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#1
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Best small backyard antenna?
MFJ 1024 any good?
Even thinking of a Wellbrook but quite expensive! Really quiet from the reviews and less bothered by hydro line noise. Only have 35 foot deep yard by 25 wide. There are also Bell/Hydro wires running along mine and my neighbors adjoining backyards. Appreciate any help. At present I just have a longwire, 'kinda zigzagging the property. I also have 9::1 balun which helps with the noise. |
#2
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Best small backyard antenna?
Justis wrote:
MFJ 1024 any good? Even thinking of a Wellbrook but quite expensive! Really quiet from the reviews and less bothered by hydro line noise. Only have 35 foot deep yard by 25 wide. There are also Bell/Hydro wires running along mine and my neighbors adjoining backyards. Appreciate any help. At present I just have a longwire, 'kinda zigzagging the property. I also have 9::1 balun which helps with the noise. The MFJ-1024 works very well electrically; the mechanical part needs help. The rod is too heavy for the case, so additional strain relief is needed. I also have waterproofed mine, even though the circuits are encased in epoxy. Get it 20' in the air, as far as possible from your Edison, and you should be OK. |
#3
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Best small backyard antenna?
On Jun 16, 3:04*pm, "Justis" wrote:
MFJ 1024 any good? No, don't waste your money! Even thinking of a Wellbrook but quite expensive! *Really quiet from the reviews and less bothered by hydro line noise. Ya, a great choice for a small yard with high RF noise, also a RF Systems DX1 Professional MKII gives me outstanding results. Only have 35 foot deep yard by 25 wide. There are also Bell/Hydro wires running along mine and my neighbors adjoining backyards. Appreciate any help. I had a small yard, but it was bigger than yours. See my experiments at: http://www.dxing.info/community/view... 5c568de51b0f At present I just have a longwire, 'kinda zigzagging the property. * I also have 9::1 balun which helps with the noise. Zigzagging wires work against themselves = not likely to perform well. Goog luck and try a bit of antenna farming first with cheap wire, but you need a couple of very high poles at the extremities of your yard. John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa South 33 d 47 m 32 s, East 20 d 07 m 32 s Icom IC-7700, Icom IC-756 PRO III with MW mods Drake SW8. ERGO software Sony 7600D, GE SRIII, Redsun RP2100 BW XCR 30, Sangean 803A. Antenna's RF Systems DX 1 Pro Mk II, Datong AD-270 Kiwa MW Loop. http://www.dxing.info/about/dxers/plimmer.dx |
#4
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Best small backyard antenna?
I have a zig/zag RF Systems MLBA MK4 stainless antenna in a small yard (my
whole city has only 4 square miles and 30,000 people) and it works pretty well. -- Brian Denley http://home.comcast.net/~b.denley/index.html wrote in message ... On Jun 16, 3:04 pm, "Justis" wrote: MFJ 1024 any good? No, don't waste your money! Even thinking of a Wellbrook but quite expensive! Really quiet from the reviews and less bothered by hydro line noise. Ya, a great choice for a small yard with high RF noise, also a RF Systems DX1 Professional MKII gives me outstanding results. |
#5
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Best small backyard antenna?
On Jun 17, 4:24*am, "Brian Denley" wrote:
I have a zig/zag RF Systems MLBA MK4 stainless antenna in a small yard (my whole city has only 4 square miles and 30,000 people) and it works pretty well. RF Systems make great professional grade antenna's, Their instructions for your antenna are to hang it STRAIGHT, high and angled at 30 deg for all round reception. In real life we can't always follow these instructions due to local problems at your own QTH. The fact that this antenna works for you in a zig zag is great, but always remember that STRAIGHT will work even better if you can mount it like that and have the space and facilities to do it properly. The thing about wire antenna's is that there are hundreds of designs and ideas and experimenting is great fun and teaches you a lot. There are umpteen huge books on wire antenna's and you can argue about them endlessly. Antenna's also work quite differently in different locations. A wire antenna on a large farm far away from the city may work superbly, but placed on a small city yard, surrounded by buildings and power lines, it may not work very well at all. There are plenty of ideas for small yards including active antenna's. In my small city lot in Joburg I had a 15ft/5m commercially made vertical that worked very well and was dead easy to mount, but it got zapped by lightning twice and wiped out my house electrics, so if you are in a lightning stike area keep away from verticals. Have fun experimenting and good DX. John Plimmer, Montagu, Western Cape Province, South Africa South 33 d 47 m 32 s, East 20 d 07 m 32 s Icom IC-7700, Icom IC-756 PRO III with MW mods Drake SW8. ERGO software Sony 7600D, GE SRIII, Redsun RP2100 Sangean 803A. Antenna's RF Systems DX 1 Pro Mk II, Datong AD-270 Kiwa MW Loop. http://www.dxing.info/about/dxers/plimmer.dx |
#6
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Best Small Backyard Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna ?
