DXing on the Road Resources

Articles

I wrote this article about DXing on the Road for the SWL Blog several years. It still very accurately describes my methods although a few things have changed. First, I now pack everything in two smaller plastic boxes (instead of one large one). Second, my preferred travel SDRs are now the Elad FDM-S2 and/or a pair of Airspy Discovery HF+ receivers. Finally, I now use lithium ion AA batteries to power both the Wellbrook loop and the PA0RDT.

In this article Guy Atkins describes numerous options for broadband loop antennas available to DXers now that Wellbrook has closed down. Some of these are suitable for DXing on the road.

Chris Kadlec's highly detailed article is a must-read for ultra-light DXing on the road. It also has some good tips for those of us who prefer to use SDRs.

Antennas and Other Gear

The Original PA0RDT Antenna - See Roelof Bakker's email at the bottom of the page. You need to email him about ordering. The cost with shipping is about $75 in the US. I highly recommend getting one of his antennas versus one of the cheaper versions.

AA Lithium Batteries - These rechargeable batteries provide a constant full 1.5 volts, unlike other types of rechargeables that only provide 1.2 volts. That means eight of them can power either the PA0RDT or the Wellbrook power units. They are recharged by a small four-head USB cable. I've been using these for several years and they have saved me a lot of money (versus buying alkalines). There are other brands but these are the ones I've been using.

This Ground Loop Isolator for CCTV also can be used to reduce or eliminate noise on antennas such as the PA0RDT or Wellbrook loops or beverage antennas. It doesn't eliminate all types of noise that might come in on the antenna but it's cheap. With antennas like the PAORDT and Wellbrook loops this should be placed between the receiver and the connector box (i.e. NOT betwen the connector box and the antenna). This is the same model that I use. Other brands are available.

Protect your laptop and other equipment with a good travel surge protector and multi plug outlet. If you are going to plug this into foreign adapters I recommend getting a short extension cord. Othewise it will be difficult to keep the surge protector plugged into the wall. (It may fall out from its own weight.)