“Noise is the constant companion of the stealth antenna warrior. And as the 160m season heats up this winter, the noise level of the house with the attic 160m dipole was a serious limitation to doing any real work on that band. I had not considered a dedicated receiving antenna but a friend Mike AB0X has had excellent results with loops and that was always in the back of my mind… With the Stew Perry 160m contest coming up, I convinced myself that a receiving loop was the next step in antenna work needed.
Where to put the loop was the next big issue to resolve. Initially I had considered putting it in the attic – but that space is already past it’s limit of antenna complications with the current antennas. So the logical step – and one that would offer the best chance at noise reduction, would be to put this on the patio. That of course would invite neighbor comments or a possible visit by the HOA for “consultation.” Caution goes to the wind! [And so far, so quiet=good!!!!]
The loop is the unshielded type constructed from RG-11. The benefit of the shielded type loop construction seems to be in loop balance and that is said to improve null depth. However, in my case -with plans to have a stationary orientation, moderate loop nulls are beneficial. The orientation of the loop is ENE-WSW which aligns nicely with the coast population centers. And this also allows the null to be focused at the house which I expect is the primary source of QRN…. READ FULL ARTICLE
Equipment
METROPWR FX775 – VECTOR POWER/SWR METER
METROPWR FX775, is a modern VECTOR POWER/SWR METER completely digital. It’s composed of a wattmeter and a power coupler for measurements up to 3/5kW. ... Read more
Begali Signature Dual Paddle Key – Palladium
The Signature Gold embodies the experience that we have gained with the Magnetic Classic and the Magnetic Professional paddles, and it incorporates im... Read more
Heathkit ® Precision RF Meter – HM-1002 – pre-order
Finally, affordable laboratory-grade accuracy. And a whole lot more. For about fifty years, SWR/power meters haven’t really changed at all. Un... Read more
GHD Keys by JA7GHD
GHD Keys , made by Toshihiko Ujiie (JA7GHD) in Sendai City, are beautiful, practical, and innovative. The “D” models use optical sensors i... Read more
Xiegu X5105 HF+6m Transceiver
Xiegu X5105 “Here is a pic of the new Xiegu X5105… Xiegu Tech will launch new products. I’m very pleased to share relevant information wit... Read more
New Controller for ANANs/OpenHPSDR, compatible with all ANAN radios!
New Controller for ANANs/OpenHPSDR, compatible with all ANAN radios! **Dual Receive with independent Panadapter/waterfall **PureSignal Predistortion S... Read more
Radiosport RS20S Headset
Over-The-Head “Listen Only” headset in Carbon Fiber finish. The perfect CW Ops headset with 24dB Noise Reduction when you’re digging... Read more
Antenna
Hustler 6 Band Vertical HF Fixed Station 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, and 75 or 80 Meters
Bandwidth at it’s broadest! VSWR 2:1 or better at band edges on 10-40 meters. Up to 100 kHz. on 75/80 meters. Solid one inch fiberglass... Read more
RQ-84 – The classic “Quad” full-size has ten elements for 10m, eight – 15 m, six – 20 m, and four full-size elements on 40m band
RQ-84 – the classic “Quad” full-size has ten elements for 10m, eight – 15 m, six – 20 m, and four full-size elements on... Read more
Skew Planar Wheel Antenna for 435MHz
Antenna for 435MHz Skew-Planar antenna has had little attention in the amateur radio community despite being present in QST by Robert H.... Read more
New Hy-Gain Dual Band 4 Element 6/4m
DB-46M8EL New Hy-Gain Dual Band 4 Element 6/4m Yagi Designed by Justin Johnson G0KSC renowned antenna designer and known for his LFA and other uniqu... Read more
How-To: Splice Wire to NASA Standards
Developed during the heyday of the telegraph, the Lineman’s splice is designed for connections that will be under tension. It is commonly claimed that... Read more
Antenna experiment – Fractal Quad for 28 Mhz band
“After reading many antenna articles in the Internet and a couple ARRL antenna books I got interested in physically small HF antennas. My... Read more
News
K4UEE Wins October QST Cover Plaque Award
The winner of the October 2015 QST Cover Plaque award is “The Long Road to Navassa” by Bob Allphin, K4UEE. The QST Cover Plaque Award — given to... Read more
Australian Bushfires Causing Major Telecommunication Outages, Hams Asked to Remain Alert
Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA) President Greg Kelly, VK2GPK, says the bushfires in Australia have caused or are expected to cause significant d... Read more
The K7RA Solar Update 11/30/2015
ARRL Headquarters was closed on Thursday and Friday for the Thanksgiving holiday, which delayed this bulletin by several days. This week we return to... Read more
Two ISS SSTV events during July 29 – August 4
ARISS Russia is planning Slow Scan Television (SSTV) image transmissions on 145.800 MHz FM from the International Space Station. Below is the schedule... Read more
ARRL to Hold National Convention at Orlando HamCation in February 2021
ARRL has announced that Orlando HamCation® will host the 2021 ARRL National Convention in Orlando, Florida, February 11 – 14. The convention will mark... Read more
ARRL to FCC: Amateurs and Vehicular Radars Can Play Nicely Together on 77-81 GHz
In comments filed on April 6 in response to a February FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and Reconsideration Order (NPRM&RO) in ET Docket 1... Read more
Dick Tracy 2 Way Wrist Radio Toy Commercial
Dick Tracy Watch Read more
