by Eldon-Mr.CFAY » Wed Sep 12, 2012 10:41 pm
Greetings Everyone,
Yes good to hear further comments about this topic. Well I guess every night can't be fantastic for dx Toomas but sounds like you are doing an excellent job at trying for it. Keep up the good listening and dxing!!!!
Regarding coupling to the G8 Grundig which is a very good little portable AM for dxing!!! The G5 is good too but there are a couple of physical things I have encountered with several models I have owned including the FM and Shortwave telescopic whip antenna becoming loose and the radio locking at times so you have to take the batteries out and wait 5 or 10 minutes for it to unlock and work again. Might just be one of the G5s I got but a friend of mine in Toronto who is a dxer noticed a couple of physical defects with his case near the telescopic antenna, cracks in the case etc. The performance on the AM and FM bands is superb electrically speaking just little physical defects. The locking problem with the one radio I had is annoying too. However the AM and FM performance for weak stations is still great. I am not speaking of the G8 Traveller Grundig/Eton portable at all here only the G5 Eton/Grundig. Anything I have heard and noticed about the G8 seems fine. At least several I have used.
Regarding coupling to the G8 Portable. No a Slinky type antenna would be for shortwave and not the mediumwave if it connects to the whip antenna of the G8. You are correct on that Tape Splicer. For coupling to the G8 you need a small coupling coil which can be taped or attached to the radio case in just the right place. You don't need to tear the case open to do this. Just find the maximum signal point on the outside of the case near the internal antenna inside the radio, then tape or fasten it with double sided tape to the case, try to use a fastener that can be removed easily but not fall off easily when dxing. Velcro strips of good quality might work rather than just ordinary scotch tape or duct tape (which is stronger) . If you use Duct Tape get the black color as it matches the radio better. The coupling coil can be a small ferrite rod (perhaps two or three inches long, ) , round or flat from an old cheap transistor portable radio that might not work anymore. You take the ferrite rod out of that and you can use the existing coil on it and connect both of the leads to a loop antenna or external antenna and ground , one lead to each side of the loop antenna winding or one lead to the antenna and one to the ground if you are using a longwire type antenna. It may couple better if you wind your own coil, just use Number 24 speaker stranded wire and insulated, then wind maybe 10 or 20 turns around the ferrite rod, you can experiment for best results. After you find the best amount of turns, its not that critical but I would try about 15 turns of #24 wire or even more if you use magnet wire. Magnet wire is much thinner and you can buy several from The Source still (Radio Shack). Anyway once you wind the coil around the small ferrite rod (which is round or flat) tape all of it up with duct tape and make sure the leads of the coil come out from each end of the winding okay. You can the solder two stronger leads onto the coil wires and connect those stronger leads (wires) to the external loop or wire antenna and ground. You place the coupling coil at the best spot on the case and fasten it on there, you might try strong velcro strips or double sided duct tape. Then it should work well for Medium Wave dxing without taking the G8 Case apart to couple directly onto the internal ferrite rod antenna in the radio.
Hope this has helped you out Tape Splicer and Toomas. Keep up the nice comments and good luck to both of you for the fall dx season out there!!!! Yes an open area with lots of windows is pretty good for dxing Tape Splicer, sounds like you may have a good area in mind!
73s, Take care Everyone, From Eldon