Re: [Discuss-gnuradio] Gain ahead of Basic RX?

[Charles Swiger]

On Mon, 2007-01-01 at 13:41 -0500, John Ackermann N8UR wrote:
> As mentioned earlier, I'm working on a front-end board for the Basic-RX
> to provide some gain and selectivity for HF use.
> 
> Question -- has anyone figured out what sort of gain is optimum ahead of
> the the Basic-RX for use as an HF receiver?  I can easily tweak the
> front-end design to provide anything from about 8 to 18 dB gain; more
> than that might require adding a second amp stage, which is doable if
> necessary.
> 

John - I use 18db gain .5-30Mhz amps from Advanced Receiver Research, as
well as their 29db GAsFet amps for 7-7.4Mhz.  Another workhorse is a
29db .05-150Mhz Minicicuits ZHL-32A. 

I've been playing with a mobile hamstick antenna with great success due
to two things: good band conditions recently (k index near zero) and
being able to park in a quite place away from power lines and consumer
electronics. My apartment is so noisy from all the neighbors electronics
that 40 meters is completely unusable, nothing but noise all the time.

Here's a snapshot of the 40 meter band using the ZHL-32A
and a trunk mounted 40m hamstick in the park:

http://webpages.charter.net/cswiger/40m_spectrum.jpg


Last night, using the 29db and hamstick, logged EA8EQ, FM5AN, JR1CFP,
JE6DOI, etc. - AND have the band recorded for proof ;)

--Chuck