Hugh's advice is excellent - adequate sensitvity, a resonant antenna
and good front-end filtering. I would add good dynamic range, an
effective noise blanker and ideally a way to reduce or switch off the
AGC. After fittng the filters, there should still be a large
difference in background noise when the antenna is connected.
Local noise is a major factor, and it may be necessary to have a
separate receive antenna, situated and oriented away from the noise
source.
Lastly, it can help to have a directional (preferably steerable)
antenna to reduce lightning noise away from the wanted direction.
Mike, G3XDV
============
> For LF reception there's no great secret. A decent communications
> receiver tuning down to 30kHz combined with a wire aerial broadly (or
> sharply) tuned to 136kHz, a correct loading coil should do the same
> job, this reduces broadcast signals to more acceptable levels. The
> receiver should have no attenuation below (say) 550khz, most of them
> have a bandpass filter on the front end, the older ones with a tuned
> front end were good but not stable enough. If you can get a circuit of
> the front end and re-draw it in a software program such as Tina it
> will display the frequency response and allow modifications to be set.
> I altered one inductor only. Beware of the remaining stations on Long
> Wave, it may require a notch filter, this is where software helps
> again. I think many transceivers for Amateur use have very poor,
> mediocre or just average receiver response at LF so I'm not sure if a
> preamplifier would help unless it's tuned. A notch filter on the
> receiver is essential and a good USB filter as well. It's worth buying
> extra filters according to the receiver as supplied. There is some
> choice but an internet search may help.
>
> Hugh, M0DSZ
>
> > Hello Hugh,
> >
> > Sunday, April 17, 2016
> >
> > Likewise, many thanks to Alex, it is a generous and useful
> > service, and I look forward to seeing who heard who. Thanks
> > Alex!!
> >
> > BTW Hugh, may I ask what you are using for LF reception
> > please? I want to get a better RX setup here, it isn't very
> > good compared to what you are achieving. Thanks.
> >
> >
> > Best regards,
> > Chris 2E0ILY mailto:[email protected]
> >
> >
> >
> >> I must thank Alex (R7NT) for his carefully collated, weekly
> >> reports, it helps to coordinate everyone's LF tests. For some
> >> reason I haven't been receiving him well or often though there are
> >> times when I'm not in Rx mode by virtue of being on HF fro a while,
> >> especially on Sunday mornings. Hugh, M0DSZ
> >
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> -----
> No virus found in this message.
> Checked by AVG - www.avg.com
> Version: 2016.0.7539 / Virus Database: 4556/12063 - Release Date:
> 04/19/16
>
|