[Lowfer] A Newbie's thanks, and a note on using Linrad for LF work.

Sun, 5 May 2002 03:51:36 -0000

Hi Roger,

Well I wondered who would be the first to try Linrad on Lowfer or NDB.
I guess you did. On your antenna, I would suggest, both experimenting
with grounds (to make sure that the power line is not the return for your
antenna)
and use a simple short whip and find the optimal quiet location for it. This
optimal
location could be anywhere and may even be counter intuative. If a specific
large noise comes from a specific large direction, a big loop is a must
have.
My antenna is well elevated above everything (70 feet up and above guy
wires).
I think this helps to make it a low noise antenna. When you can readily log
a few hundred NDB's, you are ready to log Lowfers. I hear so many NDB's,
it gets boring, logging them all. A 50 foot wire in the attic, may be too
close
to house wiring to be a quiet antenna. Put something portable together and
go hunting for that quiet sweet spot.

73, Jim Shaffer, WB9UWA.

----- Original Message -----
From: Roger Rehr W3SZ <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Cc: Leif Asbrink *SM5BSZ (E-mail) <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, May 04, 2002 10:26 PM
Subject: [Lowfer] A Newbie's thanks, and a note on using Linrad for LF work.

> Thanks to all for your help to a newbie.
>
> Yesterday evening after work I finished the K0BRA active antenna and put
it
> up in the attic with a wire about 50 feet long.  I am not yet ready for an
> outside antenna, although I know that will help a lot.
>
> This afternoon I was able to log some better DX than the RD beacon 2.7
miles
> away including
>
> IUB 404 Baltimore MD
> CLB 216 Wilmington NC
> RNB 363 Millville NJ
> JF 373 New York NY ... see below for this one...only found with Linrad
>
For EME I have used a homebrew receiver with
> Leif Asbrink's Linrad software to detect signals too weak for me to find
> otherwise, and I thought the same thing might be very helpful for this
> Lowfer stuff.  > 73,
>
> Roger Rehr
> W3SZ   FN20ah