Tried the MFJ-1024 and it's definitely going back. Quieter reception and
seems like more gain on my zigzag "array". I even do better with my TPA Ameco active antenna, indoors. Too much gain and it overloads, backing off the gain and it's just not equal to wire mess in my backyard. I think I'll just add the MFJ-1026 noise cancellor and live with what I have. Anyone experience one of these? "RHF" wrote in message ... On Jun 16, 6:04 am, "Justis" wrote: - - MFJ 1024 any good? - Even thinking of a Wellbrook but quite expensive! - Really quiet from the reviews and less bothered - by hydro line noise. - Only have 35 foot deep backyard by 25 foot wide. - There are also Bell/Hydro wires running along mine - and my neighbors adjoining backyards. - Appreciate any help. - At present I just have a longwire, 'kinda zigzagging the property. - I also have 9::1 balun which helps with the noise. - Justis, Best Small Backyard Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna ? Small Horizontal Loop Antenna using a Matching Transformer * 12~24 Feet per Side {48~96 Feet Long - Around} [Square, Rectangle, Triangle or Poly-Shaped] * 8~16 Feet in the Air {Over-Head no Hanging Hazard} * Coax Cable Feed-in-Line * Ground at the Radio Shack Par Electronics End-Fed Short Wave [EF-SWL] Antenna rigged as a Horizontal Loop Antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2205.html Wellbrook Active Loop Antenna Model # ALA 100M http://www.wellbrook.uk.com/ALA100Ma.html rigged as a Horizontal Loop Antenna Build your own 'low-cost' Horizontal Loop Antenna from TV Antenna type Parts : * 300 Ohm TV Twin-Lead Antenna Element [ Parallel Twin Loops -or- Series Two Loops ] * TV 300 Ohm to 75 Ohm Matching Transformer * RG-6 Quad-Shield Coax Cable feed-in-line |
#7
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SWL's - Taking the ZigZag Out of Your Back Yard Antenna . . .
On Jun 23, 3:10 am, "Justis" wrote:
- - Tried the MFJ-1024 and it's definitely going back. The Keys to performance with most out-side Active Antennas is : The Best Quite Location you can find on your Property, Good Grounding (Ground Rod and Solid Metal Mast); and reasonable Elevation (Clear 360* View of the Sky). READ - Small Vertical {Omni} Active Shortwave Receiving Antenna and Free-Standing "Grounded" Metal Mast {Top-Rail} Mounting http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...be298d354f68f8 http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...d05099dc0d45fb READ - Three 'Tips' For Most Active Antennas : Location + Grounding + Mounting --- These 'small' Whip / Loop "Active" Antennas http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...4b0674c12e9f59 READ - What About an All Wave Vertical Antenna {Choices} http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...ecc76902c8b1f7 - Quieter reception and seems like more gain on my zigzag "array". The ZigZag Array may not be the best way to configure the Wire Antenna Element. SWL's - Taking the ZigZag Out of Your Back Yard Antenna . . . For Shortwave Radio Listener's (SWLs) an open Loop (be it Round, Square or Triangle) could works better. For 'local' Noise Cancellation a 'balance' open Horizontal Loop Antenna is preferrred over a bent single wire antenna. -If- You can not form make a Loop Antenna out of your present ZigZag {single} Wire Antenna -then- Consider making it into a Box Antenna Shape with a large open center with 4 or 3 Sides to the Box. { Top Down View } ___________ | | | | * _________| ______ | | | | * -Or- Make it into a 3 Sided Triangle with one open corner. http://www.dkimages.com/discover/pre...8/45071508.JPG FWIW An Inverted "L" Antenna with a Multi-Sided Horizontal Open Loop {Top-Hat} is A-OK in my KISAP Book of . . . What Works - WORKS ! READ - SWL -Newbies- Installing an Inverted "L" Antenna : The Right-Way ! http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...ca62e0c0e838ea - I even do better with my TPA Ameco active antenna, indoors. - Too much gain and it overloads, backing off the gain and it's - just not equal to wire mess in my backyard. Ameco Tunable Preamp Antenna (TPA) Active Antenna & Preamp http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/1512.html Try using an External Snake Antenna made from a single piece of Coax Cable withe the TPA. READ - Limited Space All Wave Vertical Antenna : The MFJ-Snake Vertical Antenna ! http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...b4587908f285cf READ - "Snake" [Mono-Pole] Vertical Antenna for the FM Radio Band http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...544af32df58ab9 Also works well Active Pre-Selector for Shortwave Too ! - I think I'll just add the MFJ-1026 noise cancellor - and live with what I have. - Anyone experience one of these?" READ - Three Different Noise "Sense" Antennas to Use for Noise Cancelling Antennas with an Antenna Phaser http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...f663ded31ae934 it's ok to zigzag but it is better to be in-the-loop -. Are You Interested in building a better Shortwave Listening* (SWL) Antenna ? {SWL Group} = http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf GoTo = http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/ |
#8
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Best Small Backyard Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna ?
