Technical Topics > Equipment
Made in China Wellbrook 1530 Loop Antenna?
Josh:
--- Quote from: alpard on February 21, 2023, 2325 UTC ---
--- Quote from: Josh on February 20, 2023, 1904 UTC ---After watching this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PTu0g5W9do I have the feeling dual crossed MLA30s (with 1 meter copper wire or tubing as modded in the vid) would be a better setup at about half the price of the chicom knockoff. I suspect there will be unit-to-unit performance variations on MLA30s but you can adjust the gain of the thing with the internal pot.
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Wow, MLA-30 is not much different from Wellbrook 1530 in performance from the video (apart from LW, and the top band of Ham radio), and it is about 1/6 - 1/8 price of Wellbrook. It seems the best value for money commercial HF RX active loop antenna? Great video by the way, thanks for sharing.
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Yeah what I was thinking. The part that makes me wonder is why it's deaf on 160m. Still seems like a good deal for the cost on the rest of the bands.
RobRich:
The MLA-30 uses a cheap video preamp among other defficiencies. It can work okay for casual listening, but I would suspect some type of issue like maybe a very high noise floor if seemingly performing anywhere near a decent active loop like a Wellbrook, W6LVP, DXE RF-PRO-1B, or even MFJ-1886.
alpard:
--- Quote from: RobRich on February 24, 2023, 1423 UTC ---The MLA-30 uses a cheap video preamp among other defficiencies. It can work okay for casual listening, but I would suspect some type of issue like maybe a very high noise floor if seemingly performing anywhere near a decent active loop like a Wellbrook, W6LVP, DXE RF-PRO-1B, or even MFJ-1886.
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Yeah well spotted. It brings me the memories of those moments when I had the same thoughts on MLA-30 actually. It was ok for general strong stations SWL BCLing, but it had never pulled the rare challenging DX such as the QRP AM stations from Brazil and all around South America, Africa or Pacific Ocean. It definitley worked, and worked OK. But it wasn't excellent DX puller for sure. But then the youtube comparison between MLA-30 and WB 1530 seems to be giving ideas that those 2x antennas are in similar level. Testings done during the day time for strong stations not too remote locations cannot really tell the clues actually. He should have tried copy Radio Tarma from Peru, or some Middle and South American low powered AM stations at nights - and then the winner would be clearer? :D
Pigmeat:
But that's hard, Alpard. It involves getting out of bed at odd hours and turning the radio on.
East Troy Don:
--- Quote from: Pigmeat on February 20, 2023, 1524 UTC ---One of the best antenna purchases I ever made was a small Tecsun 200 MW loop. It works both proximately and with a short piece of coax with plugs to fit your portable's and the antennas jack. Replace the flimsy included coax with some RG-73 or even some patch cord with mini stereo adapters and you're ready to roll. The thing has a tuning knob and covers the entire US MW band. I paid 20 bucks for it new. Not all Chinese radio and antenna products are junk, you've got to vet them carefully to get your money's worth.
Who's going to be the sacrificial penguin for the Chinese Wellbrook? Who knows, you might get a steerable balloon to help hang it?
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I agree, probably the best $20 I ever spent (well, except for that one night in Frankfurt in 1972)
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