RadioBanter - MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

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MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

Considering one of these for Christmas, and would like any user's assesment
to help make the determination between the two. I've received mixed
responses regarding the MFJ model, and I'm curious if the ANC-4 is the more
favorable of the two. I'd be using it to eliminate some local noise from
nearby powerlines in conjunction with a Wellbrook ALA-1530, and a
random-wire as the noise antenna. Any advice, opinions, or recommendations
would be appreciated.

-Brian

MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

The ANC-4 works on MW, whereas you have to remove filter from the
MFJ to do that.

Count on working with 2 real antennas, not the fake noise stub one.
You'll find it much more versatile.

I have 7 ANC-4's and no MFJ's, on 8 antennas, 2 of them Wellbrook
ALA1530's.

Chief complaint is that the pots get scratchy pretty quick,
because scratchiness is in effect amplified by the null depth ;
fixed with a squirt of deoxit in the 2 tiny holes at the bottom of
each pot (careful you don't get any in your eyes).

Second complaint is that the circuit really needs a bandspread pot
on the phase, as you're into really tiny tiny adjustments at the
bottom of a deep null.

This would be chiefly from taking out a local broadcaster to hear
the broadcaster under him.
--
Ron Hardin

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

"Bart Bailey" wrote in message
...
In .net
posted on Sat, 18 Nov 2006 15:58:07 GMT, Brian wrote: Begin

snip

FWIW: I'm in a crowded inner-city plateau neighborhood of San Diego and

Howdy neighbor. I'm in Panasquitos.

Hey, tune to 6405 kHz usb sometime and let
me know if you hear anything unusual.

--
rb

MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

Brian wrote:

Considering one of these for Christmas, and would like any user's
assesment to help make the determination between the two. I've received
mixed responses regarding the MFJ model, and I'm curious if the ANC-4 is
the more favorable of the two. I'd be using it to eliminate some local
noise from nearby powerlines in conjunction with a Wellbrook ALA-1530, and
a random-wire as the noise antenna. Any advice, opinions, or
recommendations would be appreciated.

-Brian

I bought the MFJ 1026 about 5 months ago and it made listening enjoyable
again for me. I use it to null out a nasty source of noise coming from the
power company's equipment right in my immediate vicinity. The only extra
pain-in-the-ass was that you have to put up a pretty decent noise antenna
as that little telescope included is a joke. Everything I read when I was
shopping seemed to indicate that the ANC-4 and MFJ models probably come out
about the same performance wise. As far as ease of operation, I'm not real
sure. I do know my 1026 can be pretty tricky sometimes to get the nuisance
signal nulled.

Also, if you've got more than one noise source, you might be SOL using
either brand.

Good luck! - Matt

--
Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com

MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

Ron Hardin wrote:
The ANC-4 works on MW, whereas you have to remove filter from the
MFJ to do that.

To be very clear, the MFJ *does* work on MW even with the filter, when
your goal is to remove noise. What the MFJ also does, because of the
filter, is to attentuate the MW freqs, which may not be desirable. I
do not do a lot of MW, but when I do, the MFJ is also effective at
nipping the offending MW stations to get at the weaker ones underneath.

Count on working with 2 real antennas, not the fake noise stub one.
You'll find it much more versatile.

Agreed. It really helps if the two antennas are equivalent in terms of
ability to "hear" noise. A wire may not be the same as a Wellbrook,
consideirng their significant design differences.

I will say, though, that the little stub antenna on the MFJ was fairly
effective as a noise antenna in the 60-m band. That may have been a
fluke of the local RFI situation.

I have 7 ANC-4's and no MFJ's, on 8 antennas, 2 of them Wellbrook
ALA1530's.

Chief complaint is that the pots get scratchy pretty quick,
because scratchiness is in effect amplified by the null depth ;
fixed with a squirt of deoxit in the 2 tiny holes at the bottom of
each pot (careful you don't get any in your eyes).

This fix works on the MFJ as well. Squirt and twist a few times and
you're set.

Second complaint is that the circuit really needs a bandspread pot
on the phase, as you're into really tiny tiny adjustments at the
bottom of a deep null.

That would be nice on the MFJ as well. One other issue is that so much
of the noise seems to null at the very same place on the pot's
rotation, and that portion of the pot gets scratchy fast.

Bruce Jensen

This would be chiefly from taking out a local broadcaster to hear
the broadcaster under him.

--
Ron Hardin

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

Radio TexMex wrote:
Brian wrote:

Considering one of these for Christmas, and would like any user's
assesment to help make the determination between the two. I've received
mixed responses regarding the MFJ model, and I'm curious if the ANC-4 is
the more favorable of the two. I'd be using it to eliminate some local
noise from nearby powerlines in conjunction with a Wellbrook ALA-1530, and
a random-wire as the noise antenna. Any advice, opinions, or
recommendations would be appreciated.

-Brian

I bought the MFJ 1026 about 5 months ago and it made listening enjoyable
again for me. I use it to null out a nasty source of noise coming from the
power company's equipment right in my immediate vicinity. The only extra
pain-in-the-ass was that you have to put up a pretty decent noise antenna
as that little telescope included is a joke. Everything I read when I was
shopping seemed to indicate that the ANC-4 and MFJ models probably come out
about the same performance wise. As far as ease of operation, I'm not real
sure. I do know my 1026 can be pretty tricky sometimes to get the nuisance
signal nulled.

