Frequency discriminator and all-electronic receiver

[Mike(Mont)]

Getting pretty tired of saying this thing ain't done. I bet a few people are tired of hearing me say it. For now i have halted any further research work on it, but by now most people know I have a hard time holding to that. Again, I still have work to do on the housing, etc. If you recall Ferrari didn't care much of anything about the car body. To him is was just a cover to protect the engine from the weather. Compare that to the phony LRL's with the fancy Star Wars case. More money spent on the case than on the electronics. Oh yeah, almost forgot, I have to test it in the field. Just a minor detail.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwgGuadsqyo

[WM6]

Assume, that you didn't try to put some sort of calculator on it yet?

[Mike(Mont)]

Well, I am trying to keep it simple. And honest...NO SUCKER BAIT.

[Mike(Mont)]

Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

They never said when, only that it will.

Off topic, saw the first butterfly this year today. Unreal it is so early in the season.

[Mike(Mont)]

I know it's an old cliche, but sometimes I have a hard time not believing this is all a miracle. Or as Einstein said "Either there are no miracles or everything is a miracle."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrxA4DcQw-Q

[Mike(Mont)]

I'm going to sign off for now. Hopefully when i get back I'll have something complete. Yeah, I know, wishful thinking, but that's the plan. ~~Later

[WM6]

Originally Posted by Mike(Mont)

Hopefully when i get back I'll have something complete.

Good mantra.

All the best on your long range voyage.

[Mike(Mont)]

Well, back as usual to my old ways...flip-flop. I got a longer ferrite rod and at least for now it's my favorite toy. Will it hold up? I don't know, but it seems to be a pretty solid performer even though i do like the air loop coil I have been using. So I guess I will use this one for a few days and see what I think. Right now I think it pulls in the signal a little bit better. Works good on the edges of the search field. It costs quite a bit more and probably a little more fragile. And i need to figure out what housing I will use. I think it's Mercedes-Benz slogan "Only the best." That's what i want...I mean the best, not the car.

[Mike(Mont)]

Yeah, I am pleased with this one. It grabs the signal faster (lock-on). Now this might just be due to atmospheric conditions which are very good today. Time will tell. For me, finding a new housing is unpleasant work, but it won't fit in the PVC I was using.

[Mike(Mont)]

And the winner is...Oh, you thought I was going to say flip-flop again, didn't you? Well, I flipped but I didn't flop this time. I don't know what caused me to miss my test target but I did. So I went back to the air loop coil and I didn't like it. I checked the Space weather website looking for some interference but didn't find any. All i can think is the wind was a bit gusty. I don't know. I read in "The Odic Force" that the energy coming off the target appears as a flame to sensitives and it can be blown around by the wind. Whatever caused it I don't know but it gave me the chance to retry to old coil--sort of a buyer's remorse--and I decided I made the right choice to go with the ferrite rod.

[Mike(Mont)]

The proton monitor was off and on. I don't know what that was about.

One more possibility I thought was conditions are too good and the transmitter was locking on to distant, long-time-buried targets. The missed target was on the edge of the search pattern and I know the signal is weaker there. But I haven't been having a problem with the ferrite rod. This is why I spend several days trying out a new configuration. You can't just accept one quick test and pronounce it victorious. I've been pleased with it so far and this really is the first time I missed a test target in a few days of testing. Anybody who expects 100% accuracy is going to be disappointed or delusional. If you think you are on secure ground, be ready to fall.

[Mike(Mont)]

We have rain forecast. Maybe there is some electric activity in the weather front air. Also the ground is dry and dusty.

[Mike(Mont)]

I got out about sunset and conditions were back to normal. I did see there was some sort of disturbance today.

[Mike(Mont)]

Probably back in the 1960's I saw a cartoon where there was a giant computer and a bunch of scientists in their white lab coats scratching their heads because it wasn't working. Along comes the janitor sweeping the floor and he looks down and sees the computer is unplugged--no power!

Well, I just remembered this morning i had changed my power supply for the receiver and had not checked the battery voltage in the past ten days. Sure enough the battery is low. Lesson learned. Counterfeit batteries are everywhere, big business. And i knew this.

[Mike(Mont)]

Well, no one can accuse me of not putting it out there warts and all. Sometimes I get brain fade--okay MOST of the time. Lucky this isn't bomb making or I'd certainly be dead by now.

I'm just a hopeless tinkerer. I can't help myself. I am always trying to change something or other. Not too scientific about it. I've been trying to keep the power level down as low as possible and finally it occurred to me I need more power--duh!!!! Maybe I need to put a sticker on my forehead or something to remind me. Also probably going with a regulated power supply for the receiver.

