We seek to understand and document all radio transmissions, legal and otherwise, as part of the radio listening hobby. We do not encourage any radio operations contrary to regulations. Always consult with the appropriate authorities if you have questions concerning what is permissible in your locale.

Author Topic: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014  (Read 13749 times)

Offline Kilokat7

  • Global Moderator
  • DX Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 1450
  • West Michigan
    • View Profile
    • Kilokat7 DX
New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« on: August 10, 2014, 2045 UTC »
Finally finished the DKAZ loop this weekend and almost immediately picked up a few new ones for the log book that I was never able to receive before using the BOGs:

600 CJWW Saskatoon, SK. - 8/10/2014 0159 UTC - With slogan "Today's Best Country, Country 600", fair and mixing with WCHT (Escanaba, MI.) 1134 miles.

910 WAKO Lawrenceville, IL. - 8/10/2014 1059 UTC - With legal sign-on / ID and mention of FM 103.1, poor under WFDF. 500w days / 50w nights. 318 miles.

920 WMPL Hancock, MI. - 8/10/2014 0200 UTC - With station ad for local high school sports coverage and mention of "Mix (FM) 93". Strong during signal peak. 1000w days / 206w nights. 295 miles.

Also, 1566 khz TWR Benin produced some bits of audio last night around midnight EDT, also received on the new DKAZ.

Great article on the DKAZ: http://www.durenberger.com/documents/DKAZ070314.pdf

PLS QSL kilokat7(at)gmail.com
Location: Western Michigan
Perseus SDR / DKAZ loops
1980s pirate off-air archive
West Michigan DX

Offline skeezix

  • Global Moderator
  • Marconi Class DXer
  • *****
  • Posts: 5544
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • What does 'RNO stand for?
    • View Profile
Re: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2014, 2107 UTC »
What are you using for a pre-amp, if anything?


Last fall, I set up a single Kaz, but never finished it before the snow arrived. Also didn't have a pre-amp for it, so project kinda stalled (along with other things consuming my time).

Had it set up at 40 deg for TA. But, that also put it directly inline with my neighbor's house (who seems to have every RFI generating gizmo ever made) and over my underground power which has no problem sending RFI all over the place.

If 40 deg doesn't work out then going set it to 320 deg, which is 90 deg from these noise sources and at WXYG.

Also was going to test with using Cat-5 feedline from the antenna. Have baluns made for that (antenna to Cat-5, and Cat-5 to 50 ohm).

Need to get more wire and the pre-amp. Then need to get off my can and set it up.

Minneapolis, MN

Offline Kilokat7

  • Global Moderator
  • DX Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 1450
  • West Michigan
    • View Profile
    • Kilokat7 DX
Re: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2014, 2351 UTC »
The article recommends using a preamp.  Indeed I found the signal levels to be relatively low compared to my BOG setup.  With the low signal levels also comes a very low noise floor, so I'm not so sure I need a preamp just yet.  I'll make that decision after I've had some time to play with the antenna.  I just wanted to get it in the air and see if all the elements worked together (antenna, baluns, feed lines, control box, etc.), and it did rather nicely, well into the lower shortwave bands.  I used two runs of Cat 5 of equal length to feed each end of the DKAZ.  The Cat 5 then runs into the shack to a homebew control box with a null pot (to fine tune the null) and switch that allows the antenna to be "reversed" and fine tuned in the shack.  Now that I tested all of this, and it works(!), I'll need do something with the feedlines to protect them.  Cat 5 is a bit fragile to just leave out in the elements, especially during the winter months.  So, still some stuff to button up before it becomes a semi-permanent installation this winter, but I'm generally impressed with how it performs.
PLS QSL kilokat7(at)gmail.com
Location: Western Michigan
Perseus SDR / DKAZ loops
1980s pirate off-air archive
West Michigan DX

Offline jFarley

  • Marconi Class DXer
  • ********
  • Posts: 5922
  • near Chicago
    • View Profile
    • Email
Re: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2014, 0002 UTC »
KK;

Out to my antenna garden I ran a couple lengths of direct burial rated F6, a couple of runs of 7-wire sprinkler cable, and also a run of burial rated Cat-5.  The Cat-5 has held up here for over a year, so maybe this is an option for you.

I didn't really "bury" it; I just split the grass and topsoil down around 6" with a square shovel, pushed the cable bundle in, and held it all in place with bio-degradable anchors.  It only took a couple of hours to do the 200 foot run with my far better half.
Joe Farley, Near Chicago
SDR-IQ / R8 / R7
Remote Resonant Loops for HF and LF / ALA 1530
Active 60" Whip / PA0RDT
QSLS appreciated to:    jfarley44@att.net

Offline Kilokat7

  • Global Moderator
  • DX Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 1450
  • West Michigan
    • View Profile
    • Kilokat7 DX
Re: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2014, 0106 UTC »
KK;

Out to my antenna garden I ran a couple lengths of direct burial rated F6, a couple of runs of 7-wire sprinkler cable, and also a run of burial rated Cat-5.  The Cat-5 has held up here for over a year, so maybe this is an option for you.

