FO&A,

Connecting your TV 'type' Coax Cable [Shielded] SWL Loop Antenna
to your Table Top Shortwave Receiver or 'Portable' AM/FM/Shortwave
Radio.

Table Top Shortwave Receivers:
For "Receivers" with a SO-239 Jack for the External Antenna
you can use an "F" Jack to PL-259 Plug (SO-239 Adapter)
RadioShack Catalog # 278-258

'Portable' AM/FM/Shortwave Radios:
For "Radios" with a 1/8" Mono-Jack for the External Antenna
you can use an "F" Jack to 1/8" Plug (1/8" Mono-Jack Adapter)
RadioShack Catalog # 278-257

~ RHF
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= = = (RHF) wrote in message
= = = . com...
YODAR,

The "TRICK" to TV 'type' Coax Cable [Shielded] SWL Loop Antennas {RHF}
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...a/message/1626

I too tried to build a Coax Cable [Shielded] Loop Antenna
that was made of "TV type Coax" that had a 'Shield' made
of Foil and about 33% Braid. The Results were very poor.

Then I Got An IDEA "*" ! { K I S S }

Why not use "Pre-Made" Parts ) WHAT ?

* One Piece of TV type Coax Cable with the "F" Connectors
on both Ends. This can should be these Pre-Made Lengths
Three Feet (3 Ft); Six Feet (6 Ft); Nine Feet (9 Ft);
Twelve Feet (12 Ft); and Fifteen Feet (15 Ft); ETC.

* One "F" Connector to PL-259 Plug (SO-239 Adapter)
RadioShack Catalog # 278-258

* One TV type Two-to-One Splitter with "F" Connectors.
Get the one with the two Output "F" Connectors on
'opposite' Sides and the Input "F" Connector on the
Bottom (looks like a 'T').

THE SECRET IS TO BUILD A NEXUS LOOP-HUB:
Using the Two-to-One Splitter. Remove the 'Seal' Plate
from the Body of the Splitter. Remove the Ferrite Core
and Wires from inside the Splitter. Next clean a 'Spot'
inside the Body of the Splitter for a Solder Ground-Point.
Use a Solder Gun (150W) to make this Solder Ground-Point;
get in and get out quickly so that you do not melt the
plastic insulation inside the "F" Connectors. Wrap a
Wire around the Left "F" Connector Terminal. Route this
Wire to the Solder Ground-Point on the Body of the Splitter.
Using a Soldering Iron (35W) and Solder the Left Terminal
and the Ground-Point. Next 'wrap' a Wire around the
Bottom "F" Connector Terminal; and 'route' the Wire to
the Right "F" Connector Terminal. Then you need to make
a 'new' "Metal Cover" for the Splitter. I used one of
those old AOL CD "Tins" that come in the Mail. They are
thin enough to 'cut' with a Heavy Pair of Scissors .
Cut and Trim a piece until it "Fits". Ensure your have
good Metal-to-Metal 'contact' between the Cover and
the Spliter and Glue them together for Security. You
now have the NEXUS "LOOP-HUB" of your Coax Cable Loop
Antenna.

The Three Feet (3 Ft) piece of Coax Cable is your
Feed-in-Line.

MAKING YOUR "INTERCHANGABLE" LOOP ANTENNA ELEMENTS:
The Six Feet (6 Ft); Nine Feet (9 Ft); Twelve Feet
(12 Ft) and Fifteen Feet (15 Ft) Coax Cable are your
[Shielded] Loop Antenna Elements. Fold them End-to-End
and 'mark' a One Inch (1") Area at the Fold as their
Mid-Point. Very Carefully 'cut' the Outer Insulation
and then the Foil and Wire Braid away and out from this
One Inch Area. {Do Not Damage the Inner Insulation and
Center Wire of the Coax Cable.) Tape this One Inch Area
and an Inch on each side for Strength and Security.

TIP: If you have a Plastic Hula-Hoop or some 5/8" or
3/4" (White) Low Pressure Water Line Polyethylene Tubing
as a "Form" to hold the Loops in a Circle Shape. This
Tubing must 'slip-over' the Coax Cable's "F" Connectors.

