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USB-DVB-T-DAB-FM-RTL-SDR-Realtek-RTL2832U-R820T-Tuner-Receiver-PAL-IEC-Inp

Started by DavePEI, August 18, 2015, 02:41:58 PM

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DavePEI

Quote from: twocvbloke on August 26, 2015, 10:18:52 AM
I've been looking at the NOAA weather satellite side of things, and some of the antennas for those are pretty funky looking things to deal with the circular polarisation of the signals beaming down to earth, I've used circular-polarised stuff before, namely a British Satellite Broadcasting "Squarial" (which is a square, flat-panel satellite antenna from the late 80's & early 90's back when we had two competing satellite operators (Sky and BSB, before Sky bought out BSB)), but that wasn't serious stuff, just messing about with analogue satellite TV before it all went digital... ;D

I quite like the thought of building a Quadrifilar Helicoidal antenna though, mostly because of it's name, but also because it looks unusual... ;D
For good info on QFH antennas, see: http://homepage.ntlworld.com/phqfh1/qfh_diy_guide.htm
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twocvbloke

Yeah, I've been looking at a few sites that show how to build them, this one seems to be useful as it calculates everything you need to build a QFH:

http://jcoppens.com/ant/qfh/calc.en.php

Seems they can use Coax cable or Microbore copper tubing, I have plenty of the former lying about so not short on such things, but the microbore antennas look more impressive, particularly the one below... ;D

http://jcoppens.com/ant/qfh/fotos_g3lmo.en.php

DavePEI

I saw a couple of really unusual flights tonight on the ADS-B screen  :) Can you spot them?
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
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19and41

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
— Arthur C. Clarke

twocvbloke

Quote from: DavePEI on September 03, 2015, 07:35:18 PM
I saw a couple of really unusual flights tonight on the ADS-B screen  :) Can you spot them?

Could it bee all that hype that is the buzz of the town? ;D

twocvbloke

That's a thought, while I'm here, to you think I've got enough connectors? ;D

(bought the female belling-lee adaptors last week, the rest I've had for a number of years since I started messing about with analogue satellite TV before that went the way of "progress")

DavePEI

Quote from: twocvbloke on September 03, 2015, 11:30:16 PM
That's a thought, while I'm here, to you think I've got enough connectors? ;D

(bought the female belling-lee adaptors last week, the rest I've had for a number of years since I started messing about with analogue satellite TV before that went the way of "progress")
Yea, I am waiting for a couple of PAL male to female F ones to arrive via slow boat from China to test out the collinear antenna! It is a pain when you don't have the correct adaptors!

So you call them Belling-Lee (after the manufacturer of the same name?)

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

twocvbloke

Quote from: DavePEI on September 04, 2015, 04:16:20 AMSo you call them Belling-Lee (after the manufacturer of the same name?)

That's the original name for them, these days they're just referred to as "TV aerial plugs", but for specifics, I like to call them Belling-Lee plugs as "aerial plug" can also refer to the F-plug (which we use for Cable and Satellite connections), some info on the Belling-Lee plug here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belling-Lee_connector

I thought I had one of my Male adaptors go missing, but it turned out it was attached to a cable I'd previously made up for something else, so I have 20x of those too... ;D

DavePEI

What a frustrating day. I spent three hours driving around PEI looking for adapters to fit the SDR since my Chinese adapters didn't come again today, and we have three no mail days upcoming due to the Labor Day Holiday. Not a store on PEI has PAL to F type adapters (or Belling-Lee to F type) in stock! In fact, most of them didn't even recognize the connector. Bet that wouldn't have happened in GB!

Guess it is still in wait mode! I had hoped that not only the adapters would come, but also my NooElec "Ham it UP!" up-converter would have arrived before the long weekend! When I ordered them from China, I knew they might be hard to get here, so I ordered 4, but they won't do me any good until they arrive!
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

DavePEI

I should title this message "Saved by the Junk Box"!

After returning from my unsuccessful search for a Belling-Lee or PAL adapter, I kept thinking I might have a way to do it left over in my Electronics workshop.

I went searching, and found a very old angle Belling-Lee connector, some F connectors, my seldom used (nowadays) F  crimper, and an F barrel connector. re-assembled on some RG-6U cable, and they gave me this!

It will have the added advantage of taking some of the strain off the dongle thanks to the L connector. Goodness knows what I got the British connector off, but at least I found it!
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

TelePlay

Quick question: the connector on the dongle is an F-Type female, right? Not a PAL connector.

As such, the antenna connector has to be a F-Type male, not a PAL male, right?

So, the proper connector to attach to the dongle is an F-Type male with the other end being either a male or female PAL, right?

DavePEI

Quote from: TelePlay on September 04, 2015, 08:48:52 PM
Quick question: the connector on the dongle is an F-Type female, right? Not a PAL connector.

As such, the antenna connector has to be a F-Type male, not a PAL male, right?

So, the proper connector to attach to the dongle is an F-Type male with the other end being either a male or female PAL, right?
Wrong. The connector on the dongle is a PAL Female connector. Therefore its mating connector is a PAL male. The standard North American connector is F type. Therefore you have to adapt from F type to PAL Male.
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

TelePlay

Thanks, the male PAL on the antenna that came with the dongle seems smaller. Must be my eyes. Or, I've never had a PAL connector before. Anyway, thanks, now I can order the correct adapters.

DavePEI

Quote from: TelePlay on September 04, 2015, 09:13:51 PM
Thanks, the male PAL on the antenna that came with the dongle seems smaller. Must be my eyes. Or, I've never had a PAL connector before. Anyway, thanks, now I can order the correct adapters.
Well, some of them do come with the smaller SMA (think that is what it is called) connector.... The difference is SMA screws in. I will try to post a photo if I can find one.

Photo is actually an SMA male to F type female adaptor, but it shows the SMA male end well.

Best way to tell is to look at the connector closely. An SMA make threads in - PAL merely pushes in. Since there are differences between dongles, I don't want you to get the wrong one. If you ordered the same one I got, it does use PAL.

Just don't want you to blame me if you wind up with the wrong one. I have even seen some which come with BNC connectors! Problem is a lack of standardization.

Dave
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

TelePlay

It looks the same

http://www.ebay.com/itm/391095249092

But I had to order it from a US eBay seller, or listing.

I don't think I've ever used a PAL connector before, at least not that I can remember.