Hi folks, first let me apologise for not lurking, or even reading a
FAQ (I did look and did not find). I know that radio amateurs are a
helpful and friendly bunch, so here goes.
From the UK, for historical reasons, the BBC broadcasts programmes on
Long wave, specifically 1500 metres (198 Khz???). I drive a truck on
the continent of Europe, and would love to listen to this service
whilst on the road (for the cricket!). I know that the signal is
there, and of sufficient strength, as I can receive it OUTSIDE the
truck on an ancient "portable" Inside the steel box (cab) however, too
much noise/too little signal to be useful. The fitted radio has LW,
but again cannot be used for the noise. Could anyone please point me
to some answers to the following:
Antennae: Could I build (buy) some kind of antenna specifically to
receive this emission?
(My old radio has a socket labelled "AM antenna").
Could I build a receiver tuned only to this freq., with no need for a
speaker (run the sound in at headphone type power) that I could
hang/bolt outside the truck (on the roof?), with its own battery and
aerial? If so could someone point me to a diagram of such a beastie?

Dear Mr. Stephen Parry:
It is possible that the truck (it is one truck?) produces too much noise
at 198 kHz. An important test is to note if your portable radio tuned to
198 kHz receives a satisfactory signal-to-noise ratio when the truck is
running all of its equipment. Try placing the portable radio next to the
truck in places where one might attach an antenna.

The fitted radio, which has LW, must have an outside antenna. Is that
antenna in good condition?

Your solution might be to reduce the noise produced by the truck.
Antennas for LW suitable for mounting on a truck do exist, however they will
not help if they receive too much noise.

Let the group know the results of your testing. Tell us more about the
truck. Regards, Mac

--
J. Mc Laughlin; Michigan U.S.A.
Home:
"Stephen Parry" wrote in message
...
Hi folks, first let me apologise for not lurking, or even reading a
FAQ (I did look and did not find). I know that radio amateurs are a
helpful and friendly bunch, so here goes.
From the UK, for historical reasons, the BBC broadcasts programmes on
Long wave, specifically 1500 metres (198 Khz???). I drive a truck on
the continent of Europe, and would love to listen to this service
whilst on the road (for the cricket!). I know that the signal is
there, and of sufficient strength, as I can receive it OUTSIDE the
truck on an ancient "portable" Inside the steel box (cab) however, too
much noise/too little signal to be useful. The fitted radio has LW,
but again cannot be used for the noise. Could anyone please point me
to some answers to the following:
Antennae: Could I build (buy) some kind of antenna specifically to
receive this emission?
(My old radio has a socket labelled "AM antenna").
Could I build a receiver tuned only to this freq., with no need for a
speaker (run the sound in at headphone type power) that I could
hang/bolt outside the truck (on the roof?), with its own battery and
aerial? If so could someone point me to a diagram of such a beastie?

Stephen Parry wrote:
Inside the steel box (cab) however, too
much noise/too little signal to be useful.

Is the noise coming out of the radio speaker or is
it the physical noise level that is the problem?
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp

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Stephen Parry wrote:
"I drive a truck on the continent of Europe, and would love to listen to
this service on the road for cricket."

The Blau Punkt in my Karman Ghia got such signals all over the
continent, and I`m just one of millions.

Mr Parry did not say if his truck is Diesel powered as most European
trucks are. If so, he is free of his own ignition noise, usually the
hardest to suppress. He still may have alternator whine (perhaps a bad
diode) and he may have static discharges from things which rotate. Some
are under the hood, and their radiation should be kept under the hood by
the metal surrounding them. All such metal pieces should be bonded
together to keep the trap they form closed.

All conductors coming through or under the firewall should be well
grounded or bypassed with capacitors at the firewall. The exhausr pipe
may need bonding here also.

Maybe there is a gasoline powered rerfrigeration compressor generating
ignition noise. Standard resistance wires, capacitors, and bondibg
should silence that.

Springs can be used in wheel hubs to ground out static.

All the metal parts of the truck may have to be bonded together.

My Blau Punkt was equipped with a good sized choke coil in its battery
lead. It also had an internal "spark-plate" capacitor, and these rid the
power source of radio noise.

The telescoping antenna (about 50 years ago) could be extended to about
100 inches, which made the Karman Ghia quite a sight, but it worked. The
antenna cable was the standard high-impedance small inner-wire coaxial
type. This must be intact and perfect to keep the signal on track and
the noise out. Though German, it used Motorola connectors.

Radio frequencies decline very rapidly near their source. This is your
friend when the source causes interference. Keep the antenna away from
and shielded from sources of interferebce.

In 1935, Alfred A, Ghirardi (E.E.) wrote:
"---an aerial must be installed in (or on) the roof, under the running
boards or chassis of the car, or in some other locations.
---Considerable attention must be given to the ignition and other
electrical wiring of the car in order to eliminate all electrical
interference which it produces in the receiver."

