AMRAD LF Active Antenna Question

[Robert Seastrom]

On Nov 2, 2014, at 4:37 PM, Mark Fancher <mark.fancher at twc.com> wrote:

> Looks like the LED specified for the antenna (not the power supply) isn’t offered by Radioshack anymore.  Will this thing work without that LED or is it required?

Hi Mark,

I just looked at the schematic and I don't see an LED in the antenna amplifier schematic.

Attention to http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/0109031.pdf

Are you perchance referring to "DS1NE-2 neon lamp (272-1102)" in the schematic on page 34?

If so, that's actually a neon indicator bulb and at a guess it's there to provide a static discharge path so that the first thunderstorm within 10 miles doesn't send Q1 to the great parts bin in the sky.

There seem to be NOS NE-2 neon bulbs on eBay.  Guess those are one of those things that used to be super common and are now hard to find.

The original authors are around and subscribed to the list; perhaps they will chime in.

73,

de AI4UC