[Lf] Re: LF Transmitting

[Andre Kesteloot]

kb9mbn at juno.com wrote:

> Hi my name is Myron and I have been enjoying the information on
> the AMRAD web site. I was reading about the part where the last
> Alexanderson alternator was used as a transmitter. I remember
> reading a little about alternators used as transmitters in the early
> days of radio.

yes there was a whole article about this, including an alternator
_receiver_  in the latest issue of the RSGB magazine RadCom

>
> The question is can a automotive alternator be used for a transmitter
> or are they not usable for transmitting because of the way the coils are
> wound?

no idea

>
> I was just wondering if anybody has thought of this idea. I am thinking
> of
> getting into LW experimenting

good , in fact excellent

> but with working and two small kids it gets
> hard to get projects started.

why don't you just start by building a simple small transmitter? Look at the
projects described in the RSGB's excellent book "The LF Experimenter's
Handbook"   You can build a Tx with just a couple of ICs plus a MosFET as the
output stage.

> One more thing, what is the success if any with monitoring LW near towns
> and especially near medium wave radio stations?Thanks

we do some of our most successful reception in downtown Oakton, near Vienna
Virginia, with the antenna (a active dipole -see QST last October (?) for a
description of  K0BRA's AMRAD antenna)  on the roof of a building full of
computers  :-)

Keep in touch and let me know of your progress

73
André N4ICK