Tom W8JI sent me a modified MFJ-126 noise canceling box while I was in
Dar es Salaam to help with trying to beat all the local power line noise
I was experiencing. I was frustrated because the thing never showed
much improvement. My problem in Tanzania was that the noise was coming
from multiple sources.
Since my return, the box has been sitting at the operating position
gathering dust. Last night I was plagued by noise pulses during the
contest and I decided to hook my tribander up as a noise antenna and see
if any improvement could be made. It took me a few minutes to remember
how to use the model 1026 but the difference was simply startling. All
of the noise was gone. I was able to copy GM3POI solidly. KH6ND, CO8JY
and VK6HD were easy copy. Since I don't yet have any receiving
antennas, the MFJ device made it possible for me to work some stations
that I would have otherwise missed.
Oh--I was also delighted at the performance of my new transmitting
antenna. It is the coaxial inverted "L" described in CQ by N4XX some
months back. Mine is up 60 and out 67.5 feet (I had to add 3.5 feet of
cable over the length specified in the article to make resonance fall at
the desired frequency). At the moment, I'm using only ten radials from
the hilltop site.
Dave Heil K8MN
Cameron, WV
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