[Lowfer] 518 kHz Navtex

[Zack Widup]

I am having a bad winter for LF listening. I built a loop antenna with 20
turns, 5 feet on a side, with pvc pipe. I have taps every 5 turns which I
can select with a switch. I built this preamp and put it in a  weatherproof
box at the antenna:

http://www.lowfer.us/k0lr/preamp/preamp.htm

I am not impressed with its performance. The box has been sitting on my
workbench for a couple months. I checked the circuit over and over compared
with the schematic. I measured voltages at the various leads of the active
devices and all seems in order. I checked the input voltage to the box (12
volts which is reduced to 9 volts in this circuit with a regulator) and the
tuning voltage when the unit is installed at the antenna and all seem fine.
But I am not seeing results I'd say came from a "high-gain preamp." I can
barely hear anything on it. I can't determine what the trouble is. The coax
from house to antenna seems fine, too.

And to top it off, I just started getting the dreaded PLL "unlock" warning
on my TS-850. I know what the trouble is but haven't had time to open it up
yet.

73, Zack W9SZ


On Mon, Feb 11, 2019 at 7:41 AM Garry <k3siw at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> Good propagation to the South here last night as message DK14 from
> Puerto Montt, Chile decoded at 04:33:53Z, right on the heels of message
> DA43 from Tofino, Canada at 04:32:58. Otherwise the usual cast of
> characters came through. No Greenland, but Cartwright, NL decoded once.
> Wonder what has become of station R in area 4 (Puerto Rico)? It's been
> absent here for awhile. Perhaps just overrun by long-winded N in area 4?
> --
> 73, Garry, K3SIW, EN52ta, Elgin, IL
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