Also, if you've got more than one noise source, you might be SOL using
either brand.

Good luck! - Matt

That's right - both the ANC and MFJ can only nab one noise at a time,
hence Ron Hardin's cascaded-unit set up.

Bruce Jensen

MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

"Bart Bailey" wrote in message
...
In posted on
Sat, 18 Nov 2006 22:40:46 GMT, Ron Baker, Pluralitas! wrote: Begin

Howdy neighbor. I'm in Panasquitos.

Hey, tune to 6405 kHz usb sometime and let
me know if you hear anything unusual.

Listened a bit last evening,
nothing heard here in North Park yet.
Was using the Kenwood TS-2000 on the Butternut,
maybe will leave it on during the Charger game
to see if anything shows up today, gotta sked?

It is there all the time, 24/7. Thanks for the report.
I think I can conclude now that it is a local/neighborhood
noise source.

I've posted a .wav recording of it in alt.binaries.alt.

--
rb

MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

"Bart Bailey" wrote in message
...
In posted on
Sun, 19 Nov 2006 20:46:58 GMT, Ron Baker, Pluralitas! wrote: Begin

It is there all the time, 24/7. Thanks for the report.
I think I can conclude now that it is a local/neighborhood
noise source.

Try some harmonics of it to see how many places you find it
and if 6405 is actually the primary.

There is nothing at 3202. I once heard something about
the same at 12814 but I don't hear it now.

Is it strong enough to pick up on a
portable as you move about your neighborhood?

A portable is on my list of things to buy.

I've posted a .wav recording of it in alt.binaries.alt.

My ISP doesn't carry that newsgroup,
can you post here news:alt.binaries.pictures.tools

Done.

or can you email it, my addy is good on QRZ

BTW: I tried the Butternut and the Imax and tuned above and below,
but didn't see anything remarkable on the spectrum scope of the 756.

IC-756? Nice.
I'm running a TS-440.

Just a second thought, I seem to recall that those plug-in phone
extenders operated around that range. You know, the ones that modulate
the AC line with your phone data. http://tinyurl.com/svc2v

Hmm. The thing sounds like a somewhat fuzzy carrier
that sweeps up and down over a range of about 2 kHz in a
generally sinusoid pattern with a period of about 1 second.
That wouldn't be the best carrier for a signal. Maybe the
sweep would be to block intercept? But there isn't much point in
leaving the carrier on 24/7.

--
rb

MFJ-1026 or ANC-4

"Bart Bailey" wrote in message
...
In posted on Mon,
20 Nov 2006 01:19:09 GMT, Ron Baker, Pluralitas! wrote: Begin

"Bart Bailey" wrote in message
...

Is it strong enough to pick up on a
portable as you move about your neighborhood?

A portable is on my list of things to buy.

Many threads on that very topic in this NG,

Yeah. I've been saving them.

mine's an eTón E1

I've heard good things about them.
(And oddly enough, I think KPBS radio was recently offering
them as a premium to subscribers.)

used with a roof mounted vertical whip, Grove TUN-3
or the discontinued Radio Shack tunable loop for AMBCB

can you post here news:alt.binaries.pictures.tools

Done.

Got it, weird.
Almost sounds like some harmonic of navigational radar,
are you in the line of fire from Miramar?

Hmm. The runways run east-west. I'm due
north of Miramar, about 5 miles.
I wouldn't expect a harmonic of a radar to be
at 6.404 MHz.

BTW: I tried the Butternut and the Imax and tuned above and below,
but didn't see anything remarkable on the spectrum scope of the 756.

IC-756? Nice.

Yep, Pro3

Nice. I've read good things about them.

but even with all the excellent features
it isn't always up to SDG&E's ambiance g
and even with the ANC-4,
it's still a losing battle some days.

I guess I should thank my luck. The power
lines are underground here. And I have a yard.
So I can string up a modest antenna away from
the house and run coax to it.

I'm running a TS-440.

You a Ham too?

Yeah. Got my tech license a long time ago.
But I almost never transmit. I've got nothing
to say. :)

Free bander?

Heaven forbid, no. :)

Just a second thought, I seem to recall that those plug-in phone
extenders operated around that range. You know, the ones that modulate
the AC line with your phone data. http://tinyurl.com/svc2v

Hmm. The thing sounds like a somewhat fuzzy carrier
that sweeps up and down over a range of about 2 kHz in a
generally sinusoid pattern with a period of about 1 second.
That wouldn't be the best carrier for a signal. Maybe the
sweep would be to block intercept? But there isn't much point in
leaving the carrier on 24/7.

As I remember from listening to them back in my old ICF-2010 days, those
phone extenders were more or less fixed freq and the only sound was like
if you pick up the handset of your phone while online with a dialup
connection, certainly no sweeping like in your clip.
I'm guessing radar.

My curiosity is piqued. I need a portable plus a
good directional antenna. I've wanted that to track down
some of the local noise sources for some time now too
(but there are other projects ahead of that in priority).

--
rb