Radio Rud - 500 kHz info

Info about our 500 kHz installation

We got our licence in august 2008, and when the paper arrived we got in big hurry to put something "on the air" directly.
After some days of planning we came up with the idea to just take an old life boat transmitter, modify it with a power supply connected to the AC power line instead of the internal hand-cranked generator, output from the transmitter was about 4 watts to a 30 meter long wire up in a tree. The result was poor, mostly local reports, but OH1LSQ/Paul-Henric did catch it!!

Since the beginning of november 2008 we have our own homemade transmitter on air, inspiration comes from N4ICK - André Kesteloot and his transmitter at www.500kc.com.

A new vertical antenna was also built, about 22 meter high vertical pipe, with 4 top cap wires at a total length of 18 meter. The earth radials consists of 18 wires spread out like a star, and each of thoose wires are 100 meter, this is in duty since 2008-11-22, a cold november day in Sweden, perfect for antenna work... ;-) Radiated power is about 3 watts erp.

Below you can se some pictures of our equipment and antenna system!

Best 73's from the crew at SK6RUD - Radio Rud

Info about our 500 kHz installation We got our licence in august 2008, and when the paper arrived we got in big hurry to put something "on the air" directly. After some days of planning we came up with the idea to just take an old life boat transmitter, modify it with a power supply connected to the AC power line instead of the internal hand-cranked generator, output from the transmitter was about 4 watts to a 30 meter long wire up in a tree. The result was poor, mostly local reports, but OH1LSQ/Paul-Henric did catch it!! Since the beginning of november 2008 we have our own homemade transmitter on air, inspiration comes from N4ICK - André Kesteloot and his transmitter at www.500kc.com. A new vertical antenna was also built, about 22 meter high vertical pipe, with 4 top cap wires at a total length of 18 meter. The earth radials consists of 18 wires spread out like a star, and each of thoose wires are 100 meter, this is in duty since 2008-11-22, a cold november day in Sweden, perfect for antenna work... ;-) Radiated power is about 3 watts erp. Below you can se some pictures of our equipment and antenna system! Best 73's from the crew at SK6RUD - Radio Rud

Bottom side with logic board and low pass filter.	Top side, 2 POWER MOSFET, cooling fans and transformer.

Box with power supply, cooling fan, without transmitter.	Box with power supply, cooling fan, and the transmitter.

Some final tests of the transmitter, the light bulb goes on!	Some final tests of the transmitter, the light bulb goes on!

RF Ampere meter connected to our earth radials.	Photo of the installation, keyer, transmitter and variometer.

This is what we use to get thoose radio waves in the air.	Center connection point of the earth radial system.

Top end of the new vertical with flexible holdings for cap. wires.	Vertical antenna, not yet erected. SA6AMV 22 meters away.

Vertical antenna with commander in chief SM6YJG.	One of the 4 top cap wires 20 meters up in a tree.

New vertical antenna On The Air 2008-11-22	New vertical antenna On The Air 2008-11-22

View from bottom of the vertical...	Two holes in the wall, one for earth wires, one for the antenna.

Tx with new passband filter and more uF filter condensators.	Not Darth Vader but SM6BGP with a fluorescent near antenna.

Tx on workbench for final tests with connected dummyload.	Wave trap for 3500 kHz now connected at beacon installation.

Improvment, a modified gasoline funnel keeps the isolator dry!	Some pictures from todays antenna measurements... ;-))




Photo of the first try, Skanti Marinetta life boat transmitter.	Photo of the second try, also Skanti life boat transmitter.