extract of RB Copper column in Radio-Electronics Nov 1958, p. 108

In last year's television DX columns (fall winter, 1957) F2 television reception was covered
piece-meal fashion.  Unlike other forms of dx reception, F2 calls for making a few minor or
major (depending on your experience in TV) modifications to the TV set, antenna system and your
dxing habits.  Unfortunately, too few dxers realized the possibilities of F2 reception and made
no attempt to go out of their way to receive the numerous TV transmissions which bridged the
Atlantic from England, France, Italy, Denmark, Russia and Germany.  To those who did bother
with the circuit modifications, antenna installations and a study of what makes F2 tick, the
results were by far the most noteworthy dx loggings reported in many seasons.

Foremost among the F2 dxers is Gordon Simkin of Loma Linda, Calif.  Dxer Simkin has been most
helpful to aspiring F2 dxers, offering information on receiver modifications, antennas and when
and where to look for signals.  On the opposite side of the continent, Ronald Boyd of Truro,
Nova Scotia, Canada, has reported in detail his luck with English, French and Danish TV
transmissions.

It remained for Stanley J. Penc, of Utica, N. Y., however, to provide us with a set of what we
consider good to excellent photographs of F2 TV reception, as seen on this side of the Atlantic.
Stan Penc has been dxing for several years in Utica, with a total of 124 stations in 30 states,
Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba and Canada and now, thanks to F2, England, France and Germany.

Stan's setup is typical of the Simkin modifications found in use throughout the country.  The
heart of his system is a Heathkit FM-3A tuner feeding a Setchell-Carlson receiver.  Many
modifications (in fact a whole rebuilding job) were performed on the FM-3A, and will not be
discussed at this time.

A conical antenna with a 45-mc center frequency (European TV operation begins at 41.25 mc),
mounted with a conventional rotator some 30 feet above ground, is used.  It is vertically
polarized to match BBC TV transmissions in this frequency range.  For the 48-54-mc range, a
6-meter amateur antenna is used.  It covers BBC channel 2 and other dx stations in this range.

For detailed data on picking up European TV dx see "Looking in on London,"RADIO-ELECTRONICS,
September, 1958, page 52.