Recent Captures

Location: Austin (Rollingwood), Texas 78746

10 foot whip on the roof connects to a panel in the basement via about 20 feet of RG6:

The antenna comes in the bottom to the blue box (surge suppressor):

The antenna connector (UHF style) has a ceramic gas discharge suppressor and 62 megohm resistor across it. A 0.1 uF, 600 volt capacitor couples the antenna to the output connector. The output connector has an ordinary NE-2 neon lamp across it.

Then the signal goes to a phenolic octal tube socket that presently has a TL592 differential amplifier plugged in. The amplifier is thrown together on an old PCB mounted on an octal plug.  Power line ground is not connected.

The output goes to a North Hills isolation transformer before running about 25 feet to the receiver, an HP 3746A selective level meter:

The frequency accuracy is controlled by a "Counter-Mate" ovenized frequency standard set by comparison to the remarkably accurate WOAI, 1200 kHz, in San Antonio.