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Antenna Pre-amps MFJ 1020C
Do a lot of travelling and like to cruise the SW bands etc. Anyone use or
have any comments on the MFJ-1020C indoor active antenna preamp? Performance? Bands etc.? Thanks Using an ICOM R-20 Communications Reciever =-= |
#2
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Antenna Pre-amps MFJ 1020C
Dear Mr. Green,
I own the original MFJ-1020 and the later MFJ-1020B. Both are adequate - no more - when used indoors with the short whip antenna. If you are able to attach 20 feet - any more and you'll overload it - of insulated wire to the back via the RCA jack and can run that wire outside, the performance will improve greatly. The trouble, of course, when traveling, is that you have to open a window (not always possibly in a hotel) to run the wire outside. It might be worth a try, however, as it is not too expensive. Personally, however, I would recommend trying a Sony AN-LP1 Active Antenna for about the same price. Unfortunately that antenna is available only from a Japanese eBay dealer called Buy From Japan. I do understand, however, that he is extremely reliable and ships very quickly. (I personally have never dealt with him.) Best, Joe On Jan 26, 7:55 pm, "sdgreen" wrote: Do a lot of traveling and like to cruise the SW bands etc. Anyone use or have any comments on the MFJ-1020C indoor active antenna preamp? Performance? Bands etc.? Thanks Using an ICOM R-20 Communications Receiver |
#3
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What About Scanner Reciever Antennas for Shortwave Radio Listening(SWL)
On Jan 26, 4:55 pm, "sdgreen" wrote:
- - Do a lot of travelling and like to cruise the SW bands etc. - Anyone use or have any comments on the MFJ-1020C - indoor active antenna preamp? - - Performance? Bands etc.? - - Thanks - - Using an ICOM R-20 Communications Reciever - - =-= - What About Scanner Reciever Antennas for Shortwave Radio Listening (SWL) - [Was : Antenna Pre-amps MFJ 1020C] - "sdgreen" Icom R-20 Communications Receiver {Handheld Scanner} http://www.icomamerica.com/en/produc...0/default.aspx Icom R-20 Communications Scanning Receiver {Handheld} eHAM REVIEWS - http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4317 The Icom IC-R20 Scanner is Shortwave to Microwave http://www.strongsignals.net/access/...rr_ic-r20.html Wideband Coverage : LW + AM/MW + SW/HF + VFH + UHF/FM +++ Modes : AM + SSB + CW + FM + WFM Receiver System : Triple Conversion SuperHeterodyne Antenna Impedance : 50 Ohms Antenna Connection : BNC Jack Standard Antenna : 23 Inch Whip Antenna with BNC Base Icom IC-R20 Wideband "Scanner" Receiver http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0020.html REPORT - ICOM IC-R20 Wideband Scanner Receiver http://www.monitoringtimes.com/html/mtscan1104.pdf -by- Bob Parnass [AJ9S] - Monitoring Times FIRST - IMHO - You Do Not Need a MFJ-1020 Active Antenna for the Icom IC-R20 Wideband Scanner Receiver. WHAT YOU DO NEED IS : A Better-Bigger-Longer Antenna Passive Antennas that will Capture and Deliver more Signal without Overloading your Scanning Receiver. READ - Many Scanner Radio Problems Can Be "Fixed" With A Better Scanner Antenna http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...5613952dbf2d65 * "Snoop" Scanner Antenna * 24" Big Daddy "Snoop" Scanner Antenna * Scanner Window Mount Antenna * 48 Inch Grove "Flex-Tenna" Model VU # ANT46 * Car Magnet Mount Mini-Mobile Wide-Band Scanner Antenna with a BNC Connector. READ - Simple Snake Antenna for the Shortwave (HF) Band for Scanners made from a single piece of Coax Cable should work with out overloading the Scanning Receiver. http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...0c9dfd1a8b21a2 Snake Antenna - Antenna Construction Steps Or simply 'modify' the Workman SCAN4 Wire Scanner Antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...ants/1820.html into a smaller Snake Antenna by Removing a total of 3 Feet of the Outer Insulation and Coax Shield and Exposing the Inner Insulator and Center Conductor. Compact (6 Ft) and Portable. READ - Antennas for a WideBand {Scanner} Receiver