Noise problems are more often caused by the vehicle than by the receiver
but some receivers may not be shielded and filtered well enough. If the
truck cab has its pieces bonded together and all pass-through conductors
are well bonded or bypassed, it should be electrically quiet. You should
be able to use a portable radio in there with proper placement or an
outside antenna.

Ghirardi devotes an entire chapter to automobile radio installation in
"Modern Radio Servicing". Car radios are hot in the summer months while
home radios are not.

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI

One problem you might look at aside from all the other great suggestions is
to look at how your radio voltage is derived. Most trucks are 24 volt and
the radios 12 volt.

Are you tapping at the junction of the two twelve volt batteries or does
your truck use a 24 to 12 volt converter? These are usually really noisy
from an electrical standpoint.

"Stephen Parry" wrote in message
...
Hi folks, first let me apologise for not lurking, or even reading a
FAQ (I did look and did not find). I know that radio amateurs are a
helpful and friendly bunch, so here goes.
From the UK, for historical reasons, the BBC broadcasts programmes on
Long wave, specifically 1500 metres (198 Khz???). I drive a truck on
the continent of Europe, and would love to listen to this service
whilst on the road (for the cricket!). I know that the signal is
there, and of sufficient strength, as I can receive it OUTSIDE the
truck on an ancient "portable" Inside the steel box (cab) however, too
much noise/too little signal to be useful. The fitted radio has LW,
but again cannot be used for the noise. Could anyone please point me
to some answers to the following:
Antennae: Could I build (buy) some kind of antenna specifically to
receive this emission?
(My old radio has a socket labelled "AM antenna").
Could I build a receiver tuned only to this freq., with no need for a
speaker (run the sound in at headphone type power) that I could
hang/bolt outside the truck (on the roof?), with its own battery and
aerial? If so could someone point me to a diagram of such a beastie?

Richard, can one drive far enough in Europe that the drive time would allow
listening to an entire cricket match? I mean here in the states it might be
possibe, say from New York to Texas etc...

"Richard Harrison" wrote in message
...
Stephen Parry wrote:
"I drive a truck on the continent of Europe, and would love to listen to
this service on the road for cricket."

As most modern big trucks are fiberglass, the bonding is moot.

"Richard Harrison" wrote in message
...
are under the hood, and their radiation should be kept under the hood by
the metal surrounding them. All such metal pieces should be bonded
together to keep the trap they form closed.

All conductors coming through or under the firewall should be well
grounded or bypassed with capacitors at the firewall. The exhausr pipe

Fred, W4JLE raised a number of intresting points. DC to DC converters
are switching types to get high efficiency and this can generate many
harmonics. If not suppressed, as many converters are, this causes much
noise. The solution is to use the proper converter if required.

Yes England can be well received all over the European continent. The
transmissions are powerful and decline only about 6 dB every time
distance from the transmitter is doubled after the first 1.5 km from the
200 KHz transmitter.

The questioner referred to his truck cab as a "steel box". I accept his
word. However, I once had a Corvette with a fiberglass body. The
ignition system came well shielded and bypassed. The underside of the
hood was equipped with a fibergaass blanket for heat control and the
blanket was faced with aluminum foil for radio frequency control. It was
grounded. Trucks must use something similar if they have spark ignition
systems.

The Corvette`s Delco radio only had medium wave AM and VHF FM reception.
Both were satisfactorily quiet. Screams during acceleration and sudden
stops were the only disconcerting noises.

Best regatrds, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI

On Thu, 18 Aug 2005 12:51:39 -0500, (Richard
Harrison) wrote:

Fred, W4JLE raised a number of intresting points. DC to DC converters
The questioner referred to his truck cab as a "steel box". I accept his
word. However, I once had a Corvette with a fiberglass body. The
ignition system came well shielded and bypassed. The underside of the
hood was equipped with a fibergaass blanket for heat control and the
blanket was faced with aluminum foil for radio frequency control. It was
grounded. Trucks must use something similar if they have spark ignition
systems.

The Corvette`s Delco radio only had medium wave AM and VHF FM reception.
Both were satisfactorily quiet. Screams during acceleration and sudden
stops were the only disconcerting noises.

Best regatrds, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI

Richard, I don't know anyone working in the technical area of radio
transmission ever earning enough to enjoy a Corvette. Did you have a
large inheritance?

Walt, W2DU

Walter, W2DU wrote:
"Did you have a large inheritance?"

No big windfall. I worked in Europe on a good salery for years. After
the first two, all I had to do was stay away rrom the U.S.A. and my
salery was tax-free. Then I investerd for the long term in some
unspectacular stocks with rising earmimgs and stock ptices. For fun I
bought some hot short term stocks too. I won some and I lost some, but
you only have to make one killing to pay for the losses. Diversification
is the key to staying in the game. Timing the market is highly unlikely.
So is reliable information unless it is first-hand.

I could tell you that Motorola is cash-rich and is buying back anout 10%
of its stock, but the Galvins are gone (except for Christopher) so the
stock is questionable. The management must think the stock is a good
investment or they shouldn`t be buying it. Who knows?

Best regards, Richard Harrison, KB5WZI