Transmission1

I've finished my new MW loop antenna. It's a 2' loop, wound round a cardboard box and tacked up in the loft. Obviously, I can't keep climbing up to move it so I've oriented it to get me into the heart of Europe and North Africa, and even North America the other way via the great circle route.

First impressions are very good, pulling in BBC Radio Kent in broad daylight (c.120 miles), so I'm itching for it to get dark so I can see how well it pulls in the euro stations compared to my old desktop loop.

Anyhoo, my question is thus - I want to install a variable capacitor to further tune the antenna to each point in the band while listening, but I don't know how it's supposed to be wired in (I'm thinking bridging across the ends of the loop?), or what sort of value capacitor is needed? Any ideas?

Fheers,

Farty.

A swing of 10 to 365 pF is fine, 500 is better. Exact figures depend on the number of turns and spacing of the turns on the loop. Air spaced variable cap's are the norm. A variable pvc capacitor out of a cheap AM radio is handy for experimenting. You could build your own air spaced cap' if you're feeling creative. http://www.eham.net/articles/5217

Connection is as you mentioned, two ends of the loop to each terminal (stator) of the cap'

Happy building.

Cheers Crusty. That's exactly what I needed to know chum

Picking up Voice of Croati, I think, first time out - was strong at 2000 but just fading out as I type. Very happy.

You always get more of a buzz from successful homemade equipment. Nice one.

crusty wrote:You always get more of a buzz from successful homemade equipment. Nice one.

Cheers buddy!

Just spent half hour listening to the religious programming on Voice of England via the Trintelhaven transmaitter in Holland, 4 and 5, better than ever before.

Just need to sort out the cap then I'll really be flying.

Gonna see if the bible bashers will QSL

Pulled in Holland and France tonight, easy. I think also Ukraine, but couldn't get a positive I'd - not speaking Ukranian doesn't help!

Was also please to pull in Radio Scotland, but best of all Got Manx Radio. Up early in the morning, else I'd hang on for darkness to hit the US and try for some stations on the 10KHz spacings. This is highly addictive.

My problem is that I live in a very old (around 400yrs) house, halfway up a hill, surrounded by other houses and reception like a hooker at a bible class.

My lovely Kiwa MW air core loop picks up a fair amount of UK, Irish and European broadcasts but nothing like it did in Bournemouth where I used to live. She may have to go.
. My DX-1 Mk11 is good but until I get my 20ft mast I have to rely on a broomstick up its bum. I do get quite a bit of USA stuff where I have discovered that my immortal soul is in danger. Africa no longer speaks to me but China still disaproved of my materialistic Western ways.

It doesn't matter how good your kit is, location, experimentation and bloody persistance all play their part.

CRUSTY: Read your comments, love it when you talk dirty.

Bit of a late reply to this post.

But out of interest what plans did you follow for your antenna and how is it holding up. I have started to get back into MW DX again after many years and I am pretty pleased at what I am pulling in already on the little ferrite rod on the el cheapo Steepletone "World Radio" but want more!