Tag Archives: Antennas

Joshuah says: “The Cross Country Wireless LAA++ amplifier rocks!”

1 Reply

Image Source: Cross Country Wireless

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Joshuah, who writes:

Dear Thomas,

I recently dedicated some funding to rebuilding my shortwave listening station.

I had paid attention to new amplifiers  and became aware of some review data by an engineer at SDRPlay comparing amplifier performance that suggests the Cross Country Wireless amplifier, at a cost of only 80 dollars, had become a competitive design offering performance comparable to amplifiers costing 10 times that much.

I was hooked by the specific demonstrations showing that the LAA++ offered IMD characteristics more similar to a Wellbrook, with gain more similar to other high amplification designs. I had to have one.

I set up my station with the following components:

    • A used Icron Ranger 2304 USB over ethernet extender off eBay
    • A used Airspy Discovery off eBay
    • A Cross Country Wireless receiver protector(or similar ferrite + gas discharge diode isolator)
    • A custom ordered LAA++ amplifier from Cross Country Wireless built for 75 ohm with F connectors and a low pass filter at 14MHz
    • A power inserter from an W6LVP that wasn’t cutting the mustard
    • A pair of classic, solid transforming power adapter bricks
    • An unshielded ethernet cable
    • Some Fair-Rite ferrite snap ons with multiple turns

I obtained a weatherproof enclosure and some pex tubing and specialty cable glands and built an antenna housing. Inside the enclosure I mounted the amplifier, adding a large gauge copper wire for the antenna element, and used an affordable tri-shield RG11 with specialty connectors as the feedline for the antenna.

The antenna measures approximately a 2 meter diameter, and is mounted about 5 feet off the ground at the base of the antenna. It is located outside of a remote shed at the edge of my property, and the ethernet (alternatively, wireless repeating parabolic dish with router) mirrors the USB data back to the PC in my basement which serves as the shortwave receiving server host.

I have been overwhelmed both with the amount of new noise and new signal that this antenna picks up.

In shortwave, the other night, I was picking up stations around the world.

Tonight, I was able to very clearly make out CHLO. I am located in EM38, over 700 miles from the transmitter, which only operates at 250 watts during the night time.
I was also able to pick up some international NOAA NAVTEX alerts on 518kHz about a right whale slow zone in the Atlantic off the shore of New Jersey.

I would  highly recommend this antenna amplifier.

Yours sincerely,

Joshuah

Thank you so much, Joshuah, for allowing me to post your note here in the SWLing Post. I’m so glad you found such an affordable way to cobble together an effective antenna system to not only mitigate interference, but also afford you DX-worthy reception. 

I’ve only heard good comments about Cross Country Wireless as well. 

Again, thank you for sharing your impressions and details about your setup!

Click here to check out the Cross Country Wireless amplifier.

Spread the radio love

Guest Post: Pavel’s Homebrew “Monster” Drain Pipe FSL Antenna

16 Replies


Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pavel Kraus, for the following guest post:

Building a Drain Pipe FSL Antenna

by Pavel Kraus

Hi, I greet all DX fans and the entire SWLing Post community! I enjoy reading reading this blog and the diversity of contributions from our authors and contributors; many thanks from me for so much useful information.

The following are the construction notes of my FSL antenna, which I designed thanks to the suggestions of GaryDeBock, and other FSL designers.

The antenna is a classic design featuring 60 ferrite rods 200x 10 mm, which are placed on a plastic sewage pipe.

Pict 3: Pipe with ferrite rods and windings

Pict 4: Pipe with ferrite rods and windings

In addition, sewer pipe sections are used for the entire antenna cover. I assume that this material can be obtained in other countries as well. Continue reading →

Spread the radio love

Jock explores “The Essential Listening Post”

24 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Jock Elliott, who shares the following guest post:

The Essential Listening Post

By Jock Elliott, KB2GOM

Listening to shortwave radio (or any radio, for that matter) is just plain fun.

So what do you need to get in on the fun?

