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[129.206.22.206]) by mx.google.com with ESMTPSA id my10sm4966148lbb.9.2014.09.29.07.15.33 for (version=TLSv1 cipher=ECDHE-RSA-RC4-SHA bits=128/128); Mon, 29 Sep 2014 07:15:34 -0700 (PDT) From: DK7FC <73dk7fc@googlemail.com> X-Google-Original-From: DK7FC <73dk7fc@gmail.com> Message-ID: <54296984.7080607@gmail.com> Date: Mon, 29 Sep 2014 16:15:32 +0200 User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows; U; Windows NT 6.1; de; rv:1.9.1.8) Gecko/20100227 Thunderbird/3.0.3 MIME-Version: 1.0 To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org References: <54281B0D.4040202@gmail.com> <1FEF5D3CDFAF4F5D9A31B0134D133FCF@White> In-Reply-To: <1FEF5D3CDFAF4F5D9A31B0134D133FCF@White> X-Scan-Signature: 913d7a7c91a460d176c89ad756da16f9 Subject: Re: LF: ZEVS RX ant question Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="------------030804020409070105060606" X-SA-Exim-Scanned: Yes Sender: owner-rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org Precedence: bulk Reply-To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org X-Listname: rsgb_lf_group X-SA-Exim-Rcpt-To: rs_out_1@blacksheep.org X-SA-Exim-Scanned: No; SAEximRunCond expanded to false X-Scanned-By: MIMEDefang 2.56 on 10.1.3.10 Status: RO X-Status: X-Keywords: X-UID: 532 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------030804020409070105060606 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-15; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Hi Markus, Ha-Jo, Thanks for your schematic. I know it from your recent post. I thought it could be an adavantage to have some LPF in front of the first stage due to DLF/153 kHz and so on, just to prevent overloading the soundcard... In my recording, neither the PC soundcard nor SpecLab run an AGC or NB. The spectrogram is taken from L1 and i recorded the sound input. BTW the recording was taken in the garden, so i expect lower QRM in the E field at least. I think it could help to reduce the input resistor on the input of the antenna. From previous experiments with compact active antennas i remember that a plastic box arround the metallic electrode significantly helped to reduce static QRM. Maybe this is the same effect here. I'll continue to play :-) Another project is a high voltage trap against wild pigs in my garden "Wildschweinschreck" ;-) I already carried some HV caps there (5 kV / 90 uF > 1 kJ) in a first step :-) 73, Stefan Am 28.09.2014 17:56, schrieb Markus Vester: > Hi Stefan, > here is the simple source follower circuit which picked up Zevs and > Schumann resonances: > http://df6nm.bplaced.net/VLF/ELF/source_follower.jpg . The browsable > directory http://df6nm.bplaced.net/VLF/ELF/ also contains some > spectrograms, an usr configuration, and a couple of wav files which > were sampled at 250 samples/sec. In a postprocessing step, the strong > 16.7 Hz harmonics have been notched out, and the wav file header has > been modified for replay at 60x speed. What then sounds like statics > are actually "Q-bursts", super strong lightning events which resonate > globally in the earth / ionosphere cavity. > I also wonder why your low frequency range looks so noisy. I suspect > that you might still have the noise blanker activated, which would > be sheer poison! It will modulate itself onto the usually strong 50 Hz > line and also onto a possible DC offset, generating sidebands that > will splatter all over the ELF spectrum. My recipe was trying to keep > everything linear, with the local 16.7 Hz line only a few dB below > fullscale, and Zevs only about - 91 dB. > Best 73, > Markus (DF6NM) > > *From:* DK7FC > *Sent:* Sunday, September 28, 2014 4:28 PM > *To:* rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org > *Subject:* LF: ZEVS RX ant question > > HI VLF, > > Yesterday i tried again to receive ZEVS. I didn't know if it was on > air but gave it a try. Recorded about 2 hours of the VLF spectrum > received on my T antenna (i.e. E-field). I also used a source follower > (J310) but added a 3 stage RC filter in front of the gate. I thought i > can afford some pF against ground now with the relatively large > antenna which must have about 150 pF. I used this circuit: > https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/VLF/ZEVS%20test%20ant.jpg > > But somehow the spectrum looks not as expected. While the MSKs are > still strong, there is much noise below 2 kHz and the sferics appear > to be quite weak. See: > https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/VLF/Garden%20T%20antenna%20VLF%201.png > > I remember from tests with a small active antenna for VLF, where i > used 100 MOhm resistors on the gate, that *charged humidity *caused > much noise. > Could this be the same effect here? > Should i try to use a lower input impedance of the preamp? > Maybe you remember, there were certain transistors, several decades > ago, they were called bipolar transistors, NPN and PNP. Maybe i should > try one of them? :-) > > Advice is apprechiated. Where are the experts? > > 73, Stefan/DK7FC --------------030804020409070105060606 Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-15 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Hi Markus, Ha-Jo,

