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Re: LF: Antennas

To: <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: LF: Antennas
From: "mal hamilton" <[email protected]>
Date: Tue, 3 Jan 2012 14:03:57 -0000
References: <008301ccc97c$51d9fcf0$0401a8c0@xphd97xgq27nyf>,<CABP+t7Zgr4iUWhCQzTKnqBQFcsK4_=zjuPWd5AHkvU5Tggu1EA@mail.gmail.com> <BF4A524700075746A6467658DFC7102CB0B489A6C5@ICTS-S-EXC2-CA.luna.kuleuven.be>,<003501ccca06$6bdef490$0401a8c0@xphd97xgq27nyf> <BF4A524700075746A6467658DFC7102CB0B489A6C6@ICTS-S-EXC2-CA.luna.kuleuven.be> <[email protected]>
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This is NOT the case at my QTH. The signal over noise is excellent because I live in a QUIET location  S9 signal with virtually no NOISE
from the large antenna.
Why do commercial receiving stations use large antenna farms out in the countryside ?? They do not use ferrite sticks or micro probes
If you have always lived in an Urban environment with lots of noise then you do not understand what I am talking about.
Go out into the countryside, put up a large antenna array and compare it against pocket size antennas, then you will be in a position to comment.
If International commercial and coastal receiving radio stations could use Ferrite sticks, micro probes they would not go to the vast expense of installing large wire arrays.
Out in Rural areas large antennas equals big gain and very little noise whereas in Urban areas what ever sort of antenna you use there is likely to be a noise problem.
One other point at my QTH there are no overhead wires in the immediate vicinity nor as far as I can see looking for miles across the countryside to cause noise pollution.
A large antenna at your qth might capture more noise than signal, hardly the place to live for a LF experimenter!!
g3kev
 
 
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 12:51 PM
Subject: Re: LF: Antennas

Hi Rik,

Am 03.01.2012 13:38, schrieb Rik Strobbe:
Depends on how "gain" is defined. Larges antennas pick up more signal, but also more noise.
It is the signal to noise ratio that is important, and this is no better than with smaller antennas.
With a large antenna a signal will be S9 and noise at S7. With a small antenna the same signal will be S3 with noise at S1. In both cases SNR is the same.

This is exactly the thing that he never will understand. Often discussed and somehow logical, anyway. This is why he says that a small antenna is worse, since he runs a RX that needs a high signal input level. Thus a small antenna, e.g. a ferrite antenna without a suitable preamp, gives poor results....

73, Stefan



 
 
73, Rik  ON7YD - OR7T
 

Van: [email protected] [[email protected]] namens mal hamilton [[email protected]]
Verzonden: dinsdag 3 januari 2012 11:57
Aan: [email protected]
Onderwerp: Re: LF: Antennas

Like you say with the larger antennas Attenuation is needed there is so much more gain over the smaller variety.
My antennas both on LF es MF have attenuation control  to reduce the gain, a good position to be in I suppose.
g3kev
 
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2012 10:48 AM
Subject: RE: LF: Antennas

Hello Doug,
 
over the past decade I have tested small loop antennas, a miniwhip (PA0RDT) and a "big" transmitting antenna for receiving purposes and found that each of them has its own advantages, as well on 137kHz as on 500kHz.
 
Loop antenna
Advantages:
- very frequency selective, can be useful to attenuate broadcast
- 8-shaped pattern can be useful to null out QRM sources
- if large enough you don't need a pre-amp
- you can move the loop around your property to find the best (now noise) location
Disadvantages:
- not omnidirectional, so you might need to rotate the loop
- single band antenna
 
Miniwhip:
Advantages:
- broadband, can be used from (V)LF to HF
- omnidirectional
- you can move the loop around your property to find the best (now noise) location
Disadvantages:
- pre-amp (built in), so you need to feed it with a DC voltage. This has to be done with some care as it can introduce QRM.
- broadband so your RX needs to be able to handle the all signals. Can be solved by a BPF in front of the RX.
 
"Big" TX antenna (Marconi):
Advantes:
- readily available if you also TX on 137/500kHz
- no TX/RX antenna switching if you also TX on 137/500kHz
- no pre-amp needed (in contradiction, often you will need an attenuator).
- some frequency selectivity, but not as good as a loop
Disadvantages:
- big, often not worth the effort if you only want to RX
- cannot be moved around to minimize QRM
 
Conclusion:
If you have a TX antenna and the local QRM is not too bad you can use it as RX antenna, so no need for an additional RX antenna. If you use a loop RX antenna it should be at sufficient distance from your TX antenna, otherwise it will pick up all the QRM from the TX antenna. I did not notice that effect with the miniwhip.
If you want to RX only a loop or miniwhip seems the best (most economical) option.
I compared the miniwhip and my TX antenna on many occasions and could not notice a significant difference (as RX antenna).
During the winter 2010-2011 Canadian and US beacons were copied regulary with good (audible) signals on 500kHz.
 
73, Rik  ON7YD - OR7T

Van: [email protected] [[email protected]] namens Douglas D. Williams [[email protected]]
Verzonden: maandag 2 januari 2012 22:53
Aan: [email protected]
Onderwerp: Re: LF: Antennas

Mal, you lost me on this one. Are you suggesting I (or we.....here in North America) erect large verticals, inv L systems, Rhombics, and V beams in order to receive EU LF signals?
 
 
I thought I was doing pretty well with my micro RX antenna!
 
 
Doug KB4OEr
 


 
On Mon, Jan 2, 2012 at 6:28 PM, mal hamilton <g3kevmal@talktalk.net> wrote:
LF es MF
Reports from across the pond and other DX locations as far as Tenneesee and Kansas using micro probe antennas are great for QRSS speeds but not suitable for audio reception.
Take 160 metres for example where it is normal to work world wide on cw but antennas in use are large verticals, inv L systems, Rhombics and V beams, therefore to have any chance of receiving signals at audio level on LF or MF large antennas of the calibre used on 160 metres are necessary.
As well as TX at this QTH I also use large arrays for RX and often hear signals from NA that would not be audible with small loops, micro probes or ferrite sticks
Recently on 500 I was able to copy a W stn 579 but a DL stn copied only on screen, when I asked what strength the signal was I got no reply!!!!!!!!!!!!! using a micro probe antenna.
If a proper large antenna system is not used on LF es MF then there is virtually NIL chance of an audio report from across the pond for EU stns es vice versa
Back some years ago I had audio reports from the Boston area but the antennas were proper wire arrays as used on 160 metres
Small hand held antennas are fine for High Power  BC strength signals but not for low power amateur signals to be heard
No commercial LF/MF station would even consider an antenna of the micro variety.
When I was in the business some years ago on LF/MF Rhombics and V-Beams were the norm
de mal/g3kev
 
 
 
 

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