Topband: New guy here. Low noise rx antenna for 1/2 acre lot?

[steve d]

Hi, I just joined this forum because I am interested in Top Band. I figured I can learn more from you guys than the HFPack yahoo group HIHI (there are very knowlegeable people on there, but this forum is geared more towards 160). I am 20 years old and a sophmore in college. I am finnishing out a 2 year engineering scholarship at Sinclair Community College in Ohio and then will transfer to OSU this comming fall for Mechanical Engineering. I am currently working on WAS-160, all CW. I have 26 states, all but about 3 or 4 are from this season.
   
  OK, on to my big question here. My station is a Kenwood TS-2000 and 160-10m G5RV for tx/rx and a K9AY loop system (4 switchable directions). I have noticed that my G5RV picks up about HALF the noise that the K9AY loops do, and when I try to use my pre-amp (ICE, 1800-2000kHz) with the loops all it does is amplify the noise. The signal/noise ratio remains the same, if not lower because now it is louder!!! What kind of rx antenna can I use that will drastically recuce my noise? At times the QRN is over S9 but it is usually around S3, and if I am luckey I can catch some noise levels that dont register on the S meter. These readings are with the preamp on the rig turned off. I dont really care what the strength of the signals are with the antenna or its directivity - I just want a QUIETER antenna! I can use the preamp to bring the level back up. I would prefer something omni-directional so I can hear stations equally well in all directions, and that also makes installing it easi
 er as
 well - no vertical elements to phase (plus I dont have the space for phased elements).
   
  Steve, KC8QVO

		
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