HFU HF Underground
Technical Topics => Equipment => Topic started by: Fried Chickin' on April 02, 2014, 1708 UTC
-
SO I just bought one of these ANC-4 doo-hickeys from HRO with hopes that it would cure my noise issues. It seems to be creating more frustration than helping me. Has anyone had experience with one of these? I could sure use some assistance... Thanks!
-
I tried one several years ago. I have bad electrical noise. Any time ANYTHING in my fusebox is turned on, there is instant S7-8 buzzing noise pretty much everywhere under about 8 mhz. I tried everything with that timewave. Every size and orientation--like from 6" long stub to small dipole trying to null the noise. I had high hopes since my main antenna is 20-30 feet away from the house. It never did crap after 2 weeks and I returned it. No reduction in noise no matter what settings or antenna tried.
-
So just to follow up on my post, I would like to say that after a couple weeks with the ANC-4 connected to my ICOM IC-R75 the results have been very good. I would say that the most important thing about using one of these, is that the noise sensing antenna should be constructed well and placed in the right spot. It took me a few days of moving it around and testing different locations, but the dipole I made seems to have found a pretty good location. The key to finding the right home for it is leaving the main antenna unconnected to the ANC-4 and using only the noise sensing antenna while searching for noise. I actually had someone on a walkie talkie sitting in the shack with their eyes on the S-meter to let me know when I was getting "warmer" as I walked around with the noise antenna. So, all in all, I am really happy with the purchase and I can say that I really do pull out the weak stations from the noise quite easily now. Good talk. ;D
-
That's a great tip on how to find the optimum spot for the noise antenna. Can you give us some more details on what you used as your noise antenna, and where it was ultimately placed (how far from your radio)? Thanks.
-
I used a coax fed basic homemade fm receiving antenna since it seemed to be the easiest design for what I had laying around the house. I actually found a video on youtube about how to put it all together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjTshXYsRss
I have a lot of power lines surrounding my house, so this seemed like a good idea. The coax feed line may have been a bit long (about 25 feet), but it works. The dipole portion of the antenna was a 10' piece of RG-58 I had laying around, five feet on each side of the feed line. The instructions that came with the ANC-4 say to keep the dipole as small as possible, about 6 feet on either side, if I remember correctly. I just took it a step further and made it a bit smaller. Also, when searching for the resting spot for the noise sensing antenna, it's important not to place it at such a height that it will pick up the same signal that you want to listen to. Mine ended up right outside the window of my shack, in plain view of all the power lines and my neighbor's bedroom window where she keeps her noisy tv, so most of that 25' of coax feed really just got zip tied up. So, just in view of the noise source is a good idea; ya don't wanna null out the good stuff. It took a good hour or so of trying to find the right placement, it's worth it to be patient.
-
Hello
Anyone have idea for using the antenna on a second floor balcony with no access to the ground floor. I live in an apartment with alot of restrictions