A bit of 500kHz experimentation

The new cardboard box frame antenna with better wire turns out to be a bit better. A few dB increase of S/N has been gained.

The loop was at first connected to the HF-3 receiver, and gave some WSPR spots from local stations like PA0A, PA3EGO (also seen with QRSS) and PA3FNY, with relatively good signals if considerably lower than Joachim gets with his Octaplumb. Also G4JNT during night time and one or two other spots from G stations. All in all not very impressive, but not too bad for an antenna inside the noise field of the apartment. Also every night DI2AM with QRSS, and occasionally a good signal from OK0EMW.

A test with the ATS909 receiver, using just the built-in ferrite antenna gave surprisingly good results, almost as good as the cardboard loop with the HF-3, with DI2AM in every evening.

Test with the FT-817 gave a marginal improvement over the HF-3, maybe 1 - 2 dB.

Test with a FRG-100 receiver showed that the receiver is considerably more sensitive than the FT-817, but due to "antenna noise" (apartment noise) the improvement was again marginal, 1 - 2 dB.

The antenna has now been moved upstairs, still indoors, and another 1 - 2 dB has been gained. interesting to see how much signals will come from the G stations now.

An improved loop for outdoor mounting, like Joachim's Octaplumb will be built here, and some tests with larger transmit antennas are in the plans. Well, and a TX, too, probably beginning with some 50 - 100 mW, so ERP will be in the microwatt range.

This week I am having a visit from a friend staying over, so not much time for building activities, but after that it should go on.

I still have some experimentation on the Rockmites and a Warbler, so more than enough to do here.

Also some experiments with the TL592 amplifier for active antennas (LF,MF,HF) is in the thoughts here, such as variations on the antenna from this site

FT-817 PA failure

Looks like the PA of my FT-817 gave up the ghost. Maximum 50 - 100mW out of the transceiver, whatever I do.

It looked for a day or two like my WSPR signals on 10MHz were soewhat down, and quite right, minimalist output there.

I have decided to leave it as is for now, a bit of output is still there, but a repair has to be done at a later stage.

Also, I decided to move the FT-817 *as it is now, on 10 meters, so listening and *really* WSPRing on 28.126120 MHz if anyone pops up there I will be leaving the reporter on and with an estimated output power of 50mW, running concurrently with SpectrumLab for QRSS on 28.125900 - 28.126000 MHz, running with a full wave 10m loop inside my balcony, tuneable from 10 - 20m with reasonable efficiency.