2016-06-01, 01:18
Chevy,
Richo's recent post of the antenna mini guide will tell you a lot, if you've not read it.
I think the E field antenna (field probe, technically I guess) is exceptionally easy to make, considering winding your own ferrites, which is easy enough but takes time and is fiddling around, plus mounting them and all. But they can be placed in an attic or such as long as the surrounding area is pretty electrically quiet (no blenders or neon lights going on and off, dimmers, etc.) Yet there are early builders from years ago who searched their properties for the quietest spot. And the cable to the main board is best if short (correct me if I'm wrong, guys).
The E field antenna is a dream for me. I have a little tripod tower I took out into my woods where I live. A plastic pipe holds it up about 15' and the cable run back to the main controller can be ridiculously long, over 1000' was mentioned at one time. And it is much less bothered by some of the electrical noise that plagued the H field guys (if they were unlucky enough to have noise).
For me, I'm going to wind the ferrites since I have the stock on hand left over from RED, and it is sort of cool, I think. Some people weave baskets or knit and croquet while watching TV, so I'm not all crazy.)
But the first antenna I'll have up for BLUE will be an E Field. I was amazed at how much less fiddling I had to do with settings and all to get really good signals, especially when storms got closer. The H field had put me into interference mode a couple hundred miles out, now today I had a strike I submitted and was used for calculation not much more than 10 miles away.
One last thought, I'd be quick to visit an accomplished local Ham Radio Operator if there is ANY concern about soldering the boards. Even though some of the surface mount stuff supposedly is mounted (by experts) the other pieces are in close proximity if you look at the pictures and if you don't have the right iron, temperature, good solder, etc. it is easy to end up with solder bridges and correcting them if they bridge over to the tiny components won't be easy.
PLEASE don't be scared away, at all. I was concerned at first when I started putting RED together but got the hang of it after being away from board assembly for a couple decades and am looking forward to my bright lights and wife's magnifying lens on a mounted arm to help me make sure. I just couldn't be cavalier about it and shooshed the family out so there were no interruptions or distractions until I felt confident.
It just takes time, and I used a rule one of the other early builders told me. Check, recheck, check under bright light and then insert the component into the board. It saved me a couple of times, thinking I had the right part and correct orientation. An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure when it comes to trying to get a part out and move it to where it should be or flip it around.
Richo's recent post of the antenna mini guide will tell you a lot, if you've not read it.
I think the E field antenna (field probe, technically I guess) is exceptionally easy to make, considering winding your own ferrites, which is easy enough but takes time and is fiddling around, plus mounting them and all. But they can be placed in an attic or such as long as the surrounding area is pretty electrically quiet (no blenders or neon lights going on and off, dimmers, etc.) Yet there are early builders from years ago who searched their properties for the quietest spot. And the cable to the main board is best if short (correct me if I'm wrong, guys).
The E field antenna is a dream for me. I have a little tripod tower I took out into my woods where I live. A plastic pipe holds it up about 15' and the cable run back to the main controller can be ridiculously long, over 1000' was mentioned at one time. And it is much less bothered by some of the electrical noise that plagued the H field guys (if they were unlucky enough to have noise).
For me, I'm going to wind the ferrites since I have the stock on hand left over from RED, and it is sort of cool, I think. Some people weave baskets or knit and croquet while watching TV, so I'm not all crazy.)
But the first antenna I'll have up for BLUE will be an E Field. I was amazed at how much less fiddling I had to do with settings and all to get really good signals, especially when storms got closer. The H field had put me into interference mode a couple hundred miles out, now today I had a strike I submitted and was used for calculation not much more than 10 miles away.
One last thought, I'd be quick to visit an accomplished local Ham Radio Operator if there is ANY concern about soldering the boards. Even though some of the surface mount stuff supposedly is mounted (by experts) the other pieces are in close proximity if you look at the pictures and if you don't have the right iron, temperature, good solder, etc. it is easy to end up with solder bridges and correcting them if they bridge over to the tiny components won't be easy.
PLEASE don't be scared away, at all. I was concerned at first when I started putting RED together but got the hang of it after being away from board assembly for a couple decades and am looking forward to my bright lights and wife's magnifying lens on a mounted arm to help me make sure. I just couldn't be cavalier about it and shooshed the family out so there were no interruptions or distractions until I felt confident.
It just takes time, and I used a rule one of the other early builders told me. Check, recheck, check under bright light and then insert the component into the board. It saved me a couple of times, thinking I had the right part and correct orientation. An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure when it comes to trying to get a part out and move it to where it should be or flip it around.
