Topband: We need better preamps for 160 because FT8 activity

[n4is at comcast.net]

Hi Folks

 

I am following the conversation about LOG RX antennas, I understand the pain
from a noise city lot on 160m. it is hard. I am using Waller Flag's
vertical, since 2006, and horizontal since 2010, however vertical noise is
so bad with new solar panels and EV charges , on top of LED lights, that I
no longer have my Vertical WF, it is inefficient  for a city lot. My HWF is
working very well.

 

The reason I started a new tread is what I noticed during the last DX
season. The number of KW station on 1840 is growing exponentially. If you
have 100 station with 1kW on a small portion of the band, it is equivalent a
100 KW single station. Imagine 500 station, 500KW, My HWF preamp is in use
since 2010, my first QSO with my 6xBF981 preamp was XU7ACY, long path (160m
CW), from the same city lot, not so noise as it is today. However now with
the number of FT8 KW's, and most of them very bad linearity, with phase
noise several KHz on each side,  my old preamp IP3 is not strong enough as
it used to be.

 

I will be back to old NORTON's preamp on my station with new high Q front
end. With all the power of 100's FT8 station at the same time, the
consideration for a new RX antenna and new preamplifier is raising the bar
on overall performance.

 

Any new ideas on high performance preamps for 160m?? We will need it.

 

73's

JC

N4IS