While my lot is one acre, (larger than many, smaller than some) I had much
the same experience as Kim N5OP. I bought the Array Solutions K9AY loop
system and installed it according to directions some 130 plus feet south of
my top loaded Bencher HV-2 with 160m mod antenna using about 200 feet of
Bury-flex pinned to the sod. With my OMNI-VII I have the choice of
transceive on the HV-2 or use the HV-2 for transmit and receive on the K9AY
loop system. While received signals may be lower on the K9AY loop system,
the signal to noise ratio is usually much better in the desired direction.
Doing some early morning WSPR receive on 160 through 40 using the K9AY loop
system, as well as working Low Band DX has shown me the value of RX Only
Antennas in general and the K9AY loop system in particular.
73 ES DX,
Gary -- AB9M
-----Original Message-----
From: Kim Elmore
Sent: Sunday, September 22, 2013 4:00 PM
To: Rick W ; Discussion of Ten-Tec Equipment
Subject: Re: [TenTec] Value of RX Only Antennas
I have a K9AY loops system that I bought form Array Solutions. It's
rather pricey, but for me it was a choice between time and money. I had
the money, but not the time. I think it cost me between $450 and $500
but came with everything: mast, wire, control head, preamp -- the works.
It's well made.
Unfortunately, there's no free lunch: the K9AY loop system is much
better than my shunt-fed tower on 160 or F12 Sigma 80 OCF 80 m vertical
dipole and I've truly pulled stuff out using it that I couldn't
otherwise hear. That said, from everything I've read, it's no Beverage.
It's utility comes from four significant nulls in cardioid patterns,
with the nulls oriented N, S, E and W. With these I can decrease QRN
from distant areas with thunderstorms, which sometimes helps and QRM
from non-DX directions. It fits easily into a city lot (not really a
concern for me as I'm in 10 ac) as much as there was no good way to get
lines out to a Beverage array. I had a way to get lines out to the K9AY
loops and so that's what I chose.
Kim N5OP
On 9/22/2013 2:32 PM, Rick W wrote:
You can also buy a K9AY kit that includes 2 PC boards, preamp and all
parts for the boards. You need to add the boxes, connectors, cable and
switches. Of course the loops need to be constructed as well. I live on
a residential lot and the loops have a small footprint.
http://www.farcircuits.net/preamp2.htm
It's $48 plus shipping. I installed mine about a year ago. Granted it's
not a 4-square and the preamp is not top of the line BUT it works quite
well with my Orion and has improved my DXCC totals on 80. Don't forget to
add front end protection (like the Array Solutions AS-RXFEP).
73,
Rick
VE7TK
Website: http://www.ve7tk.com
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