BTW, here's my Cheshire Cat impersonation. Well, back "through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole I go"...

[Mike(Mont)]

I guess you would call this an off-topic post seeing how this is the All Electronic LRL's page. Just a warning. Don't read this if you are offended by L-rods or people who use them.

I got out the old L-rods this morning. Haven't used them in months. I don't recall the last time that happened--more than ten years ago. Anyway, I liked it. I had a belt receiver of sorts from an old MFD unit and i was using the transmitter for my latest All Electronic LRL. WOW, the rods were very lively. This just inspired me to add the rods to the total system. So I will see what happens. I have to admit the rods hold a dear place in my heart. I just love that feeling when I cross the discriminated signal line. Okay, so much for the sappy PDA stuff.

[Mike(Mont)]

For those who don't know.

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=PDA

[Qiaozhi]

Originally Posted by Mike(Mont)

For those who don't know.

www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=PDA

And there was me thinking that a PDA was a "Personal Digital Assistant".
One day there will be Hubots.
http://www.personasynthetics.com/

[Mike(Mont)]

Yeah, I looked up PDA to make sure I had it right when I noticed your definition. That's when I figured some people might not understand as I didn't know it had other meanings.

As for hubots, well when they can use an L-rod (converse with the universe) then that would be something. I suppose it is not too far away time wise. Probably could do it now.

I consider it an absolute insult to say L-rod users are "Born that way". Now skeptics, maybe so.

[Mike(Mont)]

That was a joke if you didn't get it. Skeptics are made just like L-rod users. It's just a Hell of a lot easier to become a skeptic.

As for L-rods, I can see why Dell Winders went with them. You can get more info and get it faster. But all that is under the huge assumption that you can use them in an unbiased manner. In other words you have to be part Saint so as not to influence them. Of course that's why my mantra that you need SOME form of meditation, even something basic like yoga breathing. This is the main reason people fail--they can't just stay out of it. Enough on that issue.

So I am toying with the idea of a hybrid system. First you use the electronic receiver to find the discriminated signal line, THEN you use the L-rods to pinpoint the target along that line. It's a lot more reassuring than trying to find the line with the rods. And it's a lot faster to use the rods instead of having to move the transmitter to a new location, but that can still be done for those who have the L-rodphobia and skepticitis. Well, enough of my rambling--back "Through the looking glass".

[Qiaozhi]

Originally Posted by Mike(Mont)

That was a joke if you didn't get it. Skeptics are made just like L-rod users. It's just a Hell of a lot easier to become a skeptic.

As for L-rods, I can see why Dell Winders went with them. You can get more info and get it faster. But all that is under the huge assumption that you can use them in an unbiased manner. In other words you have to be part Saint so as not to influence them. Of course that's why my mantra that you need SOME form of meditation, even something basic like yoga breathing. This is the main reason people fail--they can't just stay out of it. Enough on that issue.

So I am toying with the idea of a hybrid system. First you use the electronic receiver to find the discriminated signal line, THEN you use the L-rods to pinpoint the target along that line. It's a lot more reassuring than trying to find the line with the rods. And it's a lot faster to use the rods instead of having to move the transmitter to a new location, but that can still be done for those who have the L-rodphobia and skepticitis. Well, enough of my rambling--back "Through the looking glass".

Of course you could just continue to use the time-honoured methods of self-delusion, wishful thinking and selective memory.

[Mike(Mont)]

I have a few hours on the L-rod.

[Mike(Mont)]

I was watching the battery voltage on the receiver and when the battery got low the voltage (under load) dropped way down. Tried two different regulated power systems to maintain a steady voltage on the receiver but they both cause too much noise. So i just decided to go with a bigger battery. I call it cheap overkill.

[WM6]

Originally Posted by Mike(Mont)

Tried two different regulated power systems to maintain a steady voltage on the receiver but they both cause too much noise.

Did you tried to block such noise by adding block capacitor between regulator output and ground? Try different values between 22 and 100nF.

[Mike(Mont)]

Originally Posted by WM6

Did you tried to block such noise by adding block capacitor between regulator output and ground? Try different values between 22 and 100nF.

WM6, thanks for your help. There are electrolytic capacitors that come off the hot lead to ground. They are bigger yet. I'm not very versed in electronics. If I get motivated I will read up on it. I think it says they run at 150kHz so I suspect the receiver is "receiving" that as a signal. The signal strength meter is at about 20%. Even so the receiver still detects a target signal but that has to have a bad effect overall. Well, it's okay, I know the battery works and the new one is still lightweight enough, about twice the capacity. Now i don't have to worry about it.

How goes your new device? I haven't started anything on that one yet. I do like some of your ideas and plan to work with them when I get over my obsession with this project.