http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...92cd087ae7b7e1 Check-Out these Scanner Antennas : * WPN-97 Nomad Portable Antenna http://www.scannermaster.com/Nomad_A.../25-541079.htm * WAN-97A Active Nomad Base Antenna http://www.scannermaster.com/WAN_97A.../28-541171.htm * Workman SCAN4 Window Wire Scanner Antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...ants/1820.html * RadioMaster P-30 Passive WideBand Antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/1331.html DO-It-Yourself - Build a "T" Antenna for your Scanner using an FM Folded Dipole Antenna and a BNC Connector. * Basic FM Folded Dipole "T" Antenna {300 Ohm Twin Lead} http://www.kyes.com/antenna/antennatypes/twinlead.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipole_antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/misc/1268.html http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/mwant/3239.html * BNC Coax Cable type Connector http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...s/bncconn.html -Note- The Top is about 60 Inches Tip-to-Tip with a 72 Inch feed-in-line. -Tip- Can be Mounted Horizontal, Vertically or on a Diagonal usually across or near a Window. -Three Alternatives- Buy It Ready-Made : * "Super Dipole Scanner Antenna" SDSA - http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ150209493857 * "Reflex Snooper" Folded Dipole Scanner Antenna http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ270204016912 * "Big Reflex Snooper" Folded Dipole Scanner Antenna http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ280192691192 READ - The Simplest Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antennas That I Know Of..." It Is The FM Folded Dipole Antenna. http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...bed3e059ec70a3 hope this helps - iane ~ RHF {pomkia} |
#4
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Antenna Pre-amps MFJ 1020C
On Jan 26, 7:55*pm, "sdgreen" wrote:
Do a lot of travelling and like to cruise the SW bands etc. Anyone use or have any comments on the MFJ-1020C indoor active antenna preamp? Performance? Bands etc.? Thanks Using an ICOM R-20 Communications Reciever =-= the r20 isn't going to be able to take much of an antenna w/out overloading badly on hf. it simply wasn't designed for that sorta thing. i've had my r20 overload before on the hf bands with only a sangean an-60 reel-out wire on the upside, you can back off the gain with the mfj unit. much better off taking that money & putting it toward a Kaito/Degen 1103 for your hf listening, or spending more & getting an icf-sw7600GR for hf. |
#5
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What About Scanner Reciever Antennas for Shortwave Radio Listening (SWL)
Thanks RHF! Excuse the top posting, but your information is utterly
magnificent...kudos. My thought on the MFJ 1020C active pre-amp is that such is self contained, easy to pack, has the appropriate controls, comes with a vertical telescoping mast 50+ inches and looks like it would be easy to setup and use. Wires are nice, but messy on luggage and sometimes airport security get curious. So the question is does the MFJ 1020C do the job. ======================= "RHF" wrote in message ... On Jan 26, 4:55 pm, "sdgreen" wrote: - - Do a lot of travelling and like to cruise the SW bands etc. - Anyone use or have any comments on the MFJ-1020C - indoor active antenna preamp? - - Performance? Bands etc.? - - Thanks - - Using an ICOM R-20 Communications Reciever - - =-= - What About Scanner Reciever Antennas for Shortwave Radio Listening (SWL) - [Was : Antenna Pre-amps MFJ 1020C] - "sdgreen" Icom R-20 Communications Receiver {Handheld Scanner} http://www.icomamerica.com/en/produc...0/default.aspx Icom R-20 Communications Scanning Receiver {Handheld} eHAM REVIEWS - http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4317 The Icom IC-R20 Scanner is Shortwave to Microwave http://www.strongsignals.net/access/...rr_ic-r20.html Wideband Coverage : LW + AM/MW + SW/HF + VFH + UHF/FM +++ Modes : AM + SSB + CW + FM + WFM Receiver System : Triple Conversion SuperHeterodyne Antenna Impedance : 50 Ohms Antenna Connection : BNC Jack Standard Antenna : 23 Inch Whip