MLA-30 Active HF Loop Antenna
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- Опубліковано 14 жов 2024
- Here we take a look at the popular MLA-30 Active Loop HF Antenna and compare it against my trusty ole EFHW.
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It’s a magnetic loop, so the shape is very important to get a proper H-field from a wave, otherwise its a LNA with short circuit.
We are all chasing for maximum SNR, not S-meter, so I would recommend a rotator, or manually direct to min noise floor. I used Google remote desktop app for smartphone to see the SDRSharp on a shacks desktop while rotating the loop manually. 73’s and greetings from Russia!
Yes, I agree, I think I will try a cross arm to make a perfect circle. I use VNC Server on my pc and VNC viewer on my iPhone for the exact same thing :)
У меня на кусок провода лучше принимает, вчера пришла эта антенна , прилепил на окно, приёмник JRC NRD 525G
For the occasions when the wire sounds better than the loop, we must not forget the loop may not have been at the optimal azimuth angle for the signal being received. Also, not forgetting that the loop will perform quite well mounted near the ground but the wire will perform poorly, so the loop is ideal for those who can not put a wire at a great height. Not trying to teach granny how to suck eggs, just my 2p.
I just tried it out. It is a catastrophy when used in a household with wlan, bt and other electrical fields. I hung it to the balcony glass door and it did not receive one single strong station. Afterwards I opened it up. Not badly made. Guess it works allright when the loop is mounted outside of the house or flat. My passive loop with two turns of coax and variable cap is way better in noisy surroundings. Thanks for the video!
Only thing I noticed was the metal pole for mounting. I understand that we should avoid metal poles of any kind.
I used a copper pipe to drive into the ground with about 4ft still above. Then a 10 ft plastic pipe slid right over top. It can be rotated when needed. And it doesn’t ground out with contact to earth.
I like the MLA-30.
I had the metal pole, around 3m long, but the the MLA was mounted at the top of a 6M fibreglass pole, so I’m hoping the metal pole didn’t interfere with it. I think it’s a great antenna
I am definitely going to get this item to help in getting low noise and more stations to listen, thanks for testing it.
Not underestimate the directivity of this antenna !
Hi. I noticed that the loop antenna and the EFHWD more or less have the same, audio wise, quality. however, correct me if I am wrong, with the loop the noise floor is much lower.
Which in ideal.
Well done and take care
Interesting Matt. Similar results with my Loop on the Ground (LOG) antenna. Cuts back the noise on the lower bands and in some cases increases the readability of stations as a result. Thanks for showing.
I recently bought the plus version which is a great improvement. I could even get a fair signal from Romania on 153 khz LW late evening with the loop indoors and even 6m FT8 was booming in last week. I did do the copper pipe upgrade and it appears to help a little
How tall u mount the antenna?
Excellent comparison video! Thank you!
PS is the MLA-30+ any better at higher frequencies?
You mentioned that the mla30 is directional as all loop antennas are that are mounted vertically. But if it is mounted horizontally isn’t the loop antenna Omni-directional. Wouldn’t this be a better way to mount it?
You can do even better if you remove the 5V power injector supplied and use the BiasT setting in SDRuno. Evidently the SDRuno bias voltage is greater and boosts the signal by several dB. I just received one of these antennas today. I was using a SDRPlay1A and SDRuno just like the author. And coincidently, I was also comparing to a homebrew 40m EFHW.
Just enable in SDRuno?
@@chilskater What I was trying to say was, do not use the power injector supplied with the loop. Just turn on "Bias T" in the main window of SDRuno. The bias voltage actually originates inside the SDRPlay receiver.
I have one, but not for listening but for direction-finding noise sources. The null is so deep that I can basically pinpoint the noise.
That’s really good to know, I may try using this portable or on a stick of some kind. Thanks
I have one of these mounted in the loft so this was an Interesting comparison esp. seeing the noise you're getting on the efhw, to me tho' the efhw seemed to pull out the signals better despite the noise. Just one point maybe you misread the label on the box but power requirements are 200mA not 2A (which a usb can't supply).