I didn't really "bury" it; I just split the grass and topsoil down around 6" with a square shovel, pushed the cable bundle in, and held it all in place with bio-degradable anchors.  It only took a couple of hours to do the 200 foot run with my far better half.

Direct burial Cat 5 - great idea, I didn't know there was such a thing.  I'll have to look into that.  That would be much easier than burying conduit.  Thanks for the tip.
PLS QSL kilokat7(at)gmail.com
Location: Western Michigan
Perseus SDR / DKAZ loops
1980s pirate off-air archive
West Michigan DX

Offline skeezix

  • Global Moderator
  • Marconi Class DXer
  • *****
  • Posts: 5544
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • What does 'RNO stand for?
    • View Profile
Re: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2014, 0145 UTC »
Thanks to both of you for the information. This helps a lot for this, plus for burying cabled (also want to move a loop to the shed way out back).

Minneapolis, MN

Offline Rafman

  • DXing Phenomena
  • *******
  • Posts: 2584
  • Virgilina Border
  • Pirate Radio: Radio FUN minus Station Management!!
    • View Profile
    • WirelessDX - Collection of Pirate Radio clips by Rafman K4RAF
    • Email
Re: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« Reply #6 on: August 15, 2014, 0403 UTC »
I got what might be to some, a dumb question...

How are you terminating coaxial BOGs & CAT5 lines?

I have significant RG6 & CAT cable but not sure what you are doing to dress them in as antenna elements?

Coax = Open end/shorted end/Which end?
CAT5 = short ALL together, solder, one end/both ends/which end?

The KAZ/DKAZ has my interest, as does the EWE [still]...

Thanks,

Rafman
« Last Edit: August 15, 2014, 0406 UTC by Rafman »
~
Rafman
Onion Flats [Baskerville] VA USA
[All QSLs greatly appreciated: WIFIDX@gmail.com]
Elad FDM-S1&S2 / SDRplay1 & SDRplay2
Mizuho SX59 & SX3 preselectors / JPS ANC4 Noise Phaser
41m EU beverage / 40m loop / 75m CF Zepp / 41m Sloping Dipole
The "Real FCC" http://bit.ly/2lQDNYm

Offline Kilokat7

  • Global Moderator
  • DX Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 1450
  • West Michigan
    • View Profile
    • Kilokat7 DX
Re: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« Reply #7 on: August 16, 2014, 0212 UTC »
Regarding the D-KAZ, the CAT5 isn't part of the antenna but rather serves as the feedline for each end of the antenna when used in a reversible configuration.  At each corner, or at the ends of the antenna, you'll have some kind of matching transformer to match the antenna impedance to the impedance of the CAT5.  From each matching transformer I have two long runs of equal length CAT5 that run to the shack near the receiver.  Each CAT5 cable has four twisted pairs.  I'm only utilizing one pair per cable.  Inside the shack, both CAT5 runs terminate into a little control box I made with a null pot, reverse/forward switch, and another matching transformer the takes the CAT5 impedance and matches it to the Perseus.  Here's a shot of the control box:



You can see the CAT5 going into the box and coax going out to the Perseus.  You could probably substitute coax for the CAT5 with the appropriate matching transformers at each of the antenna.

Does this help or did I make it more confusing?  I didn't deviate from the article I linked to above, except compromising a bit for the overall length of the antenna.
« Last Edit: August 16, 2014, 0214 UTC by Kilokat7 »
PLS QSL kilokat7(at)gmail.com
Location: Western Michigan
Perseus SDR / DKAZ loops
1980s pirate off-air archive
West Michigan DX

Offline Kilokat7

  • Global Moderator
  • DX Legend
  • *****
  • Posts: 1450
  • West Michigan
    • View Profile
    • Kilokat7 DX
Re: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« Reply #8 on: August 16, 2014, 0238 UTC »
Near "arm chair" copy on 1089 Talksport from the UK right now at 0225z with very little fade.  This is with the D-KAZ pointed North.  Flipping it to the South and the signal disappears completely.  I really wasn't expecting much in the way of transatlantic MW DX with this antenna due to its orientation, but I'm pleasantly surprised!
PLS QSL kilokat7(at)gmail.com
Location: Western Michigan
Perseus SDR / DKAZ loops
1980s pirate off-air archive
West Michigan DX

Offline Rafman

  • DXing Phenomena
  • *******
  • Posts: 2584
  • Virgilina Border
  • Pirate Radio: Radio FUN minus Station Management!!
    • View Profile
    • WirelessDX - Collection of Pirate Radio clips by Rafman K4RAF
    • Email
Re: New DKAZ antenna & new catches 8/10/2014
« Reply #9 on: August 16, 2014, 1418 UTC »
I understand... My misunderstanding. Was late night & too much smoke in the cockpit...
Thank you!
~
Rafman
Onion Flats [Baskerville] VA USA
[All QSLs greatly appreciated: WIFIDX@gmail.com]
Elad FDM-S1&S2 / SDRplay1 & SDRplay2
Mizuho SX59 & SX3 preselectors / JPS ANC4 Noise Phaser
41m EU beverage / 40m loop / 75m CF Zepp / 41m Sloping Dipole
The "Real FCC" http://bit.ly/2lQDNYm