THE LOOP ANTENNA "HOOK-UP":
* Slide the Coax Cable Loop Antenna Element into the
Plastic Tubing.
* Connect your Coax Cable Loop Antenna Element to the
LOOP-HUB {Splitter}.
* Connect your Coax Cable Feed-in-Line to the LOOP-HUB
{Splitter}.
* Install the "F" Connector to PL-259 Plug to the
'other end' of your Coax Cable Feed-in-Line and Connect
to the your Radio/Receiver.
* Shape and Position your Loop Antenna Element.

CAUTION: When Installing the Coax Cable "F" Connectors
into the "F" Connectors of the LOOP-HUB: Be careful to
make sure that the Center Wire is NOT Bent and Shorted-Out.

SIZING: This is a Low Noise SWL InDoor Loop Antenna that
allows the 'changing' of the Loop Antenna Element for the
Coverage of different Shortwave Bands. These Loops are 'cut'
"Sized" to roughly One Tenth of a Wave Length (1/10WL)
* Twenty-Five Feet (25 Ft) roughly the 120 Meter SW Band
* Twenty Feet (20 Ft) roughly the 90 Meter SW Band
* Fifteen Feet (15 Ft) roughly the 75 Meter SW Band
* Twelve Feet (12 Ft) roughly the 60 Meter SW Band
* Nine Feet (9 Ft) roughly the 41 Meter SW Band
* Six Feet (6 Ft) roughly the 31 Meter SW Band
* Five Feet (5 Ft) roughly the 25 Meter SW Band
* Four Feet (4 Ft) roughly the 19 Meter SW Band
* Three Feet (3 Ft) roughly the 13 Meter SW Band
The above Lengths and SW Bands are 'based' on the low
cost common {RadioShack} TV type RG-59 Coax Cable with
a Velocity Factor of 0.66.
NOTE: If you use RG6 "Quad Shield" Coax Cable that has
a Velocity Factor of 0.78 to 0.82: Then every thing would
shift down one SW Band 120M90M, 90M75M, 75M60M, ETC.

PACK-AND-GO "TRAVEL" LOOP ANTENNA:
This Design-Set-Up makes for a 'portable' Travel SWL Loop
Antenna that can be Taken-Down and Put-Up in a Minute or two.

MEGA-SIZED FIFTY FOOT LOOP FOR THE AM/MW BROADCAST BAND:
Take a Fifty Foot (50 Ft) piece of Coax Cable and Mount
it OutSide Doors
- 540 kHz to 1700 kHz with a MidPoint of 1120 kHz
- Fifty Feet (50 Ft0 [1/10WL] VF=0.66 using RG59 Coax Cable.
- Square shape 12.5 Feet per Side with 17.5 Cross-Arms.
- Round shape 16 Diameter Circle.
- Coax Cable Lead-in-Line 5-10 Feet.
This is roughly the "Sizing" for the AM/MW Broadcast Band
For DX-Peditions throw a 50 Foot Coax Loop Antenna Element
Over a Tree Limb about 15 Feet High and stretch-out the two
bottom side to form an Equilateral Triangle 17 Feet on a side.
Hook-Up everything and sit-down and Listen )


iane ~ RHF
.
Some Say: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortw...na/message/502
I BELIEVE: On A Clear Night...
You Can Hear Forever and Beyond - The Beyond !
.
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= = = In ,
= = = "YODAR" yodar@in O'do wrote:
I MADE MY FIRST ONE AND FLOPPED because I used TV Coax
(RG 58?) and there was no braid, it was foil and I
could make no solder connection...ARRGGGG

The RG-8 second try was so ungainly and costly and
unyielding of ANY signal (perhaps I had failed with
a connection) , that I got irrigated (kind way of
saying P***ed OFF!) and threw it out.

If I mess with Coax again it will be for an attic
SNAKE ANTENNA

Yodar in O'do
who is still using SLINKIES

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