G4NSJ - Mini-Whip active antenna on long and medium wave
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- Опубліковано 26 чер 2019
- These are my preliminary findings on the Mini-Whip Active Antenna when used on long and medium wave. The results are very encouraging. If you are into medium wave AM DXing, this is the aerial for you!
www.radio-workshop.co.uk/g4ns... - Наука та технологія
It was helpful because I fight with the same now :) Thanks a lot. Greetings from Poland.
Good to see you back again,enjoy your presentations a lot!
colin smith thanks.
Hi Ray, thanks for another interesting video.
Your videos have assisted in inspiring me to attend my local Amateur Radio Club and to take the Foundation Amateur Radio Course.
freedomvigilant1234 that’s excellent! Well done!
Thank you for sharing your experience with the mini whip👍
Love your videos mate
I heard you on the QSO today podcast great Interview, love your videos
Robert Reed thanks!
Nice video Ray.
Very interesting topic. Thank you
Hi Ray.Great video as always.I bought a mini whip kit from the PA3FWM design but I haven't built it yet.They are quite amazing but of course they need to be used in a low noise environment .I also have the TS-570dge transceiver and enjoy NDB dx'ing.With my Eton E5 portable rx I have df'd "ING" on 387 KHz near Calais in France. Another interesting part of the hobby . 73 Ian G7HFS /PA3IKH.
Ian Harling Hi Ian, I’ll be listening for ING. As you say, another interesting part of the hobby. Cheers, Ray.
Very interesting Ray.
Nice one Ray. Yeah, Am is thought of here as medium wave but really it is the type of modulation.
I grounded all my aerials just in cast of a strike, not that it would save the equipment, but it just might save the house or yourself, just might!
Good video as usual. Not easy typing on a phone. Got to go take the little monster to a park before nursery.
bob4jjjj hi Bob, nice to hear from you. Enjoy the park. 😃
Ray that's quite an impressive low noise demonstration from the Mini-Whip Antenna, should be good for Medium Wave and NDB Dxing in the winter. A few years ago I managed to receive a very weak NDB ident signal, from a North Sea oil rig with my doublet antenna.
From an oil rig? I'll have a listen for that one. Cheers, Ray.
I didn't see the Mini Whip's ground. The ground (earth) is a critical aspect of the Mini Whip's design. It REQUIRES it to be earthed directly below the antenna with a VIRGIN ground, (nothing else connected to it. Sharing grounds simply feeds noise up to the Mini Whip from other ground current sources.) And yes, the ferrite on the coax is also essential. Numerous things play into RF noise at an antenna, as I'm sure you know. The Mini Whip will outperform other antennas, (especially wire antennas) at reducing noise, not at increasing signal strength. But you must work at it in order to optimize it. It is not an antenna you simply toss up in the air and plug into your rig and it magically solves noise problems. Far too many hams seem to think it is, though the designer of it is very emphatic that it is not a magic cure-all. It has been designed to be an integral part of a noise reduction antenna system, but unless you work to eliminate the noise aspects that the Mini Whip cannot eliminate on its own, you are simply wasting your time with it.
I use one because my apartment window is 5 meters from outdoor AC mains lines. I have found that by careful antenna and ground positioning, careful ferrite coax noise filtering, using a battery for power, and using a toroid transformer to connect the antenna's RF to my receiver that I have greatly reduced received noise.
Excellent information, thanks!
Hello Ray
I also use a mini whip ( the Original ) , its a fine little antenna for MW and LW , i use the antenna for my tube radios .
it works very fine , and the antenna is a good choice for people without room for a wire antenna .
I'm amazed by the results on medium and long wave! Cheers, Ray.
I've made a few miniwhips, including an elongated one, inside a 12 inch PVC tube with a PL259 connector at the base, for the car. Made a little bias-tee and tried it out mobile. It works a treat. Getting away from the uban noise, it's so quiet you think it isn't working until you tune across a stonking great signal. 73 de G0IFI
roogalater they are amazing aerials. I use mine every day and I’m thinking of getting a second one. Cheers, Ray.
roogalater Yes easy typing on a phone
Thanks Ray enjoyed your videos WA2NDS
Thanks!
A fascinating video, glad to see that I am not the only one with a doublet and a fishing pole attached to a rose arch! Would be interested to see if you have had any more success on the HF bands since using the miniwhip.
Our garden is covered in aerials!
Hi Ray! Nice video. My enquiring mind asks, if the aerial is good for MW but not for 80 m - what's it like for Top Band?
Top band is still pretty noisy. I'll keep you posted. Cheers, Ray.
Hi again Ray ! An interesting experiment you're doing there ! On the advertising that you directed hamrad88 below, at the end of those details it says two things. Firstly to get the device ABOVE the top of the mast, and secondly to include chokes ( values supplied ) on all cables. Maybe you missed those two instructions ? Yes it will be fascinating to see how you get this one operating at its best ! Keep us posted !
