RadioBanter - View Single Post

[email protected] · September 30th 06, 01:44 PM posted to rec.radio.shortwave

wrote:

I use the ALA 100. The smaller loops may not be as good on MW. It is a
good idea to insure the amplifer is actually doing something. The fuse
could be blown, the wall wart bad, etc. Unplug the power connector and
make sure the signal strength drops. You will get reception from the
loop even if the amp is off since some RF will leak.

Some of the Wellbrook amps were positive ground. The unit is fused and
I would guess there is a reverse biased protection diode. If the wrong
wall wart was used, it would pop the fuse. In my portable set up, I
have red shrink wrap on the connector that goes to the Wellbrook, just
to make it clear the ground is backwards.

As far as the 1530 goes, it may not have a good resale value since they
released the "plus" version, which has response in the FM BCB.

This ALA 1530 requires a reversed, is shell positve and inner negative,
wall wart. But the center conductor of the coax was positive. I left
the
original power injector/diplexer intact and built my own. I verified
the
problem with the stock wall wart/diplexer before trying my own.

With out power I get virtually no signals. A few very strong MW and SW
at way less then S1. So the amp is working. The original owner says
it always behaved like this. OK, but clearly not the do all end all
of antennas.

Terry