"We need design patterns that do not block the signal."
Many uses for those fake plastic vines and flowers. Found at any hobby store or hardware store.
No need to break out the slide rule or CAD or NAS program for this...nor any need to loose any sleep.
Just be creative. Most incredible ideas and inventions started with a simple creative concept, and the very bright ones are usually discovered and realized in a dream while asleep anyway.
RFB
"Then tuning, testing driving, over and over and over. Range slowly increased after every step."
Indeed. This is only possible in the real world and not from calculated results on a piece of paper or calculator display or computer program.
Yep....when the time and talent are spent where it counts, results like you have inevitably happen.
Theory and real world application rarely mesh. Your video provides the proof of that..as well as proof of what results can come from real world application, overcoming obstacles and adapting to real world conditions.
You did good. And no doubt envy of all the 3 meter stick operators in this forum and elsewhere.
Congrats!!! This one deserves to be put on a permanent "sticky" thread or special area of the forum. Like a degree or other certificate of accomplishment deserves to be framed and put on the wall of fame.
RFB
This one deserves to be put on a permanent "sticky" thread...
Here, here!
What a fantastic set-up! It's the best Part 15 AM
demonstration I've ever seen. Thank you so much
for the video. It sure shows what an "On The Ground"
installation can do.
Very impressive.
Bruce, DOGRADIO STUDIO 2
P;S. My set-up was similar, with 16 ground
radials - some 10 feet - some 20 feet long.
I did not have any ground rods going down
into the earth.
With my set-up mounted at ground level -
it got out 2 miles. But I had many holes
in my coverage area. Your coverage area seemed to
have no holes at all, or very very few.
I'd love to know more about your "Tuning Wagon,"
which looked like it had a scope and a Marantz tuner(?)
Great video! Thanks for posting this!
Tommy J.
this is really unbelievable. great setup!
i barely get 200m away from my amt-3000 before it becomes unlistenable and 300m for it to be undetectable.
"his is really unbelievable. great setup!"
It sure is! And is the CORRECT kind of setup. It has a very good ground radial system with grounding rods and center plate. TX right at the butt of the loading coil and main radiating element on its head. Plenty of open area around the system so very little that would alter its resonance and field pattern.
Let's keep in mind though that the signal is still a weak signal at those long ranges and most likely will not be picked up inside homes very well if at all. And vehicle radios are built to be incredibly sensitive as well so that helps with detecting the weak signal at further distances.
This setup and good conditions like ground conductivity and time of day and weather all play a role in getting 3+ miles from the flea.
Who ever said little things can't bring big surprises!!
RFB
I too, am super impressed with Andre's set-up! Before we all get TOO excited tho...please notice that the speedometer and odometer in Andre's car reads out in KILOMETERS.
Andre clearly states that his signal "comes and goes" between a mile-and-a-half and 2 miles out...but when he turns around and starts to head back to the transmitter, the odometer is reading 3 or 4 something. (I don't remember exactly) That would be 3 or 4 kilometers. A kilometer being only 5/8 of a mile, you can see that the range in miles is considerably less than 3 or 4.
(My 1st clue was when I noticed all the traffic doing 70 on that little 2 lane country road!)
Again, Andre's range is FANTASTIC! Just not quite as fantastic as you might think, if you're not aware that the readout is in kilometers. Thanks, Y'All! Ron Kocher, Palm Coast, FL WD4ICJ
indeed. unfortunately for us big city folks, there is not always a way to have this kind of "correct kind of setup." i'm curious what is considered ideal performance when using a roof mounted transmitter in an urban environment. maybe some roof dwellers could make reports like this?
"Andre's car reads out in KILOMETERS"
Ya that is true. Doesn't really change in what we are witnessing with a great setup.
"My 1st clue was when I noticed all the traffic doing 70 on that little 2 lane country road!"
In some areas, they go faster. Buckle up! :p
RFB
"i'm curious what is considered ideal performance when using a roof mounted transmitter in an urban environment."
I would use an Isotron.
http://isotronantennas.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=15
RFB
I think the problem with the Isotron is that it's designed to match 50 ohms. So additional modification to the SStran needs to be done which would incurr more loss.
The range I get is only when conditions are at their best. Decent weather, mid-day (no skywave) and with a very sensitive receiver.
To put it in perpective, the handheld I use in the video loses the signal about 1/4 mile away when in the car, but receives it to about 3/4 mile when outside the car.
One of my fellow antique radio collectors is 1.25 miles away and he can receive it quite clear, but he also has a wire antenna strung between 2 trees. And sometimes my signal is a bit better during light rain. I assume it's because the wet ground helps.
And when skywave sets in, forget it. Even in the car, past 1/2 mile I get overrun by a sports station in Omaha !!! (and I'm in Quebec, Canada)
BTW: Anyone else notice how much smaller the 'skywave free' window gets in the winter ? During the summer, the airwaves clear up within a hour after sun up, until about an hour before sunset. But in the winter, the effect last a few hours after daybreak until a few hours before sunset, like the days are not short enough already.
Maybe it's because I'm farther up north and the sun never gets up high in the sky. The angle the sun hits that ozone layer might have something to do with it.
Andre
Yep,
My car is in kilometers, I mentioned that in the youtube description.
1.6 kilometers is equal to 1 mile. When I turn south I'm a little over 3.2km which
is a bit over 2 miles.
BTW: here in Quebec, posted speed limits are just a suggestion 🙂
Andre
"BTW: here in Quebec, posted speed limits are just a suggestion :)"
LOL!!! Well at least you folks actually choose. I think many down here in the great land in the middle tend to just go and do not choose anything but get there in a big hurry while chatting or text messaging! Dangerous!
RFB