For those who have access to the scarce 100mm x 20mm x 3mm ferrite bars and who 
have built (or plan to build) the original 3" Bar FSL Tecsun PL-380 model (for 
which the construction article is posted at 
http://www.mediafire.com/view/w0gcek56f6aq7kr/3_Inch_FSL_Tecsun_PL.doc  ), the 
question has arisen about whether the shielded Litz wire procedure used in the 
new 4.25" FSL "Pest Control" PL-380 model (posted at 
http://www.mediafire.com/view/je2v6xorlnjmmbo/4.25inchFSLPL-380.doc  ) would be 
a good idea to improve nulling performance. At first this seemed like a routine 
conversion, and two of the original 3" Bar FSL PL-380 models were modified here 
to include shielded Litz wire. 
  
As it turns out, the question of adding shielded Litz wire to this original 3" 
Bar FSL model is a little more complicated. This model was designed to include 
a Bar FSL which is pretty close to the maximum RF tolerance level of the 
PL-380's Si4734 DSP chip. As long as the article's instructions are carefully 
followed there is no problem with DSP chip overloading, but any changes which 
increase the sensitivity of the model run the risk of borderline DSP chip 
overloading. 
  
The conversion to a shielded Litz wire system has the net effect of increasing 
the RF signal level from the 3" Bar FSL, mainly because none of the RF signal 
is lost along the extended run of Litz wire. As such the sensitivity level of 
the model is slightly increased, triggering borderline DSP chip overloading in 
the two test models here (on the X-band frequencies from 1600-1700 kHz). The 
4.25" Bar FSL has no such issue, and avoids any DSP chip overloading even with 
the shielded Litz wire system. 
  
As designed, the 3" Bar FSL model already has exceptional nulling ability for a 
portable (even without the shielded Litz wire system ), and my recommendation 
for those who have the 100mm ferrite bars is to construct the model according 
to the original article, and avoid the shielded Litz wire system. I'm fairly 
certain that anyone who builds the model according to the instructions will be 
more than satisfied with its DXing performance. 
  
73 and Good DX, 
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA) 
  
  
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