Anderson Alternator SAQ Reception K4CHE

K4CHE Reception SUCCESSFUL* Alexanderson Alternator Low Frequency Transmission on - - - 17.2 Kcs - - -
Numerous Successful Receptions which first started in 2009. 2012, 2014 etc.

* I was able to decipher words and short phrases but not 100 percent copy.
Station SAQ

FLASH: Excellent reception on 24 December 2010 and fair reception of the "extra" transmission on 3 January 2011. SprectraVue data files for Christmas Eve are posted temporarily at the bottom of the page.

The Alexander Grimeton Home Page in Swedish can be found at:

http://www.alexander.n.se/

A link for some of the info translated to English is located on the page near the bottom left.

I blame this SAQ obsession on N3FRQ. Information Al's reception of SAQ can be found at:
http://www.njarc.org/oldradio/awa/events/grimeton/grimeton.html

Additional info on the Anderson Alternator by VE3FAB can also be found at: http://jproc.ca:80/radiostor/aalt.html

My portable ops location at Port Mahon Delware. Next OL may be
closer to the beach.
Quiet! . . . no local noise from AC mains, TV sets, computers, light dimmers, phone machines, dish washers, LED lights, CFL lights, car alarms,home alarm systems, calulators, thermostats, vacuum cleaners, power tools, light timers, and systems playing Donkey Kong.

              December 2012 Drove a pipe into the soft ground and stuck the loop mast into the pipe.
Used a mag compass and rotated by hand to the computed "Great Circle" direction to Sweden corrected for variation. Varicap tuning network (approx 1800 pf) in plastic box below the pipe for remote tuning from the vehicle.     KISS

                    K4CHE Set Up Christmas Eve 2014

                   2014 Port Mahon expedition. Smaller loop that easily fits into my 86 Suburban "War Wagon". Loop measures 3 feet each side and is made with 36 turns #12 house wire. The clear plastic box houses the tuning mechanism consisting several varicaps in parallel(1800 pf total when at max) and tuned remotely from inside the vehicle where it is warm. Tuning unit uses 9 volt battery and 10K pot. Calm winds so I used a small tripod.

              December 2014 Audio files taken when a thunderstorm was 30 miles away.
                   SAQ Christmas Eve Audio December 24th 2014

Christmas Eve 2014 Port Mahon

Near by Weather created a lot of static.

My earlier reception of the Alexanderson Alternator in 2009 used this 8 foot loop with 12 turns of wire -- The turns are wide spaced to reduce capacitance and increase Q. A separate pick up loop was utilized consisting of a single turn and for matching to 50 ohm coax. A small rotor was installed below the center section.
UPDATE: December 2009, 24 turns and tunable bandwidth of 2 Kcs with variable tuning.

Remote tuning with a screw driver motor.

Very important - - - use only a Rolaids bottle, other brands will not work.

|
A Capacitor decade box and a fixed capacitor of .1uF were added to resonant the loop on 17.2 Kcs. The decade capacitors pad the loop down and you still make small peaking adjustments plus or minus a few Kcs with the variable.

W2AMI SAQ set up 2009
"Below is my SAQ set-up: The antenna is a 50 turn x 8' diagonal loop made from flat computer cable. The loop is the tuned grid circuit of a type 77 tube as a regen (autodyne) detector feeding a type 76 as a audio amp to a ss dsp amp. I run A B battery power far from the house. I can't hear anything but buzz inside the house from all the microprocessors in the stove, frig, TV etc. SAQ sends v v v de saq a few times before the hour and msg lasts maybe 12 minutes. They are speaker loud and I can go outside the tent to adjust the loop direction for sig max. Be well, bob...w2ami x wn2ami 1962"

VLF receiver. Tunes 10-30 Kcs in .1 or .05 Kcs increments.

The receiver also has a fixed tuned channel on 60 Kcs. The set has two filters, 200 cycles and 50 cycles. The final IF is 1Kc which feeds an audio amplifier. So you get to listen to the 1 Kc IF. Its amazing what you can find at hamfests.

Other receivers include:

RCA AR-8510 tunes 10 to 650 Kcs.

Polomar Converter use in front of R-390A. The R-390A has an excellent noises limiter.

And a Merry Christmas to all.

SAQ test files:

SprectraVue Files

Test Transmission raw data file (zipped) 38.3 Meg

Test Transmission raw data file 61.9 Meg

| A Capacitor decade box and a fixed capacitor of .1uF were added to resonant the loop on 17.2 Kcs. The decade capacitors pad the loop down and you still make small peaking adjustments plus or minus a few Kcs with the variable.

|
A Capacitor decade box and a fixed capacitor of .1uF were added to resonant the loop on 17.2 Kcs. The decade capacitors pad the loop down and you still make small peaking adjustments plus or minus a few Kcs with the variable.