HFU HF Underground

General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: ChrisSmolinski on March 22, 2020, 2101 UTC

Title: My KiwiSDR
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on March 22, 2020, 2101 UTC

As a test, I have switched my KiwiSDR to use the 120 ft T2FD antenna instead of the 670 ft sky loop. One upside, it gets a better signal from my semi local pirate 1620 WEDG The Wedge :)   (Best time to hear WEDG is daytimes around noon and early afternoon, when there is not likely to be any DX on 1620)

http://sdr.hfunderpants.com:8073/

For reference, build notes on the antenna: https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,60665.0.html

Title: Re: My KiwiSDR
Post by: Andrew Yoder on March 23, 2020, 1626 UTC

That's great. Just checked it out--really weak but there

Title: Re: My KiwiSDR
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on March 23, 2020, 1647 UTC

Quote from: Andrew Yoder on March 23, 2020, 1626 UTC

That's great. Just checked it out--really weak but there

I am listening now, if you drop the bandwidth down to 2.7 kHz or so the reception is not too bad. SIO 222 or so? Might hit 333 at peak D layer.

Title: Re: My KiwiSDR
Post by: Andrew Yoder on March 23, 2020, 1810 UTC

Signal's improved & just heard Men at Work "Down Under"

Title: Re: My KiwiSDR
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on March 23, 2020, 1820 UTC

Yes, I've been listening for a while now and I would say it is an SIO 333 right now.  I hope to slightly re-orient the 120 ft T2FD once I clear some additional brush to make it more vertical, will be interesting to see if that further improves reception, it did with the 58 ft T2FD.

Title: Re: My KiwiSDR
Post by: Josh on March 23, 2020, 2017 UTC

For ambc during the daylit hours, vertical or as close to it as possible should result in strongest sigs.

Title: Re: My KiwiSDR
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on March 24, 2020, 1040 UTC

Quote from: Josh on March 23, 2020, 2017 UTC

For ambc during the daylit hours, vertical or as close to it as possible should result in strongest sigs.

Yes, that was my experience with the 58 ft T2FD. I even ran across some articles on the T2FD suggesting the "tilted" part is mostly to install the antenna when the vertical support is not high enough, and there is no advantage to tilting it.

I added a link to the post here describing building the antenna to the first post in this thread.

Not a bad signal at 1452 UTC, SIO 333 perhaps?  Just played KC And The Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight, and now the Ghostbusters theme.