Review: CR Kits ARDF R3500D 80m receiver - build and test

[@MirlitronOne]

I picked up one of these kits last year from our club's "swap and surplus" night. Found the errors in the build instructions and got it working with very little effort. DF is far too energetic for me but it did help me to track down a source of local interference.

[@TheArtofEngineering]

That whip antenna must work like the sense antenna on a Bellini Tosi DF antenna for picking the correct direction via null.

[@MidlifeRenaissanceMan]

What was that famous Simon and Garfunkel song ? Bridge over troubled solder ??

[@DavidCase-ov5uo]

Not Bob Dylan then - The universal Solder.

[@vermontcreekbed]

Well done Peter, I had better not lend you one of my DF1FO units both the performance and the cost may shock you. In VK we usually use 3.585 as the fox and 3.600 for the homing beacon. In competition there are 3 events where 80m is used and one event on 2m. VK3WWW

[@vk3ye]

Thanks Jack. Yes this is definitely a budget unit built to youth-friendly prices and ease of construction. A good example of value engineering - I wouldn't want to have gone more basic. Definitely can see how you might design a better unit. Eg full shielding, superhet receiver with good dynamic range, signal strength metering and of course an antenna better than a ferrite rod (which seem more optimum down at MF).

[@vermontcreekbed]

Ferrite antennas do work very well and are still very popular but its about 50-50 between loops and ferrites. In Europe they mostly hunt the null but if the signal is weak the null is not the best. Some European competitors are switching to using the peak more often especially the Whoopie function on some of the better receivers. Somewhere here I have one of those receivers you built it was given to me many years ago by a DL visiting VK. From memory it was extremely deaf. But as you say its a nice kit to build and a cheap entry into Radio Orienteering. Maybe I should let you try one of my receivers and you can compare for yourself.😀

[@soroastronik]

Excelente video señor!!! 73 de LU1WGO

[@TheArtofEngineering]

Looks like a fun kit! 73

[@vk2wgw]

Is it justy my PC or is his HD Videos blurry ?

[@gerardouribe9939]

Muy interesante!!!! Un abrazo grande!!! LU7EUG

[@alireza_ak56890]

Master, make a radio receiver for airplane waves...thanks

[@vk3ye]

Check out my superregenerative receiver videos. One of them is an airband receiver.