My best AM antenna was one of those multi-section armoured car copper whip antennae on the chimney on the end of a bit of low-loss coax - worked brilliantly ! I suppose that was in the days before switch-mode power supplies everywhere !
A well-known station to try is 648 kHz Caroline from the old World Service site at Orfordness with power 1 kW. I can get it faintly at Leominster ( which on a line between Birmingham and Cardiff is half-way ), so try your luck !
One near me for you to try is 855 kHz Sunshine Radio at Villa Farm on the southern end of the Clee Hills in South Shropshire ( a few miles east of Woofferton Transmitting Station ). It nowadays has a transmitting power of 180 watts ( it did get a slight increase 10-15 years ago and an antenna revamp ). So that one would be a good test of DX sensitivity. Over recent months, other stations on 855 have switched off, so getting it has become easier than it used to be.
I WILL be impressed if you can get 1368 Manx Radio ( by skywave at night, so we're maybe in the wrong month ). Also Spirit Radio on 549 kHz from Ireland.
Yes, a fascinating project that you have got there !
All the best Phil Dodd
Phil Dodd Hi Phil, I’m hearing Manx Radio now at S7. Playing Rolling Stones. Jumping Jack Flash.
@@g4nsj That is brilliant ! Your antenna certainly IS doing well ! The 1368 kHz transmitter is on Snaefell, at the north-east side of the island. It was recently refurbished, and performs brilliantly ! The current MD of Manx Radio is an ex-Caroline man, and they certainly are good at tuning transmitters ! One weekend a month that Manx transmitter 1368 is used for a "Caroline North" weekend, pretending to be a modern version of Radio Caroline North of the 1960s. The next one is 20/21 July. They broadcast ( via fibre ) from the Ross Revenge on the River Blackwater to the 1368 transmitter.
Spirit Radio in Ireland is at Bray, Wicklow, on the East Coast below Dublin. I've picked it up incredibly strongly at times from Leominster, so you should be able to get it.
Obviously share any others that you come across, and we'll try to pick them up too...
Phil Dodd OK, Phil. Getting foreign stations on 855. Caroline is S9. I’ll keep you posted.
@@g4nsj Ray I have another couple of queries if you see this ! Firstly, you seemed to have grabbed a bargain ! Active antennae like yours, presumably using the BF998 and BCX54 which seem to be common choices ( according to Google ) , sell from main dealers in "Radio User" for £400 ! You've done well ! Secondly, I have a query regarding the use of an S meter with an active antenna. If the device amplifies the signal rather than just lowering the noise, do you need to recalibrate your S meter before giving reception reports etc ?
@@phildodd9942 Hi Phil, the S meter will read correctly. You're just pumping a stronger signal into the radio.
I'm in the same boat with s9+10 on 80 40 majority is digital and totally wipes out the bands in using a half size g5rv into a mfj hf versa tuner and that feeds my icom ic706 mk2 not used hf for 2 years now I cannot contend with the noise level. 73
In America, if it's music, I think most people listen to the FM band, These days, AM is mostly talk radio. Back in the 60's there was a country and western AM radio station just a mile from my house. No matter how bad your radio was, you could always, pull in that one. I had an amplifier hooked to a big old floor model radio and with the radio off and the amp on, you could faintly, hear that station, even though the radio was tuned to something else. LOL.
Dave Lee great days!
WSM & Grand Ole Opry Still going strong on Clear 50,000 Watt 640 AM.Pretty much receivable most of USA ! At night of course...
Another great show. Made is the model number of the antenna?
It's on ebay here ... www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Whip-Active-Antenna-Assembled-in-Box-HF-LF-VLF-Mini-Whip-SDR-RX-Portable/333187610812?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Hi Ray, I know you made this video a couple of years back, hows the miniwhip doing these days?,and hows the earthing system you use having an effect on the noise floor and received signals down at LF?, thanks Steve RS88898
Hi Steve, it’s all working well. Noise is pretty low, which is good. I haven’t changed anything as it’s doing a good job.
Hi Ray, hope you are well. I keep looking at this product to improve LW dx’ing but like the idea of your loopstick ferrite antenna with variable capacitor on your website as it’s small and easy to store away. Do you have a video or info anywhere on build/how many turns with the wire etc for better LW performance? Thanks in advance, Franco 73
Hi Franco, I think you’ll have to experiment with the number if turns for long wave. Or use a long wave coil from an old radio. Cheers, Ray.
Thanks Ray. I think I’ll try an old LW coil first and see how that works 👍🏼
I am looking for a low noise antenna to use with a traditional MW radio (Defiant). I guess the mini whip would work although it is not 50 Ohm connection.
Hi, the mini whip is an ideal aerial for receiving. Don’t worry about the 50 ohm connection, you don’t need an ATU to match the aerial. Try it, I’m sure you’ll be pleased. Cheers, Ray.
@@g4nsj Thank you Ray.
Hi ray if you look on you tube search for mfg noise cancelling you will see some videos on this unit it’s very effective for noise. I have one myself and you can run it from a 12volt battery. Cheers Gary
Hi Gary, thanks for that. I'll look into it. Cheers, Ray.