Possibly, but I use a USB hub rated at 3AMP just to be sure :) I most likely misread or miss-said the correct current requirements tho :)
I think a loop is great if you don't have space, but if you have the room you can't beat the long wire antennas.
Yep exactly. I cover a lot on the channel about how to receive and decode different types of signals and some people maybe put off if they think they don’t have the space for large antennas. But these kinda videos show you can still receive low band signals with a small ish type antenna. Thanks for watching 🙏
The provided coax is crap with high losses, I replaced it with better coax and fitted a BNC connector to the amp box.
I have a 23m end fed and a MLA-30+ and the MLA outperforms the end fed in every frequency range. One should note that the plus is better at lower and higher frequencies than the older MLA-30 without plus. On Long wave and Medium wave it's much better.
BTW, I only look on the SNR, not my S-Meter, because this is what counts, not the signal strength.
I may try and source a plus version, will be interesting to see the comparison against original.
@@TechMindsOfficial I can also recommend to replace the thin wire loop with the braid of a coax or an aluminium ring of the same diameter or slightly wider. But then you have to reduce the gain inside the box a bit because the amp tends to overload then. There's a potentiometer inside the box to set the gain. There are plenty of videos on UA-cam how to pimp the MLA.
Thank you Matt, an interesting comparison, I've received an MLA-30 these days, but I didn't still mount, I'll try to do in next days, it seems to work well. Stay safe!
Thanks Joan, hope it works well for you 🙏
That’s a pretty significant difference. Thanks for testing.
You’re welcome, thanks for watching 🙏
Tech Minds Ha! You’re welcome.
@@TechMindsOfficial Can you tell me why my Anker 15600 mAh USB battery charger/battery pack is shutting down when attempting to power my MLA-30 Active Loop Antenna??? Is there a simple cure to this dilemma? Thanks
What kind of efhw would you recommend. They are many out there I just want to pick one that would give me best results in all bands. I have along garden where I can install it? Thanks
I've got an MLA or two and although they are great value for money. If you are lucky enough to have a Wellbrook like me there's no real point in having the MLA the performance is chalk and cheese. The only thing I could think it would be useful would be a compromise portable antenna to take around but even then an active vertical like a Sony is still better performing.
I havnt tried a wellbrook, maybe that’s another antenna I can test and compare against my EFHW. While I’m testing these type of antennas I’m actually in search of an RX antenna that can perform as well as the EFHW but without the QRM I get from neighbours electronics. Thanks for watching :) 🙏
Very interesting comparisons. Thanks for the upload! 73
You’re welcome Tim 🙏
I will see how I get on with mine, by the way the USB current is very low, nowhere near 2a. Interesting review, thank you.
There is a new version called amla150 as the new k180wla tested by Clint in Canada
I didn't get any white pole with mine. Just a loop and amplifier box.
Thank you, was about to buy a MLA-30, now I am getting the EFHW
i have had the mla30 for 5 months now ..i did not use the bias-t and i also replaced that naff coax .. de m6pnp
How did you power it if you didn’t use the Bias T? Did changing the coax Male much difference on such low frequencies? But you’re right, the think coax is kinda weak.
@@TechMindsOfficial I power mine from the bias-T on the RSPduo
Would you maybe see a difference if you rotated the loop on some signals Matt ?
I think you’re right, it’s advertised as directional. I did test it and then rotate it 90 degrees but without being in front of the SDR at the time of rotating it I’m not sure. I guess the best way to test it would be to use it on a rotator, unfortunately I don’t own one, yet lol
Are you in the country side or city? I matters a lot, because the EFHW antennas perform much better in environments without noise. In the city they are a pain, but loops like MLA 30 are better
Wouldn't the loop antenna work better on lower frequencies if you made the loop bigger or added more than just 1 turn?
wow dude turn the gain down on your software its maxed out i found adjusting that actually makes a dif . you actually making a the attenuation in the soft ware trigger giving you a false test ..
