Active antennas
Stephen Drummonds
to go with it. my question is this Are the active antennas worth the money
or should I stick with a wire antenna? Thanks for any input Steve
David
Where are you?
RHF
For Shortwave Listening (SWL) what you would spend on an
Active Antenna; you could buy a good 'passive' Wire Antenna.
* Your Location {Region} and Weather can be a Factor in
your choice of Antennas.
* The RF Environment {Noise} of your Location {Neighborhood}
also can be a Factor in your choice of Antennas.
1 - Two Major Determining Factors would be :
* The Size-of-the-Area {Space} that you have to put the
Wire Antenna up in; and the relative noise of your location.
- - - - - vice - - - - -
* The Distance-Away-from the Home and other Sources
of Noise that you could Locate the Active Antenna.
2 - Here are a few Good "Out-Side" 'passive' Wire Antennas
for the Shortwave Listener (SWL) : {Sized - Big to Small}
* Alpha Delta DX-Ultra Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/3377.html
* Antenna Supermarket Eavesdropper SWL Sloper Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/0013.html
* * Par Electronics EF-SWL Antenna - Rigged as a
15 Foot Vertical by 30 Foot Horizontal Inverted "L"
{Low Noise} Antenna with Coax Cable feed-in-line.
http://www.grove-ent.com/ANT8.html
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2205.html
* RF Systems Mini-Windom Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/3575.html
3 - Here are a few Good "Out-Side" Active Antennas for
the Shortwave Listener (SWL) : {Priced - High to Moderate}
* Dressler ARA60S Active Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/4061.html
* RF Systems DX-10 Professional Active Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2868.html
* * McKay Dymek DA-100E Active Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/0328.html
* LF Engineering H-800 Skymatch Active Antenna
http://www.grove-ent.com/ANT15.html
* MFJ-1024 Active Antenna
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/1132.html
Most of these are considered to offer Full Spectrum Coverage of
both the Medium-Wave and Shortwave Bands : 500 kHz - 30 MHz.
FWIW - As time goes on you may wish to have both an
Out-Side Wire Antenna and an Active Antenna as a "Pair"
of Antennas to Choose from for a variety of Shortwave
Listening (SWL) needs.
iane ~ RHF
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Shortwave Listener Antennas => http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/
SWL Antenna Group => http://tinyurl.com/ogvcf
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The Shortwave Listener's Blessing :
SWL BLESSING => http://tinyurl.com/s2bjm
May You Never Tire of Listening to the Radio and Always
have Strong Signals and Noise Free Reception ~ RHF {ibid}
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Shortwave-SWL-Antenna/message/9233
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Lisa Simpson
solution for you, an internal active antenna such as the Radio Shack
amplified shortwave antenna is good too!
"Stephen Drummonds" <step...@centurytel.net> wrote in message
news:_-6dnVc1KeW30FfZ...@centurytel.net...
mi...@sushi.com
Wellbrook loop.
Michael Lawson
<mi...@sushi.com> wrote in message
news:1154120297....@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
If he wants to spend the dollars, the Wellbrook loop
will do well, especially if he has local noise to deal
with.
--Mike L.
Jake Brodsky
Active antennas can be reasonably good, but there is one tiny hitch:
You need to isolate it from all the electrical and computer hash you'll
generate in your house. Do not buy a cheap active antenna or you'll be
sorry.
It's actually easier to erect a random wire antenna and use it instead
of an active antenna. That said, a well isolated loop antenna with an
external power supply, isolated from the rest of the house, might be
just what the doctor ordered for a small suburban lot. Loop antennas
have the advantage of being able to null out local groundwave signals.
However, if you have more than fifty feet of distance available to you,
I suggest you look in to the random wire first. It's cheaper, and it
just plain works...
DE AB3A
Stephen Drummonds
I think I will go with the wire antenna for now also to the gentleman that
asked what area I am from Im located in Alabama Thanks to all who
responded!! Steve
"Jake Brodsky" <ab...@cNo0mScPaAsMt.net> wrote in message
news:69GdnXhTjPGRGlfZ...@comcast.com...
Harveya...@aol.com
Steve:
IF you live in a Very , low noise environment;
- Or can move the active antenna out away from your home, Into a low
noise environment, then I suggest messing around with this.
Putting up an active antenna in a noisy environment will just ..
Amplify the ambient noise as well as Shortwave Signals
Suggest Just use a regular random wire, with a co-ax feed.
Congratulations on th R-75
David
wrote:
>SD,
>
>For Shortwave Listening (SWL) what you would spend on an
>Active Antenna; you could buy a good 'passive' Wire Antenna.
>* Your Location {Region} and Weather can be a Factor in
>your choice of Antennas.