Antenna with BNC Base Icom IC-R20 Wideband "Scanner" Receiver http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...rxvr/0020.html REPORT - ICOM IC-R20 Wideband Scanner Receiver http://www.monitoringtimes.com/html/mtscan1104.pdf -by- Bob Parnass [AJ9S] - Monitoring Times FIRST - IMHO - You Do Not Need a MFJ-1020 Active Antenna for the Icom IC-R20 Wideband Scanner Receiver. WHAT YOU DO NEED IS : A Better-Bigger-Longer Antenna Passive Antennas that will Capture and Deliver more Signal without Overloading your Scanning Receiver. READ - Many Scanner Radio Problems Can Be "Fixed" With A Better Scanner Antenna http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...5613952dbf2d65 * "Snoop" Scanner Antenna * 24" Big Daddy "Snoop" Scanner Antenna * Scanner Window Mount Antenna * 48 Inch Grove "Flex-Tenna" Model VU # ANT46 * Car Magnet Mount Mini-Mobile Wide-Band Scanner Antenna with a BNC Connector. READ - Simple Snake Antenna for the Shortwave (HF) Band for Scanners made from a single piece of Coax Cable should work with out overloading the Scanning Receiver. http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...0c9dfd1a8b21a2 Snake Antenna - Antenna Construction Steps Or simply 'modify' the Workman SCAN4 Wire Scanner Antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...ants/1820.html into a smaller Snake Antenna by Removing a total of 3 Feet of the Outer Insulation and Coax Shield and Exposing the Inner Insulator and Center Conductor. Compact (6 Ft) and Portable. READ - Antennas for a WideBand {Scanner} Receiver http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...92cd087ae7b7e1 Check-Out these Scanner Antennas : * WPN-97 Nomad Portable Antenna http://www.scannermaster.com/Nomad_A.../25-541079.htm * WAN-97A Active Nomad Base Antenna http://www.scannermaster.com/WAN_97A.../28-541171.htm * Workman SCAN4 Window Wire Scanner Antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...ants/1820.html * RadioMaster P-30 Passive WideBand Antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/1331.html DO-It-Yourself - Build a "T" Antenna for your Scanner using an FM Folded Dipole Antenna and a BNC Connector. * Basic FM Folded Dipole "T" Antenna {300 Ohm Twin Lead} http://www.kyes.com/antenna/antennatypes/twinlead.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dipole_antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/misc/1268.html http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/mwant/3239.html * BNC Coax Cable type Connector http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...s/bncconn.html -Note- The Top is about 60 Inches Tip-to-Tip with a 72 Inch feed-in-line. -Tip- Can be Mounted Horizontal, Vertically or on a Diagonal usually across or near a Window. -Three Alternatives- Buy It Ready-Made : * "Super Dipole Scanner Antenna" SDSA - http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ150209493857 * "Reflex Snooper" Folded Dipole Scanner Antenna http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ270204016912 * "Big Reflex Snooper" Folded Dipole Scanner Antenna http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ280192691192 READ - The Simplest Shortwave Listener (SWL) Antennas That I Know Of..." It Is The FM Folded Dipole Antenna. http://groups.google.com/group/rec.r...bed3e059ec70a3 hope this helps - iane ~ RHF {pomkia} |
#6
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Wide-Band Scanner Receivers -and- Wide-Band Active Antennas = Synergy& Utility
On Jan 27, 11:30*pm, "sdgreen" wrote:
- - Thanks RHF! *Excuse the top posting, but your information - is utterly magnificent...kudos. - - My thought on the MFJ 1020C active pre-amp is that such - is self contained, easy to pack, has the appropriate controls, - comes with a vertical telescoping mast 50+ inches and looks - like it would be easy to setup and use. - - Wires are nice, but messy on luggage and sometimes - airport security get curious. - - So the question is does the MFJ 1020C do the job. - - ======================= SD GREEN, Yes the MFJ-1020C could "Do The Job" as you have defined it. You have an RF Gain Control and Attenuator built into the Icom IC-R20 and a Gain Control built