How about a comparison between MLA-30 and miniwhip, and perhaps the EFHW? Those are the two most widely used active antennas in the SDR community
I have done a video on the MiniWhip, but I may not have had it installed like others.
Thank you for making this video.
Glad it was helpful!
I ordered the Mla 30 on Amazon, and received the Mla30+ instead...seems to work well except the noise floor ruses about 10 dbm, as compares to Pixel Pro 1B loop
The main advantage is used on DX expedition to the park with a portable power pack. I use it with my Belka-DX or Afrendi stand alone receiver..
But the mla 30 + is better Tham the original right?
@@topg5426 I never had a chance to use the original MLA 30 so I don’t know.
ordered this antenna ... we will see .... thanks for this video
You're very welcome :-)
Hi, how does this perform compared to a long wire antenna?
So I received the 30+ but the wire is twisted and all is it possible to replace it with a copper wire or won't that work 1.5 or 2.5 mm
The wider copper pipe would probably get you more bandwith while tuning.
Interesting comparison Matt thanks for the video 👍
I suspect that Matt received a knock-off of an MLA-30. As shown here: ua-cam.com/video/AVDkD_T-BUA/v-deo.html
a real MLA-30 includes 2 mounting screws, an amplifier box with 6 mounting holes, and a hole in the label on the "biasing tee" box that shows a green LED when illuminated: ua-cam.com/video/AVDkD_T-BUA/v-deo.html
At 2:07 in the present Tech Minds video, we see that Matt did not receive two mounting screws, the amplifier box only has 4 mounting holes, and the "biasing tee" box does not have a hole in the label so that the LED can shine through: 2:41 and 3:55 .
There are also clones of the MLA-30+, which have the same differences that distinguish a knock-off from a genuine MLA-30, plus the antenna wire for an MLA-30+ knock-off is often a little thinner and longer and is folded for packaging after being coiled: ua-cam.com/video/XTOfC2PLlQA/v-deo.html
The knock-off MLA-30+ performs noticeably worse than a genuine MLA-30+, at least at 15 MHz.
You maybe right on this! I’ll see if I can source an original and do these tests again. Where would you recommend to buy an original? Thanks
@@TechMindsOfficial As explained further below, a possible source for a legitmate MLA-30+ in the US is an Amazon vendor named DmgicPro. Perhaps because the antenna is genuine, the price is not the lowest at Amazon, but it is labeled an "Amazon Pick." The problem is that knock-off vendors advertise their products using photographs of genuine equipment. At 1:08 in your video, the picture shows a 10 m coil of coax surrounding an amplifier case with 6 mounting holes and 2 mounting screws. I can even see that the "biasing tee" box has a hole for the LED. It is possible if not likely that the vendors do not even know that their supplier is providing inferior copies. Six months ago, I bought an MLA-30+ from a vendor on Amazon that is no longer selling this antenna. I was disappointed in its performance, but I did not realize that I had a knock-off (or that knock-offs even existed) until a couple days ago when I found the knock-off video I cited above: ua-cam.com/video/XTOfC2PLlQA/v-deo.html The folded coil of flimsy wire in that video is just like the coil I received, and my amplifier box only has 4 mounting holes. The "author" of that video wrote this in a comment: "I didn't cover the Biased Tee portion in the video, but it seems to work fine. It sends roughly the same voltage up the cable and I couldn't tell one from the other switching them on a reception. The question then remains as whether the LNA knockoff could be fixed." Sorry, but I do not know of a way to obtain a guaranteed legitimate MLA-30 or MLA-30+. I exchanged UA-cam comments with him, and he said that he purchased his legitimiate MLA-30+ on Amazon from DmgicPro. That vendor is still supplying the antenna on the date the I write this (17 February 2024). In the past, I also received an inferior "receiver guard " from a vendor at AliExpress whose ad pictured and described a legitimate model. Here is my discussion of that: ua-cam.com/video/-Azhp5VyJZs/v-deo.html I never got a refund, but I need to make a video that describes an easy fix I worked out for the inferior receiver guard.