It depends on your location and what you want to listen to. A 50'
random wire is OK for SWL but it has nulls and is somewhat weak for
MW. A coax matcher and cable complicates the installation.
I'm away from any strong local signals and get really good service out
of an MFJ-1024 on my bedroom radio. I can hear KOMO 1,000 very
reliably every night and I'm 3 states away.
Steve
RHF, I'm surprised you didn't mention the "Mini Whip".
Steve
RHF
PA0RDT-Mini-Whip {Active} Antenna - Inch-per-Inch - It Works !
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/dbc4666783b0a2f6
Shortwave Listening (SWL) "Receive-Only" Antennas
- Away Is Better - Then Up ! - Or Is It ?
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.radio.shortwave/msg/d475a10814862d1d
~ RHF
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RHF
David wrote:
> On 28 Jul 2006 13:02:14 -0700, "RHF" <rhf-new...@pacbell.net>
> wrote:
>
> >SD,
> >
> >For Shortwave Listening (SWL) what you would spend on an
> >Active Antenna; you could buy a good 'passive' Wire Antenna.
> >* Your Location {Region} and Weather can be a Factor in
> >your choice of Antennas.
- It depends on your location and what you want to listen to.
- A 50' random wire is OK for SWL but it has nulls and is
- somewhat weak for MW. A coax matcher and cable
- complicates the installation.
David - The Par Electronics EF-SWL Antenna
* That is Rigged {Set-Up} as a 15 Foot Vertical by
30 Foot Horizontal Inverted "L" {Low Noise} Antenna
with Coax Cable feed-in-line and remote Ground Rod.
http://www.grove-ent.com/ANT8.html
* Gives good all-around Shortwave Band reception and
works well on the AM/MW Band Antenna too.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/2205.html
* It is no more complicated to install then most
small Active Antennas.
* Active Antennas need to be installed properly and
in the right location. Otherwise they can be great
Noise Amplifiers and make Radio Listening a pain.
- I'm away from any strong local signals and get really
- good service out of an MFJ-1024 on my bedroom radio.
- I can hear KOMO 1,000 very reliably every night and
- I'm 3 states away.
David - The MFJ-1024 Active Antenna was on the list
of Active Antennas that I provided.
http://www.universal-radio.com/catalog/sw_ant/1132.html
* For many who can not have a very 'visible' Antenna
small Active Antennas like the MFJ-1024 do a very
good job in letting them hear what they want to hear.
* The only feature of the MFJ-1024 that I do not like
is the Telescoping Whip Antenna.
* * I would replace the short Whip Antenna with a
solid CB Whip Antenna mounted on a piece of 21
Foot Top-Rail and 50 Foot of Coax Cable to get it
away from the House and out-side Up-in-the-Air.
* * Small Active Antennas like the MFJ-1024 some
times can be used In-Side the Attic with a Pair of
Perpendicular One-Metre Diamond Wire Loops.
and that's my view from the far side of . . .
the antenna wire - iane ~ RHF
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David
wrote:
>
>David wrote:
>> On 28 Jul 2006 13:02:14 -0700, "RHF" <rhf-new...@pacbell.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> >SD,
>> >
>> >For Shortwave Listening (SWL) what you would spend on an
>> >Active Antenna; you could buy a good 'passive' Wire Antenna.
>> >* Your Location {Region} and Weather can be a Factor in
>> >your choice of Antennas.
>
>- It depends on your location and what you want to listen to.
>- A 50' random wire is OK for SWL but it has nulls and is
>- somewhat weak for MW. A coax matcher and cable
>- complicates the installation.
>
>David - The Par Electronics EF-SWL Antenna
>* That is Rigged {Set-Up} as a 15 Foot Vertical by
>30 Foot Horizontal Inverted "L" {Low Noise} Antenna
>with Coax Cable feed-in-line and remote Ground Rod.
This is no different than any other wire antenna with a coax matcher.
I have a random wire. A random wire with an MLB. And the MFJ-1024.
I posted my observation.
I don't appreciate your Doctor Bronner on Acid replies. They are
anarchy and they are more confusing tha helpful.
You have issues.
Bob Miller
<step...@centurytel.net> wrote:
I have a Dymek Stoner DA100E active antenna, indoors. It works fine,
doesn't take up much space, but a full size outdoor wire antenna
provides stronger, louder reception of signals.
A big wire antenna is cheaper, the active antenna is more convenient;
take your choice.
bob
k5qwg
David
wrote:
The Stoner and the MFJ-1024 are essentially car radio antennas. They
are omnidirectional and vertically polarised. These can be
advantageous attributes sometimes. The more antennas the merrier.
RHF
David - Issues . . . That I Do !
and thank you for your expert opinion ~ RHF
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