Does anyone use the: MFJ 959C Tuner / Preamp or the MFJ 1026 1025 Noise Reducer?

[RCCI]

I was wondering if any listeners out there use these products, and what success you have had with either. I've checked with eHam and other reviews and they both seem to do the job. I already use the MFK 956 for the Kenwood 1000. I used to have the older model of Preamp / tuner by MFJ in the 80's, but remembered it did little but jack up the noise floor. Been stealthing on eBay but don't want to buy both. I use a 30" longwire.

Any imput appreciated RCCI

[ChrisSmolinski]

I have a MFJ 1026. I do not use it for noise reduction, but rather as a phaser for MW DXing. The principle is the same, it allows you to vary the amplitude and phase of signals from two antennas such that they are equal but 180 degrees out of phase, canceling out the signal in question. For MW DXing, you use it to null out an offending station, to hear what else is on the same frequency, under it. I've had pretty good luck with that.

For noise reduction, you do the same thing, except you are nulling out the QRM source.

Note that you can only null out one signal with it, at best. If you have multiple offending signals on the same frequency, you can only kill one of them. I say one at best because it is always possible that due to the orientation of the antennas, you won't be able to null out a particular station.

[Capt. Radio]

Not exactly on topic, RCCI, but I found this device while looking around for phasers:

dxtools.com/Phaser.htm   The Quantum Phaser

I have no experience with it, but maybe someone on the forum does. Just wanted to give you another
alternative to look at...

Again, not on topic, but since we're talking about noise reduction, isn't it hard to believe, that in this day and age of
DSP and SDR, that someone can't figure out a way to simply get rid of powerline noise in a receiver? I've never seen an effective noise blanker or ANL. I refuse to believe it can't be done in the RF stages with some effective IC chip or internal to the radio software processing, rather than "after the fact" audio processing. 

[rdla4]

I used a 1026 last year when my neighbor's started generating loads of broadband RF. The 1026 would not result in perfect reception, but it did make the difference between having a hobby or not having it.

Depending on frequency, I found that it could be somewhat "touchy".

The signals I was dealing with were nearly square wave in nature--rich in harmonic content. I could not hear S9 signals, and even strong 30 over signals were tough to listen to. The 1026 would make a strong signal every listenable. S9 signals were pretty good, but much below that, I would run into the noise floor produced by the slop from next door. Fortunately, what ever it was went away suddenly one day, and has not been back.

On 6.9 mHz, it was quite effective in nulling noise. I could hear signals down below S9----but not perfectly. Meanwhile on 9.5mhz, it was not as effective.

[hsmith77]

I use the MFJ 959C. It helps with the really weak signals . I use it with the RF Systems MK2 antenna and sometimes with a attic 66' dipole.