The following video from OfficialSWLchannel may be like the MLA-30(+) vs EFHW comparison you would like to produce: ua-cam.com/video/X45S5KYWvRs/v-deo.html
I have read that a wire antenna outperforms an MLA--30(+) in a quiet location, but an MLA-30(+) can outperform a wire at some frequencies in noisier, typically urban environments. That is the experience of the OfficialSWLchannel video above.
@@TechMindsOfficial In an exchange of UA-cam comments I had with the author of the MLA-30+ real vs knock-off video (ua-cam.com/video/XTOfC2PLlQA/v-deo.html ), he told me that he purchased his genuine MLA-30+ on Amazon from a vendor named DmgicPro that is still selling the MLA-30+ as of 17 February 2024. Perhaps because that antenna is genuine, the price is not the lowest at Amazon, but it is labeled an "Amazon Pick." Unfortunately, knock-off vendors advertise their products using photographs of genuine equipment. The picture at 1:08 in your video above shows a genuine MLA-30. Six months ago, I bought what I thought was a genuine MLA-30+ from a vendor on Amazon. I was disappointed in its performance, but I did not realize that I had a knock-off (or that knock-offs even existed) until a couple days ago when I found the knock-off video I cited above: ua-cam.com/video/XTOfC2PLlQA/v-deo.html The folded coil of flimsy wire in that video looked just like the coil I received, and my amplifier box only has 4 mounting holes. The ad from the Amazon vendor who sold me my antenna (who is no longer selling the antenna) shows a genuine MLA-30+.
The following video from OfficialSWLchannel may be like the MLA-30(+) vs EFHW comparison you would like to produce: ua-cam.com/video/X45S5KYWvRs/v-deo.html I have read that a wire antenna outperforms an MLA-30(+) in a quiet location, but a genuine MLA-30(+) can outperform a wire at some frequencies in noisier, typically urban environments. That is the experience of the OfficialSWLchannel video above.
@@TechMindsOfficial In an exchange of comments I had with the author of the MLA-30+ real vs knock-off video (ua-cam.com/video/XTOfC2PLlQA/v-deo.html ), he told me that he purchased his genuine MLA-30+ on Amazon from a vendor named DmgicPro that is still selling the MLA-30+ as of 17 February 2024. Unfortunately, knock-off vendors advertise their products using photographs of genuine equipment. The picture at 1:08 in your video above shows a genuine MLA-30. Six months ago, I bought what I thought was a genuine MLA-30+ from a no-longer-active vendor on Amazon who displayed photographs of a genuine MLA-30+. I was disappointed in its performance, but I did not realize that I had a knock-off (or that knock-offs even existed) until a couple days ago when I found the real vs knock-off video I cited above. The folded coil of flimsy wire in that video looked just like the coil I received, and my amplifier box only has 4 mounting holes.
The following video from OfficialSWLchannel may be like the MLA-30(+) vs EFHW comparison you would like to produce: ua-cam.com/video/X45S5KYWvRs/v-deo.html I have read that a wire antenna outperforms an MLA-30(+) in a quiet location, but a genuine MLA-30(+) can outperform a wire at some frequencies in noisier, typically urban environments. That is the experience of the OfficialSWLchannel video above.
@@TechMindsOfficial In an exchange of comments with the author of the MLA-30+ real vs knock-off video (ua-cam.com/video/XTOfC2PLlQA/v-deo.html ), he told me that he purchased his genuine MLA-30+ on Amazon from a vendor named DmgicPro that is still selling the MLA-30+ as of 17 February 2024. Unfortunately, knock-off vendors advertise their products using photographs of genuine equipment and may not even know that they are selling knock-offs. The picture at 1:08 in your MLA-30 video shows a genuine MLA-30. Six months ago, I bought what I thought was a genuine MLA-30+ from a no-longer-active vendor on Amazon who displayed photographs of a genuine MLA-30+. I was disappointed in its performance, but I did not realize that I had a knock-off (or that knock-offs even existed) until a couple days ago when I found the real vs knock-off video I cited above. The folded coil of flimsy wire in that video looked just like the coil I received, and my amplifier box only has 4 mounting holes.
