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Author Topic: Old school Super Select-A-Tenna loop  (Read 3413 times)

Offline fpeconsultant

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Old school Super Select-A-Tenna loop
« on: September 03, 2019, 2330 UTC »
Wtf?  I somehow pulled the female RCA jack out of the end of the magnetic probe that plugs in (via a patch cable) to a 1/8" mini output on the back of the loop antenna.  Now one wire is dangling from inside the probe and one is dangling on the end of the torn off female RCA jack (which has two solder point type connections on it).
I'm bringing it by an electronics guy tomorrow but if he can't help is there anyone on here that could maybe fix it/rebuild it?
Message me or reply here - I can send pics - thx thx thx
FPE
Near Chicago, IL USA.  Drake R8, Ten-Tec RX340, JRC NRD545, Watkins Johnson HF-1000, Wellbrook loop at 28', 43m inverted vee.  Please QSL to fpeconsultant@aol.com thanks.

Offline Pigmeat

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Re: Old school Super Select-A-Tenna loop
« Reply #1 on: September 04, 2019, 2007 UTC »
It was originally designed as a "proximity loop". Set it on top of the R-8 and try it on MW just using the tuning capacitor until you can get it repaired, it should work.

I came very close to buying one of the originals at the estate sale of of a radio & t.v. station owner 25 plus years ago. That was before the patch cable days, they were pure proximity loops in those days. When I got back to where it was, it was gone.

You may find it hard to believe, but the guy had two mint T.V. studios in his basement, the huge 60's/early 70's studio cameras, the whole nine yards. I was stunned by the place. I must have walked around bug-eyed for a solid hour before I went upstairs.

Offline Josh

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Re: Old school Super Select-A-Tenna loop
« Reply #2 on: September 04, 2019, 2028 UTC »
Put a few turns of wire loop inside the loop ant and feed the hi z input to the r8, should work ok till you get the connector issue sorted.
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Offline fpeconsultant

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Re: Old school Super Select-A-Tenna loop
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2019, 2348 UTC »
Gents - thx for the replies & help.  So my buddy had one of his techs reconnect all the wires & resecure the RCA jack.  But alas I doesn't seem to work.  The loop itself works fine barefoot - using proximity mode - so I know that much.  But the probe shows no result in reception improvement when utilized.
If I can tell my buddy how to build one he can get that done but his place focuses on RF interference /FCC compliance stuff - his techs are all pretty young - the super select -a-tenna blew their minds.  Hah!
So can anybody send me some type of diagram of what needs to be done to get this ferrite probe "active" - I use it for small portables that don't have an external antenna input.  It connects to the loop via a patch cord to an 1/8" mini jack on the loop and the probe has an RCA female jack.  You put the probe near the ferrite rod in the radio.  The ferrite rod in the probe is about 1/4" diameter and maybe 2-3" long.
I'm a dope for busting it.....
Thx
FPE
Near Chicago, IL USA.  Drake R8, Ten-Tec RX340, JRC NRD545, Watkins Johnson HF-1000, Wellbrook loop at 28', 43m inverted vee.  Please QSL to fpeconsultant@aol.com thanks.

Offline fpeconsultant

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Re: Old school Super Select-A-Tenna loop
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2019, 2228 UTC »
Maybe this will trip someone on here's tech brain:
I have in the past used the probe at the end of a patch cord connected to the external tuning unit of my my Kiwa Loop (at the so 239 "to receiver" output jack on the tuning unit with a patch cord - with the ferrite probe on the other end).
Does that help anyone with tech knowledge as to how this probe should be wired internally?
Maybe not but I figured this is worth a try as the Kiwa is more familiar to many people - I think.
Thx again
FPE
« Last Edit: September 06, 2019, 2249 UTC by fpeconsultant »
Near Chicago, IL USA.  Drake R8, Ten-Tec RX340, JRC NRD545, Watkins Johnson HF-1000, Wellbrook loop at 28', 43m inverted vee.  Please QSL to fpeconsultant@aol.com thanks.

Offline fpeconsultant

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Re: Old school Super Select-A-Tenna loop
« Reply #5 on: September 13, 2019, 2208 UTC »
Hello - got the probe fixed - not sure what they did but all is swank!
Good time of the year for MW DX - still some of us knuckleheads left - hah!  About 750 stations logged from here near Chicago and looking forward to more.
BTW the new XHDATA D-808 portable is incredible on MW - was available thru eBay - shipped to me from Israel though seller in china - not an ad for them but if you're into MW DX it beats every other portable and high end tabletop receiver that I own.
Thx everyone for their help - FPE
Near Chicago, IL USA.  Drake R8, Ten-Tec RX340, JRC NRD545, Watkins Johnson HF-1000, Wellbrook loop at 28', 43m inverted vee.  Please QSL to fpeconsultant@aol.com thanks.

 

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