Topband: NCC-1 Phaser

[Herbert Schoenbohm]

After nearly two years of trying to get some measurable improvement with 
the MFJ-1026 noise cancelling box I finally gave up and sold them on 
E-Bay and purchased a DX-Engineering NCC-1.  The frustration of the 
finicky controls on the MFJ was time consuming and I never was able to 
realize much benefit.  I decide to buy the NCC-1 with the idea of 
phasing some Beverages for both noise reduction and possibly enhance 
signal performance. The ability to have 360 degree control and a smooth 
large knob made sense.  My first test was on 160 meters with the K5P 
DX-Pedition on Palmyra where I have two Beverages 900' long bur running 
end to end and not staggered or spaced. Both have equal length 
feed-lines to the shack. They are reversible Beverages but both were 
tested in the West Direction which was spot on to K5P.  Over several 
hours of listening and switching I was very impressed how K5P, although 
readable on a single antenna just amazingly rose from the noise level 
when I would adjust the NCC-1 phase controls.  It was quick, smooth, and 
easy. It was repeatable for over several hours of listening and the 
phase Normal/Reverse switch would make the signal disappear when thrown. 
First one antenna alone and then the other antenna alone and then the 
two antennas through the NCC-1.  I did not expect to work this way that 
well but it surpassed my expectation.  Also with the tropical TS we 
often receive here in the Caribbean I could make adjustments to 
effective take the QRN static down to near nothing. Of course I got some 
reduction before in this with just the selection of the right Beverage 
but not dramatically as much. I now have added my entire bank of 
beverages to the other input even though some run N/S and other NE/SW.  
I will also try to see what I can get from two Beverages, One S/E and 
the other S to see if i can get any improvement on VP8STI if they fire 
up on 160 soon.

Also for the first time I had excellent copy on K5P on 80 meters but 
they came on one hour after my S/R and i was not able to break the NA 
wall calling them.  Nor did I have enough time on 80 to really test the 
phase on two really long Beverages.  I was hoping that two Beverages, 
even though not space nor staggered, but end to end, would allow for 
more capture area and a better ability to null out noise from other 
directions.  Hopefully they will come on 80 at the Sunset and stay on 
for a few hours at least to check the results.

I would imagine also that the conventionally way the NCC-1 is depicted 
in the catalog with a "noise" antenna would be fine in some 
circumstances to null out other random noise sources but I did not try 
this yet. My only beef is that DXE offers free shipping for orders this 
size to the U.S. but that means only continental U.S. even for the same 
U.S.P.S.  P.O. Box and Zip Code address which I have.  Ironically most 
North American vendors take the same approach but items on Ebay from 
China, when they say "free shipping" mean it.  I noticed that China Post 
has a contract with Fed-Ex to take all their small parcels here and it 
is super fast. But the additional shipping charges added for me are 
worth every penny.


Herb Schoenbohm, KV4FZ