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Re: [IRCA] DKAZ Construction Help Request
Hi Michael,
So... were you proposing the terminated end of the DKaz will actually 
not be terminated until it reaches the Vactrol after a 70' length of 
twisted pair?  And the extension from the feedpoint end will also 
simply be another  70' of twisted pair eventually terminated in a 
balun (and the balun would be unnecessary if  you used a FLG100 at 
that point)?   I never say never,  especially as I have done 
something similar with an ALA100 in a difficult situation, but it was 
only a few meters of twisted pair in that case.    I'm not sure that 
it's a very RF sanitary arrangement if you're trying to get deep nulls.
If that's so, then I maybe it would be better to look at Mark's 
scheme, page 5 of his document.
But....there's a 9:1 impedance transformation at both ends in Mark's 
scheme, so at his switching point, you are looking at about 100 ohms 
impedance.   FLG100 is a wonderful device, but its input impedance is 
closer to 1000 ohms, so there will be a fair impedance mismatch, and 
you may be disappointed if you plan to make a special purchase for 
this project.  If you have an ALA100 already, that may work as well 
as the other two amplifiers.   Both it and the FLG100 are designed to 
be used with coax however, and if I'm not mistaken, you want CAT5 
back to the shack with one pair for signal, one for power, one for 
Vactrol control and the remaining pair for controlling the relay (do 
you have enough pairs?). This is complicated enough that you may as 
well design in the receiver interface box for the FLG/ALA100 out 
there as well, popping in a matching transformer / balun from 50:100 
ohms, and at that point, I admire your ingenuity, but hope that you 
are not paying yourself by the hour!
 The Vactrol  is also meant to work at around the 900 to 1000 ohm 
termination of the DKaz, not the 100 ohm approximately that would be 
found with Mark's system (he uses a low value pot rather than a 1kohm 
pot at that point, see page 11 of his document).  So some parallel 
resistance needs to be shunted to the Vactrol's resistance 
also.   Things are not impossible, but they are getting complicated.
Like Mark says, shout if anything here sounds useful.   I don't want 
to be discouraging, but you have set yourself quite a fine 
engineering problem here!
best wishes,
Nick
At 23:02 07-05-16, you wrote:
I would like to install a couple of reversible DKAZ's (DKAZi?) and 
am wondering what you all think about extending the two ends towards 
the middle using CAT5 and attaching them to a 4PDT relay. I would 
have a Patented Colin Newell Vactrol and a balun at that point and 
run these back to the house, also using CAT5.
I thought that bringing the end points back the 70 feet to the 
middle would keep the Vactrol within the 100 foot length limit 
recommended to maximize null depth, but am a little concerned about 
any interaction with the antenna because they would be running more 
or less in parallel.
I am also wondering what you would recommend for a broadband 
amplifier - it seems that the options are Wellbrook, Kiwa, and DX 
Engineering. I wanted to use CAT5 instead of coax to keep feedline 
costs down if at all possible, and it's likely that the feedline 
length will be on the order of 250 feet. With a length like that 
would it be better to have the amp at the antenna or is it OK to 
have it in the house? What configuration are others using to do this?
I really appreciate any help you could offer. This is my first 
antenna project in many years!
Kind regards,
Michael Yule
Upper LaHave, NS
Sent from my iPad
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Be sure to register now for the Joint DX Convention
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http://www.nrcdxas.org
Opinions expressed in messages on this mailing list are those of the original contributors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of the IRCA, its editors, publishing staff, or officers
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