 

[KB2GOM]

Ditto all the above, radio is a blood fever, it never leaves you. Sort of like Lycanthropy. Every full moon you have to turn the knob and listen to the howling.

Funny . . . and true!

 

[Patch42]

Ditto all the above, radio is a blood fever, it never leaves you. Sort of like Lycanthropy. Every full moon you have to turn the knob and listen to the howling.

My biggest problem is with buying them. My collection doesn't come close to that of some folks, but I have way more radios than any one person could ever need. Yet I still find myself far too often combing ebay for deals on some of the classics.

 

[ridgescan]

There also is inductive coupling, where no holes are drilled. Not so good for transmitting, but would probably work OK for receiving, depending on how it was done. I've heard of guys putting foil or other sheets of metal outside and inside a window, and the glass acts like a type of capacitor, allowing signals through, the two sheets acting as an inductive or capacitive connector of sorts.

I never knew that. So it's like how a glass-mount mobile antenna works then.

 

[ridgescan]

My biggest problem is with buying them. My collection doesn't come close to that of some folks, but I have way more radios than any one person could ever need. Yet I still find myself far too often combing ebay for deals on some of the classics.

Me too-the old DX-160 is still in a moving box in the closet. At the old place I ran the 8600, DX-160, SX-88, and BC785D in the bedroom and the R75 in the living room. I even had the Korting Del Monico to a CCrane Justice twin stick in the kitchen (which is in operation in that room with the sleeping rigs). Funny thing is I don't really miss having all that out at once.

 

[ridgescan]

Typical, reliable clean reception of the VOA @ 1910GMT (about 11:10PST) transmitting from Selebe-Phikwe at over 10,000 miles on the Wellbrook at ground level. I love this new QTH! Very SWL/MW-DX friendly! I got lucky!

 

[Turbo68]

Ridgescan my mfj & wellbrook active loops are at ground level they do an excellent job on hf aero as for w6lvp active loop is around 4 metres high works as good as others.

Regards Lino.

 

[ridgescan]

Ridgescan my mfj & wellbrook active loops are at ground level they do an excellent job on hf aero as for w6lvp active loop is around 4 metres high works as good as others.

Regards Lino.

Thanks Lino-it really does perform much better near the earth! I've had both and this is far better.

 

[Swifteddy]

Ridgescan, I assume the serial number of your SX-88 is 127 but out of curiosity what is its run number? I have a Run 2 and it is in the process of restoration. I too have a ICOM R75 and R8600 but prefer my Perseus but want to get back to the sound of an old time analog tube receiver. Because of deed restrictions on outdoor antennas in my neighborhood have to use an attic dipole which is not that great. How intrusive is a Wellbrook loop?
Regards, Swift.