[TriLUG] Coax and etc.

[sjackson at radarfind.com]

I always like to help when I can, and it's interesting to listen to
computer/software types talk about transmission lines and radios.  I'm
useless with a keyboard, wouldn't know a Korn shell from a corn husk, but
give me a soldering iron, and I'm in my zone.

Regards the remoting of the antennas for the wireless mics:  the coax idea
is actually a very good one.  US-market wireless mics mostly work at/about
either 170 MHz or 413 MHz so the antennas will be different for them
depending on what type you have.  The antennas are usually quarter-wave
whips, so, you MUST mount them on some sort of largish metallic object, with
spacing such that at least one 1/4 wave (roughly the length of the antenna)
surrounds the mounting point of each antenna.  Ideally, with multiple
antennas, they will be spaced apart by an equal amount.  Try to keep the
RG-58 (that's "thin net" cable to old Ethernet heads, like me) to the
minimum length needed, as it's relatively lossy at these frequencies.

Regards the person with the poor AM reception:  one can build one's own
indoor broadcast band loop antenna fairly effectively, using some cheap 1/2"
PVC pipe and some thin wire.  If you're interested, I'll post details here
or provide a URL.  If you want to buy something ready made, so state, and
I'll point you in the right direction.

Steve Jackson KZ1X/4
CTO
RadarFind Corp., RTP