A radio. With today’s crop of portable SW radios, many of which have search and store capabilities, a newbie SWL can get started quickly without a lot fuss and bother and no extra stuff. Just hit the search and store function (it has different names on different radios), let the search function do its thing, and step through the memories to see what’s out there. If your radio doesn’t have search and store, you can just tune around to see what’s currently broadcasting or, if you have a computer or smart phone, use it to explore one of the online directories like https://shortwaveschedule.com/

What follow next are some things that I’ve found increase my enjoyment of SWLing. Continue reading →

Spread the radio love

GRAHN Spezialantennen currently closed

5 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Dan Robinson, who notes that Grahn Spezialantennen is currently closed due to the fact that Mr. Grahn is undergoing extended medical treatment.

Dan received this message from Christine Grahn who did not indicate if/when the business might re-open. We certainly wish him all of the best in recovery.

Click here to view the Grahn Spezialantennen website.

Spread the radio love

Grayhat’s NCPL (Noise-Cancelling Passive Loop) antenna “tweak”

7 Replies

My NCPL antenna

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Grayhat, who shares the following modification he made to a Noise-Cancelling Passive Loop antenna last year. He’s kindly allowed me to share his notes here, but apologized that at the time, he didn’t take photos of the project along the way and recycled many of the components into yet another antenna experiment.

Grayhat writes:

Here’s a simple tweak to the NCPL, made easy for anyone. Let’s start with the commercial NooElec 9:1 balun version 1 (not 2) … made in USA.

Look at the schematic of the balun:

Cut the R1 (0 Ohm resistor – jumper) so that the center tap of the transformer won’t be connected to ground, then solder a short piece of wire to the tap.

The first pic (top) shows the balun seen from top side, the arrow indicates the small hole going to the transformer tap.

This pic shows the bottom of the board with the trace to cut and the spot for soldering the tap wire (needs cleaning with a bit of sandpaper to remove the cover paint). The solder is as easy as 1-2-3 once the trace is cut and the spot cleaned just insert a wire from the top of the board and solder it to the bottom and there you go!

Build the NCPL using “fat” coax (RG8 will do) with the top cross connection.

NCPL modification schematic

Side note: the top “cross connection” is the weak point, so it would be a good idea putting a short piece of (say) PVC pipe over that point, the piece will also help suspending the loop or sticking its top to the support pole, as for the feedpoint, a small electrical junction box will fit and protect the tiny balun from bad weather

Now the difference: connect the two center conductors of the NCPL to the balun input and the braid to the wire going to the center tap (as above).

Such a configuration will give some advantages over the “standard” NCPL one. The loop will now be galvanically isolated from the feedline/receiver so it will have much less “static noise.” Due to the tap, the typical 8 pattern of the loop will be preserved, this means that the loop will now have much deeper nulls.

By the way, the balun could just be wound w/o buying it. I suggested the nooelec since that way anyone with little soldering ability will be able to put it together. Oh and by the way it’s then possible adding a small preamp at the balun output if one really wants, any preamp accepting a coax input will work. 🙂

Again, if you can/want, give it a try !

Many thanks for sharing this, Grayhat! We always welcome your inexpensive, innovative urban antenna projects!

Post readers: If you have question, feel free to comment and I’m sure Grayhat can help. 

Spread the radio love

The new Chameleon CHA RXL amplified magnetic loop antenna

22 Replies

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Chris Rogers, who writes:

Hi Thomas,

An interesting new product has just been released for pre order, a US made Chameleon model CHA-RXL receive loop covering from 137 kHz -30 MHz.

Looking at the options it comes on the web page it mentions a Loop type ”US single section” or “two sections European”. I am not sure of the difference however. In the specifications it claims a 36” loop.

However a very interesting new antenna to compete with the likes of Wellbrook, W6LVP etc

Hopefully you may, or one of your readers get one for review.

https://chameleonantenna.com/shop-here/ols/products/cha-rxl

Thank you, Chris!  I do plan to check out and review this loop from Chameleon. I’ve been evaluating a number of their ham radio field antennas and  can say that the quality is simply military grade.

I’m guessing (and it is truly a guess) that the EU version of the antenna is simply in two sections to save the customer excess shipping charges based on the package dimensions.

Thanks again for the tip.

Spread the radio love