Topband: Noise Cancellation / Low Dipole

[Jim - WS6X]

-----Original Message-----
From: topband-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:topband-bounces at contesting.com]
On Behalf Of topband-request at contesting.com
Sent: Thursday, October 01, 2009 11:17 AM
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Topband Digest, Vol 82, Issue 2

Today's Topics:

   1. Noise Cancellation Options? (Walter Miller, AJ6T)
   8. Low Dipole for RX (GALE STEWARD)
   

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Walt & Gale,

I'll chime in with my experience that relates to both questions.

I live in a very small city lot (read very noisy). I have had surprisingly
good results with a very inexpensive noise cancelling unit - the Quantum
Phaser. http://www.dxtools.com/PRODUCTS.htm. This unit is designed for BC
band SWLing, but if you ask to have it optimized for 160M, it will work as
well as any of the other products I've used. The one drawback, it will only
work on 160 -- 80 is out of its range. For $135 I figured I didn't have much
to lose, and I have been pleasantly surprised.

I use the QP with a rotating flag as the main RX antenna, and a low 160M
dipole as the other RX antenna. (The dipole is actually a horizontal "U"
dipole.) It is tacked to a wooden fence about 4 feet high, along the south
perimeter of my property, and bent into a right angle at the SE and SW
corners, and then tacked to the east and west fences, thus forming the "U"
shape.

Since the QP has a built-in antenna switch, I can very quickly compare the
flag to the low dipole to the phased combo. On many occasions the combo
hears much better than the flag by itself. (I have logged numerous 160M
contacts that would not have been possible with the flag alone.)

I would not give up on trying a low dipole. I have worked long haul DX where
that bent contraption heard better than anything else. Of course, there are
rare occasions when the TX antenna hears the best. So, as you've heard many
times here on this reflector, you can never have too many RX antennas. I
feel lucky that I stumbled upon a combination that has improved (slightly?)
my otherwise bleak situation.

In any case, have fun experimenting.

Jim, WS6X