In article ,
"Justis" wrote: Tried the MFJ-1024 and it's definitely going back. Quieter reception and seems like more gain on my zigzag "array". I even do better with my TPA Ameco active antenna, indoors. Too much gain and it overloads, backing off the gain and it's just not equal to wire mess in my backyard. SNIP Build a loop antenna. -- Telamon Ventura, California |
#9
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Best Small Backyard Shortwave Listening (SWL) Antenna ?
Telamon wrote:
In article , "Justis" wrote: Tried the MFJ-1024 and it's definitely going back. Quieter reception and seems like more gain on my zigzag "array". I even do better with my TPA Ameco active antenna, indoors. Too much gain and it overloads, backing off the gain and it's just not equal to wire mess in my backyard. SNIP Build a loop antenna. As I pointed out, it (MFJ-1024) works fine out here in the Wild American West, where there is no HF to overload the mediocre active elements. The only problem with loops is that they work a lot better if they are resonated, which requires a variable capacitor outdoors. |
#10
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Converting the an small short Active Whip Antenna into a smallTerminated Loop Active Antenna.
On Jun 24, 5:46*am, Dave wrote:
Telamon wrote: In article , *"Justis" wrote: Tried the MFJ-1024 and it's definitely going back. *Quieter reception and seems like more gain on my zigzag "array". I even do better with my TPA Ameco active antenna, indoors. *Too much gain and it overloads, backing off the gain and it's just not equal to wire mess in my backyard. SNIP - - Build a loop antenna. - As I pointed out, it (MFJ-1024) works fine out here - in the Wild American West, where there is no HF - to overload the mediocre active elements. - The only problem with loops is that they work a lot - better if they are resonated, which requires a variable - capacitor outdoors. ? Loop Antenna +plus+ Active Whip Antenna ? Converting the an small short Active Whip Antenna into a small Terminated Loop Active Antenna. Replace the MFJ-1024 Active Antenna's Whip Element with a single turn One Metre Diameter Loop Antenna Element. NOTE - The One Metre Diameter Loop Antenna Element is about 10.3 Feet (124") Long and has a Signal Appeture Area of around 8.4 Square Feet. -while- The original Whip Antenna was only 54" Long with a relative Signal Appeture Area of around 1.2 Square Feet. * Near-End of the Loop Antenna Element is attached / connected to the Mounting Stud for the Whip Element. * The Far-End of the Loop Antenna Element is connected via a Shunt/Bleed Resistor to the Grounded Body of the MFJ-1024 Active Antenna's Mast Head Unit. * Start with a 680 K Ohm Shunt/Bleed Resistor and test for a =Balance= between RF Signal Strength Across the MW and/or Shortwave Radio Bands and RF Signal Over Load from 'local' AM & FM Radio Stations. * * Adjust the Resistance Value of the Resistor : Up -if- RF Signal Levels are Low 1.3 MŮ 2.7 MŮ, 5.6 MŮ, 11 MŮ, 22 MŮ, 44 MŮ, * * Adjust the Resistance Value of the Resistor : Up -if- RF Signal Levels are Low 1.3 MŮ, 2.7 MŮ, 5.6 MŮ, 11 MŮ, 22 MŮ, 44 MŮ, etc. * * Adjust the Resistance Value of the Resistor : Down -if- RF Signal Levels are OK but there is Overload 430 KŮ, 270 KŮ, 180 KŮ, 120 KŮ, 82 KŮ, 56 KŮ, etc. FWIW - This is a 'small' Terminated Loop Antenna Element and is still some what Directional. So you can position the Loop Antenna Element to : * Null-Out 'local' sources of RF Noise. * Null-Out Overload from 'local' AM & FM Radio Stations. even though you think you have it whipped . . . it is often better to be in-the-loop - iane ~ RHF {pomkia} |
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