into the MFJ-1020C. Active Antenna Signal Overload - Back-Off on them to reduce and prevent any Signal Overload of the Radio. Remember - That you have to Tune both the Radio and the Active Antenna to the same Frequency to use them properly. Wide-Band Scanner Receivers -and- Wide-Band Active Antennas - = Synergy & Utility = - TIP - With a Scanning Wideband Radio you may find a Wideband Active Antenna the better 'choice' versus an Active Antenna that you will be Required to Re-Tune with each Frequency change. Two Wide-Band Active Antennas : You may want to consider the MFJ-1022 Wideband Active http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/3109.html Indoor Receiving Antenna : Coverage 300 kHz to 200 MHz * Small Compact and Designed to be used Indoors * "No" Tuning Required * Adjust the Radio's RF Gain Control and Attenuator to reduce and prevent Signal Overload Another 'alternative' is the Kaito KA35 Active MW/SW Antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/4835.html http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ250194482431 * Small Compact and Designed to be used Indoors * "No" Tuning Required * Adjust the Radio's RF Gain Control and Attenuator to reduce and prevent Signal Overload + Two Antenna Elements Coverage : 100 kHz to 30 MHz + + AM/MW Ferrite Rod {Directional} LW+MW+SW3MHz + + Shortwave Whip {Non-Directional} SW 3MHz~ 30 MHz -ps- Telamon be sure to count this as another one of my 'clueless posts' with plenty of : cut, copy, and paste variety |
#7
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Wide-Band Scanner Receivers -and- Wide-Band Active Antennas = Synergy & Utility
"RHF" wrote in message ... On Jan 27, 11:30 pm, "sdgreen" wrote: - - Thanks RHF! Excuse the top posting, but your information - is utterly magnificent...kudos. - - My thought on the MFJ 1020C active pre-amp is that such - is self contained, easy to pack, has the appropriate controls, - comes with a vertical telescoping mast 50+ inches and looks - like it would be easy to setup and use. - - Wires are nice, but messy on luggage and sometimes - airport security get curious. - - So the question is does the MFJ 1020C do the job. - - ======================= SD GREEN, Yes the MFJ-1020C could "Do The Job" as you have defined it. You have an RF Gain Control and Attenuator built into the Icom IC-R20 and a Gain Control built into the MFJ-1020C. Active Antenna Signal Overload - Back-Off on them to reduce and prevent any Signal Overload of the Radio. Remember - That you have to Tune both the Radio and the Active Antenna to the same Frequency to use them properly. Wide-Band Scanner Receivers -and- Wide-Band Active Antennas - = Synergy & Utility = - TIP - With a Scanning Wideband Radio you may find a Wideband Active Antenna the better 'choice' versus an Active Antenna that you will be Required to Re-Tune with each Frequency change. Two Wide-Band Active Antennas : You may want to consider the MFJ-1022 Wideband Active http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/3109.html Indoor Receiving Antenna : Coverage 300 kHz to 200 MHz * Small Compact and Designed to be used Indoors * "No" Tuning Required * Adjust the Radio's RF Gain Control and Attenuator to reduce and prevent Signal Overload Another 'alternative' is the Kaito KA35 Active MW/SW Antenna http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/4835.html http://cgi.ebay.com/_W0QQitemZ250194482431 * Small Compact and Designed to be used Indoors * "No" Tuning Required * Adjust the Radio's RF Gain Control and Attenuator to reduce and prevent Signal Overload + Two Antenna Elements Coverage : 100 kHz to 30 MHz + + AM/MW Ferrite Rod {Directional} LW+MW+SW3MHz + + Shortwave Whip {Non-Directional} SW 3MHz~ 30 MHz =================================== Thanks RHF. I looked at the options you suggested, but I rather fancy using the various adjustments to fine tune the signal. The IC-20 does have satisfactory controls to tailor the signal. For my purpose, the IC-20 performs quite adequately and much, much better than either my Eton 10 /100 or my Grundig 400. SSB is especially outstanding. It was a toss up between the IC-20 or the AOR 8300. In the end, battery life was the deciding factor. === |