The following video from OfficialSWLchannel may be like the MLA-30(+) vs EFHW comparison you would like to produce: ua-cam.com/video/X45S5KYWvRs/v-deo.html I have read that a wire antenna outperforms an MLA-30(+) in a quiet location, but a genuine MLA-30(+) can outperform a wire at some frequencies in noisier, typically urban environments. That is the experience of the OfficialSWLchannel video above.
What do you think of MLA-30 vs AMLA150?
I hope John's alright.
Hi there, I have some EE background, but totally new to the hobby, could you recommend some good intro/explanation videos for noobs?
Welcome to the hobby! Try this for starters, but please look through my back catalogue of videos and I’m sure you’ll find something useful: ua-cam.com/video/nB6XQSEFwVA/v-deo.html
@@TechMindsOfficial Thank you! I was looking for a beginner's guide like that!
That's not a very good comparison ! You jacked up the loop !!!??? It's supposed to be a round, flat circle ! Were both antennas aligned to the same directions ?
This antenna does not come with the necessary adapter to connect the coax to your short wave. I do not know what adapters are needed.
1 noise floor lower on loop try loop horizontal and high that would better
Matt is lucky that he can put up a 30 - 40 Feet antenna. In many cities with a n HOA, this isn’t possible.
Does anybody know how to get that stupid piece of wire to actually resemble a loop?Ive given up on mine.I've tried everything,but it seems to have a mind of its own!
Me too, no matter what I do it will not form a circle, lopsided, twisted and a PIA to fiddle with.
Love to see how you got it that close to round. Btw. The rsp1a supposedly has a built-in bias t
,
rsp1a bias t spec - from the datasheet:
4.7V /100mA Guaranteed. The MLA requires 5v, 200mA - like twice more power. Probably would work, but with less amplification.
I used it with the added bias-t but didn't receive anything then I used the build in boat t of rsp1a and I got signals not sure what's up.
you can try another one also from china k-180wla
I will look into this and see if I can find a supplier, thank you 🙏
how does one tell from mla30+ vs regular? thank you for all the information!
Look at the box that holds the preamplifier. The original version says "MLA-30" while the newer version says "MLA-30+". From what I have seen (ua-cam.com/video/s0_jrEpdgGI/v-deo.html ), the MLA-30+ is a better than the MLA-30 on medium wave and on SW above ~11 MHz. However, a simple wire antenna is often better than the MLA-30, as supported by this and other UA-cam comparisons, and also better than the MLA-30+: ua-cam.com/video/nPTTbTuv0QE/v-deo.html
What software are you using?
I use a mixture of SDRuno, SDR++ and SDR Sharp
What you use sdr receiver model ?
QUESTION: All loop antennas that I see in UA-cam videos need to be tuned to the reception frequency very accurately. How can this work when it isn't?
I acquired the MLA-30 and it was very disappointing: high white noise, low signals. I used the LNA with indoor loops that use a variable and it was great.
i have mla-30 plus my dongle broken i want buy new airspy or rspdx
This is one of the worst design i have see : not the antenna itself wich seems to works great ( based on folks report ) but the "bias tee" wich is a upconverter switching wich will introduce some noise . Why on Earth i have to supply 5V IF the amplifier ( yep, that's whats inside the antenna's box...oh and to me it's a closed amplified loop, broadband one and not a magloop ) run at 12V ?? Just look at the schematics. So my tip is to feed with 12V (well filtered, this to avoid any possible noise) and trown away the silly bias thee .
В квартире в Москве эта антенна не работает!
Hice esto ua-cam.com/video/bPqA4d-EzRg/v-deo.html y mejoró bastante. 73.
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