[ARDF] 80 meter antenna question

[Jay Hennigan]

Mike (KA5CVH) Urich wrote:
> I have an old Russian receiver that I bought off Bob Frey that works
> OK but I'm looking to change things and get serious about ARDF.  I
> recently bought a new Kenwood TH-F6A which has hf receive
> capabilities.  So I'm wondering about making a DF antenna for 80
> meters and use the F6A.  If I remember correctly someone at Bastrop in
> 2008 was using a similar set up.  I looked at Joe, K0OV's, web-site
> and it seems that this is an appropriate method.

I think you'll find that a dedicated receiver designed for RDF use will 
be far preferable to a general coverage portable with external antenna. 
  The ability to control the gain over a range of 80 to 90 dB is going 
to be lacking in a general coverage receiver and difficult to add in 
without major surgery.  Consider one of Dale Hunt's kits or one from 
Bryan Ackerley, or repair/refurbisn your Russian unit.  The Russian and 
Ukranian ARDF receivers are some of the best around.  Avoid the Chinese 
PJ-80 (The PJ is an abbreviation for Piece of Junk).

> So after a overload of information googling antenna designs for a 80
> meter DF antennas does anyone have any good suggestions they would
> recommend? I'm considering building a few different ones over the
> winter and see what I like best.   

For 80m ARDF the best option seems to be a loop with sense antenna. 
Lots of flexibility in loop design from ferrites to shielded loops to 
unshielded.  Unlike 2-meters, a three-element Yagi or LPDA is likely to 
prove a bit unwieldy.  :-)

> Also I remember seeing a web-site
> that had a plug and play micro 80 meter transmitter.   I would like to
> find something simple that I can use around the neighborhood, I.E. get
> my daughter to go hide it somewhere and see if I can find it using
> different antennas.

Several of these around.  Most are a CMOS oscillator with a colorburst 
crystal (will these become scarce now that TV sets don't use them?) 
driving a FET.  Controllers can be the PIC-con or a simple one-second 
R/C oscillator for low-power fox-or use.  Marvin KE6HTS may sell a kit.

http://tinyurl.com/yzq29fd

--
Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay at impulse.net
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