"LJ" wrote in message
...
Hi all --

Hi. You need to get the wire as far from the house as possible. The aluminum
siding isn't doing any good, that's for sure. When it comes to antennas for
any band, the rule of thumb is, "High, and in the clear." Away from other
metal objects and as high as possible. Do you have a tree? If not, and you
can get away with it, you can make a mast from 2x4 lumber. Make the base a
flat triangle. You'll need a couple of guy ropes, or maybe you can tie the
mast to the fence. The mast should look something like this

|
| --- overlapping 2x4s, fastened with
| good wood glue and screws
^
/ \

with cross-bracing on the bottom. If you can securely fasten it to the fence
you could use 1-1/4" iron pipe, threaded and capped at the top, radiator
hose clamps holding a sheet-metal bracket, to which you would tie an
insulator (Radio Shack 278-758 ( http://tinyurl.com/2dnua ) includes 'em,
or maybe a CB shop carries them without the other stuff. You can make your
own from sheet plastic, too.

Don't forget to keep the wire disconnected whenever you aren't receiving,
and don't listen when there are electrical storms in the area. Don't run the
wire over or under telephone or power lines, don't rig the mast such that it
or the wire can fall near phone or power lines, don't fall off the ladder,
and don't sue me if you do!

"PM"

I made a battery system to use with my DX394. It makes a small difference in
atmospherics, but did me no good as far as computer generated rf in the
area. It is a good thing to have when the lights go out s. 25 feet high is
great. You could even use more than 75 feet as long as you find that the
receiver isn't overwhelmed by the signals. Have a good time listening, and
share with us

"Strength and Honor"

"Paul_Morphy" wrote in message
...

"LJ" wrote in message
...
Hi all --

Hi. You need to get the wire as far from the house as possible. The
aluminum
siding isn't doing any good, that's for sure. When it comes to antennas
for
any band, the rule of thumb is, "High, and in the clear." Away from other
metal objects and as high as possible. Do you have a tree? If not, and you
can get away with it, you can make a mast from 2x4 lumber. Make the base a
flat triangle. You'll need a couple of guy ropes, or maybe you can tie the
mast to the fence. The mast should look something like this

|
| --- overlapping 2x4s, fastened with
| good wood glue and screws
^
/ \

with cross-bracing on the bottom. If you can securely fasten it to the
fence
you could use 1-1/4" iron pipe, threaded and capped at the top, radiator
hose clamps holding a sheet-metal bracket, to which you would tie an
insulator (Radio Shack 278-758 ( http://tinyurl.com/2dnua ) includes 'em,
or maybe a CB shop carries them without the other stuff. You can make your
own from sheet plastic, too.

Don't forget to keep the wire disconnected whenever you aren't receiving,
and don't listen when there are electrical storms in the area. Don't run
the
wire over or under telephone or power lines, don't rig the mast such that
it
or the wire can fall near phone or power lines, don't fall off the ladder,
and don't sue me if you do!

"PM"

"Maximus" wrote in message
hlink.net...
I made a battery system to use with my DX394. It makes a small difference
in
atmospherics, but did me no good as far as computer generated rf in the
area. It is a good thing to have when the lights go out s. 25 feet high
is
great. You could even use more than 75 feet as long as you find that the
receiver isn't overwhelmed by the signals. Have a good time listening, and
share with us

Depending on where the hash is escaping from, you may be able to reduce it
with Radio Shack choke cores, the rectangular kind that snap open to reveal
two u-shaped pieces of ferrite material, or the cylindrical ones that clamp
over a cable. They are expensive, though. T200-50 iron-powder toroidal cores
from Amidon Associates or dealers will work, too, if the connector will fit
through the hole. You wrap the wire through the core, as many turns as will
fit.

I've been listening to amateur radio PSK-31 transmissions and had a major
hash problem because the headphone jack of my radio connects to the sound
card line input jack. I used a rectangular core on either end of the audio
cable, and slipped a cylindrical one over the antenna cable (coaxial) to the
receiver, although that one didn't do much. The ones on the audio cable
accomplished a lot. Unfortunately, the computer radiates spurious signals,
and I haven't tackled that problem yet. More cores are in the future, I
think. If you're using a wall-wart power supply, a smaller toroid for the
power cable, installed at the radio end, will help.

If you think it's bad now, wait until your power company starts selling BPL
Internet access.

"PM"

Paul, thanks so much for your help. And no, I won't sue ya if I do
sumthin stupid.


---------------------------


On Fri, 19 Mar 2004 04:03:03 GMT, "Paul_Morphy"
wrote:


"LJ" wrote in message
.. .
Hi all --

Hi. You need to get the wire as far from the house as possible. The aluminum
siding isn't doing any good, that's for sure. When it comes to antennas for
any band, the rule of thumb is, "High, and in the clear." Away from other
metal objects and as high as possible. Do you have a tree? If not, and you
can get away with it, you can make a mast from 2x4 lumber. Make the base a
flat triangle. You'll need a couple of guy ropes, or maybe you can tie the
mast to the fence. The mast should look something like this

|
| --- overlapping 2x4s, fastened with
| good wood glue and screws
^
/ \

with cross-bracing on the bottom. If you can securely fasten it to the fence
you could use 1-1/4" iron pipe, threaded and capped at the top, radiator
hose clamps holding a sheet-metal bracket, to which you would tie an
insulator (Radio Shack 278-758 ( http://tinyurl.com/2dnua ) includes 'em,
or maybe a CB shop carries them without the other stuff. You can make your
own from sheet plastic, too.

Don't forget to keep the wire disconnected whenever you aren't receiving,
and don't listen when there are electrical storms in the area. Don't run the
wire over or under telephone or power lines, don't rig the mast such that it
or the wire can fall near phone or power lines, don't fall off the ladder,
and don't sue me if you do!

"PM"