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Message-ID: <4.2.0.58.19991117103538.009b0640@mailhost.pncl.co.uk>
Date: Wed, 17 Nov 1999 10:59:14 +0000
To: rsgb_lf_group@blacksheep.org
From: "Walter Blanchard" <blanch@pncl.co.uk>
Subject: LF: Reception
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Couple of points re recent emails:

E-field probes:
If you have or make an e-field probe antenna you will find that sticking it 
on top of a high mast makes an enormous difference to the signal strength. 
I have one for Decca (70-127 kHz) and another for DGPS (300 KHz).  Both are 
sticks about a foot long with low-noise pre-amps built in.  By putting them 
on top of my 60 ft mast  I added something like 30 dB to signal strengths 
and they produced signals not far short of what I get from my Top Band 
dipole strapped as a T-top. The reason is the concentration of the E-field 
around the top of a grounded metal mast and thus a considerable increase in 
effective height.  It does not work with H-field (loop) antennas.

Northerly propagation:
The last few weeks reception of northerly DGPS stations (300 kHz) up to 
2000 kms away has been excellent in the late evenings. Stations in Iceland; 
Sweden and Finland have been very good from about 1700 up to 0200. On one 
day I got continuous reception from Iceland (2000 kms) for almost 26 hours 
including daylight.  However, normally they fade out about 0200 and are 
very patchy from then on until 0600 when they go completely. This is quite 
different from last year when they came in at 2300 and lasted until 0900 or 
even 1000 next morning. Propagation from the Meditteranean is nothing like 
as good. How this reads across to 136 I'm not sure but there you are for 
what it's worth!

Walter G3JKV.
Walter Blanchard
Phone and Fax 01306 884359
Dorking, Surrey
RH4 2AN