Thanks for your schematic. I know it from your recent post. I thought it could be an adavantage to have some LPF in front of the first stage due to DLF/153 kHz and so on, just to prevent overloading the soundcard...

In my recording, neither the PC soundcard nor SpecLab run an AGC or NB. The spectrogram is taken from L1 and i recorded the sound input. BTW the recording was taken in the garden, so i expect lower QRM in the E field at least.

I think it could help to reduce the input resistor on the input of the antenna. From previous experiments with compact active antennas i remember that a plastic box arround the metallic electrode significantly helped to reduce static QRM. Maybe this is the same effect here.

I'll continue to play :-) Another project is a high voltage trap against wild pigs in my garden "Wildschweinschreck" ;-) I already carried some HV caps there (5 kV / 90 uF > 1 kJ) in a first step :-)

73, Stefan



Am 28.09.2014 17:56, schrieb Markus Vester:
Hi Stefan,
 
here is the simple source follower circuit which picked up Zevs and Schumann resonances: http://df6nm.bplaced.net/VLF/ELF/source_follower.jpg . The browsable directory http://df6nm.bplaced.net/VLF/ELF/ also contains some spectrograms, an usr configuration, and a couple of wav files which were sampled at 250 samples/sec. In a postprocessing step, the strong 16.7 Hz harmonics have been notched out, and the wav file header has been modified for replay at 60x speed. What then sounds like statics are actually "Q-bursts", super strong lightning events which resonate globally in the earth / ionosphere cavity.
 
I also wonder why your low frequency range looks so noisy. I suspect that you might still have the noise blanker activated, which would be sheer poison! It will modulate itself onto the usually strong 50 Hz line and also onto a possible DC offset, generating sidebands that will splatter all over the ELF spectrum. My recipe was trying to keep everything linear, with the local 16.7 Hz line only a few dB below fullscale, and Zevs only about - 91 dB.
 
Best 73,
Markus (DF6NM)
 

From: DK7FC
Sent: Sunday, September 28, 2014 4:28 PM
Subject: LF: ZEVS RX ant question

HI VLF,

Yesterday i tried again to receive ZEVS. I didn't know if it was on air but gave it a try. Recorded about 2 hours of the VLF spectrum received on my T antenna (i.e. E-field). I also used a source follower (J310) but added a 3 stage RC filter in front of the gate. I thought i can afford some pF against ground now with the relatively large antenna which must have about 150 pF. I used this circuit: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/VLF/ZEVS%20test%20ant.jpg

But somehow the spectrum looks not as expected. While the MSKs are still strong, there is much noise below 2 kHz and the sferics appear to be quite weak. See: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19882028/VLF/Garden%20T%20antenna%20VLF%201.png

I remember from tests with a small active antenna for VLF, where i used 100 MOhm resistors on the gate, that charged humidity caused much noise.
Could this be the same effect here?
Should i try to use a lower input impedance of the preamp?
Maybe you remember, there were certain transistors, several decades ago, they were called bipolar transistors, NPN and PNP. Maybe i should try one of them? :-)

 Advice is apprechiated. Where are the experts?

73, Stefan/DK7FC
--------------030804020409070105060606--