RadioBanter - RF Systems MTA.

D Peter Maus wrote:

dxAce wrote:

D Peter Maus wrote:

dxAce wrote:
wrote:

RF Systems has been talked down for years on this newsgroup (for some
people it's pricing, for others its product design), but I've been
very happy with the three items that I've used from them, and the MTA
is one of them. I have no hesitation spending the money for one of
their radio products.
They once threatened to sue me for making matching transformers.
No ****?

On what grounds?

They indicated in their letter (sure wish I still had it, as I'd frame it!) that it was
a proprietary design and I had no business making them and selling them.

I believe I wrote back asking them what was proprietary about winding some wire on a
ferrite toroid. Additionally, my case design was different from theirs as well.

I would think, unless they were prepared to produce a document signed
by Faraday, they'd have been thought twice about making THAT claim.

I never heard back from them again.

My design was based upon the work of John Bryant and Nick Hall-Patch and appeared in
Fine Tuning's 'Proceedings' in the late 80's as I recall.

As I recall, yours was somewhat different in performance, as well.

Here is the review which was published in 1992:

http://www.iserv.net/~n8kdv/xfmr.htm

On Jul 6, 6:41 pm, D Peter Maus wrote:
Finally got this antenna installed more permanently, in a quiet area
of the yard. Been using it basically leaning in a corner of the garage.
Now, it's out, it's elevated, and it's in the clear.

Results?

Astonishing.

This antenna is a helically wound coil, with 90/10 vertical to
horizontal polarization. Noise stops being an issue. Polarization fading
not an issue. Selective fading is still a PITA.

I've not measured the noise floor, yet, but it's so much lower than the
Eavesdropper, or the random wire, that I had to check to see if the
antenna was connected.

Output is lower than conventional antennae---it is only 7 feet
in length, after all---but the noise is so much lower, I can actually
hear stations on the MTA, that I can't on the Eavesdropper. A preamp is
nice, but not necessary. Most receivers do, indeed, have enough gain to
overcome the lower signal strength.

Electrical noise resistance is pretty amazing, as well. No popping. No
clicking. No buzzing. The noise from my T-1 router is still an
issue...even out in the yard..but only a few spots on the bands are
really trouble....3850 and it's multiples.
Just over $259 installed.

Worth it