#8
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Wide-Band Scanner Receivers -and- Wide-Band Active Antennas = Synergy & Utility
"m II" wrote in message news:lrvnj.44000$fj2.40730@edtnps82... junius wrote: I just wish the IC-R20 had a 3 kHz Narrow AM filter, as in the AR-8200 Mark IIIB... How do you find the R20 other than the bandwidth? The specs look pretty good for sideband. The price has been lowered a bit also. I'd get a Yupiteru 9000, but the lack of a computer interface prevents that. The R20 seems a better deal than the 8200. mike ==================== The ICOM R-20 is a pretty impressive communications reciever in my view. I also run a ICOM 706 transciever and a old solid state Heathkit SB303 unit , and without question the IC R20 is more sensitive with better selectivity, certainly on SSB signals. However like all communications recievers, the unit does require an antenna. The provided telescoping is basically useless. The battery life is a real plus with experience in the 18 to 20 hour range (not scanning). The ANL and NB seem to work ok. For LW/MW the am side could be a little bit more narrow, and like others have said ICOM should have included that feature. VHF/UHF and beyond work really well. The R-20 seems to be solidly constructed. Some features could have been implemented differently like the TS control. The integrated IC Recorder is of interest and also works well. I also have the computer usb interface and software, where one can easily input / change station data / scan edges / modify any one of the 1200+ memories. I have four antennas, (1) 260 foot long wire (2) 23 foot VHF dual band vertical (3) 12 foot VHF -lo 6m (4) 163 foot dipole from which I can select. The R-20 reacts well without overloading. For a small package, works well. I assume the AOR handheld wide band would work just as well. == |
#9
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Wide-Band Scanner Receivers -and- Wide-Band Active Antennas =Synergy & Utility
==================== The ICOM R-20 is a pretty impressive communications reciever in my view. I also run a ICOM 706 transciever and a old solid state Heathkit SB303 unit , and without question the IC R20 is more sensitive with better selectivity, certainly on SSB signals. However like all communications recievers, the unit does require an antenna. The provided telescoping is basically useless. The battery life is a real plus with experience in the 18 to 20 hour range (not scanning). The ANL and NB seem to work ok. For LW/MW the am side could be a little bit more narrow, and like others have said ICOM should have included that feature. VHF/UHF and beyond work really well. The R-20 seems to be solidly constructed. Some features could have been implemented differently like the TS control. The integrated IC Recorder is of interest and also works well. I also have the computer usb interface and software, where one can easily input / change station data / scan edges / modify any one of the 1200+ memories. I have four antennas, (1) 260 foot long wire (2) 23 foot VHF dual band vertical (3) 12 foot VHF -lo 6m (4) 163 foot dipole from which I can select. The R-20 reacts well without overloading. For a small package, works well. I assume the AOR handheld wide band would work just as well. ==- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - Wow, that is impressive. Compared to the performance of your R20, mine would appear to have been defective out of the box. In considering this radio, I was well aware of the prevailing view that such wideband receivers often involve compromises, and I was expecting just that. Therefore, given the performance that the unit provided, I was neither disappointed, nor overly bowled over. It was about what I expected: nothing more; nothing less. There's a lot to be said for the R20: nice, small package; amazingly broad coverage; battery life is quite decent, indeed; 10 Hz tuning resolution (although my unit can show some variation; say, minus 90 Hz or thereabout); recorder is a nifty feature, as is the standby mode it permits, allowing for unattended listening; and I could go