I wonder how many amperes has this 12V battery,.. I did a proper PSU 12v/50mA, I have a clear signal every time.
Nice explanation, greetings.
The battery is 2.1 ampere hours. Cheers, Ray.
Hi Ray AM as we know is Amplitude Modulation which is not a band as Airband is mainly on AM Modulation so your American Friend may need to know if you are in regular contact, changing the subject has anyone tried soldering a length of wire to the circuit board to see if that improves HF reception, best regards Terry.
Hi Terry, I saw a video where a chap had soldered a telescopic aerial to the Mini Whip. Results were... not really any difference apart from bringing up the noise. Cheers, Ray.
Hi Ray, thanks for sharing yet another most interesting video. I remember having a transistor radio with an active whip antenna years ago, which worked on MW. It was rather unique, as most transistor radios active whip antennas only work on SW and FM. It was interesting seeing your MW reception there, especially hearing Jersey. Some of my family ancestors originated in Jersey. 1026kHz is used here by 3PB (ABC News Radio) Melbourne Vic, which is local reception. Incidentally, what type of radio receiver were you using there? Anyway, wishing you the very best. Robert.
Hi Robert, it's nice to hear from you. I was using a Kenwood TS570D transceiver. I'll be testing the aerial on old valve radios soon.
Your Kenwood receiver looks quite impressive. For AM DX here, I use a Yaesu FRG-100, though years ago, I used a Realistic TRF AM Only radio with a narrow band filter fitted into the tone control. My antenna is a home made 3' box type loop.
RGC198 the FRG-100 I’d a nice radio. I’ve always wanted one! Your aerial sounds good, too.
Hi Ray. A great video as always, however, it's only been online for 4 hours and somebody's already given it the solo thumbs down! Do me a favour and let me know when you're about to post the next one so I can get a crack at it for ounce!
Nigel Dixon OK, I’m onto it!
Great show, Ray. Placing a Ferrite on the top of the pole is the wrong thing to do since the aerial can be imagined as one part of a capacitor with the other being the radial network. Your grounding approach is exactly right. If you want to place s choke, place it at the grounding point towards the RX. Lots of interesting research on this was done by PA3FWM. If you want a benchmark, google WebSDR in Twente, that is operated by the same antenna. 73 Jan DK3LJ
Thanks Jan, all very interesting. I was wondering about a ferrite choke. I'll check out more research. Cheers, Ray.
Yes....The Twente Web SDR is great.I have it on my smartphone and I also have Hack Green on there too.A great way to check band conditions.
Your lead acid battery, and the antenna power injector, could be installed indoors. That's the whole point of the power injector, so you don't need to run power leads outside.
I installed the box outside so I could have a very short, heavy wire from the box to my RF earth system beneath the lawn. Also, I wanted to keep the box away from house wiring, and all the interference radiated within the house. It's a great antenna, I'm really pleased with it.
Ray, have you tried mounting it on a metal support and make sure it’s grounded to it, I believe you don’t need it to be way up in the air
Regards BRENDAN De GM0CQV
Yes, I did try that. Nice to hear from you!
So did it improve the RX capability?
Brendan Hynes no, it didn’t. The fibreglass pole is much better. Sorry, I should have said that before.
I have a serious problem with noise where I am on site in Africa, there are also power cuts too, for the power cuts I have two 1400 amp batteries in parallel and for the noise a Wimo noise eliminator. My coax is aircell7 feeding a 71 foot long wire on a 9 to 1 balun.
The noise comes from all the inverter driven air conditioners all around me, so it's great when there is a power cut as then I can use batteries to power my rig.
Wizard8838 I used to run my rig under comparable conditions in Asia. Might want to try a magnetic loop.
That is a difficult situation! Fingers crossed for a power cut! Cheers, Ray.
Yes, good thought.
@@radio655 I try to keep as little equipment as possible, as I can be out of here quickly by force or by choice, so I run as basic as I can, all I do is pack what I need and get the hell out.
@@wizard8838 Whoa sounds hostile where you are....
There was only one Notebook that never interfered with radio reception:
A pen and paper.
Radio 4 is no longer on LW Ray. That frequency is now Radio 5 live. Which I believe to be a bit of a mash up of Sky and BBC.👍👍
Barry Chatwin hi Barry, I’ve just checked and Radio 4 is still on long wave. BBC Five Live is still on medium wave. Not sure what’s going on?
@@g4nsj
I think it may be a regional thing then because here (io92ko) we now get the shipping forcast at mid day on FM.
The other day I was over in Norfolk and FM reception was rubbish so I switched to LW and all I could get on 909 KHz was 5 live. Plus 5 live sport plus other commercial stations on the rest of the band
@@allsortsabouteverything 5Live is on 693KHz and 909KHz Medium Wave, as you have found out. Radio 4 Long Wave is on 198KHz or 1500 Metres in old money.