on. However, for VHF/UHF scanning, it does not offer the trunking features or APCO-25 decoding that some of the upper end handheld scanners offer. Scan rate is also a bit slow compared with the dedicated scanners, or so I've been told. This receiver really wasn't designed for optimal HF reception, and I realized that going in. Yes, as Mr. Green said, it's pretty deaf off the whip, at least on the HF bands. I'm mostly in the Washington DC metro area, so there's always plenty going on in the VHF/UHF bands, particularly in Prince George's County... For SWBC listening, the exceedingly wide bandwidth filter leaves much to be desired. True, there's SSB tuning, and that somewhat compensates for the AM bandwidth inadequacy on HF. Overall, however, for SWBC listening, I must say that I get better performance out of a Sangean ATS-606. While I purchased this unit to use as a handheld (i.e. as a portable unit), I've hooked it up to external HF antennas of varying sorts (e.g. 100 foot wire; AOR WL-500 active antenna; etc), and to some degree or another I have tended to encounter overload issues. Use of the RF gain is essential, needless to say. I've experienced overload when utilizing the R20 with a Sangean AN-60 reel-out wire antenna & Miracle Ducker inline antenna tuner: nothing horrendous, but it was noticeable. Ultimately, however, I use the R20 mostly as a handheld and generally just using a whip. For me, the R20's HF side is simply a nice extra for occasional tuning to major SW broadcasters. At home, I tend to go with the Drakes (R8B/R7/SW8) or any one of a variety of portables, most of which outperform my R20 for HF reception. mike/MII: Yes, as a package the R20 is in many ways a better overall deal than the AOR AR8200 Mk III; however, if you're into SWBC, then you should consider the fact that the AOR does include that 3 kHz narrow AM filter...something that prove a much desired feature, if you were seeking a wideband handheld for which you intended to do a bit of SWBC listening on more crowded bands, particularly if listening to a weaker station in the presence of stronger ones...the little guys can get drowned out in AM mode on the R20; SSB mode can in some instances salvage the signal, but not always. The AOR costs a bit more, however; and there are a lot of extras that are offered as options; if desired, these can really drive the AOR price up. That said, David Rickets seems to be really impressed with the performance of his AOR 8200 and maintains that it gives him pretty solid HF reception just off the whip. For your reference, there are a wealth of user assessments of the R20 available online; the receiver has tended to get favorable reviews, by and large: http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/4317 http://www.strongsignals.net/access/...rocess=display www.monitoringtimes.com/html/mtscan1104.pdf http://www.grove-ent.com/ICR20REVIEW.htm On the whole, the R20 is a nice little receiver. An interesting attempt at an all-in-one package. ICOM has certainly packed a lot into this little unit. It's really great that Mr. Green has found such satisfaction in his unit. Going on his results, I'm led to wonder if there are some significant sample-to-sample variations in R20 performance. I guess Yahoo groups would be the place to investigate this sort of thing further... Junius |
#10
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Wide-Band Scanner Receivers -and- Wide-Band Active Antennas =Synergy & Utility
m II wrote:
Junius wrote: ==================== The ICOM R-20 is a pretty impressive communications reciever in my view. Thank you both for the insights. It appears that, as in everything else in life, there are trade offs and compromises. The AOR is a pretty good set, but I wasn't too impressed with the need to buy cards and then have a limited space to use them. We'll see how the funds are next month before deciding on a purchase of an R-20. Now, I'm busy trying to decipher the inner workings of a Yaesu 5000 wideband. The attenuate function needs a lot of use on the AM band. mike What cards? My 8200 MK3 B works fine out of the box. |
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