How I set up my MLA30+ loop antenna just above ground level, and why it works!
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- Опубліковано 8 сер 2024
- I have been using my MLA30+ loop antenna with much success since I got it. A number of viewers asked me how I installed it. This video shows you what I did. I settled for an installation just above ground level, after doing quite a bit of reading about optimal height for a small magnetic loop antenna.
I also show how I connect the loop to the Kenwood R1000 and to portable radios like the XHDATA D-808, XHDATA D-109, Tecsun PL-368 and Retekess V115.
It is important to note that this set-up works for me, your situation might be different. If you live in a tall apartment block you would need to install the loop in a window or balcony. It will still work. If you install the loop at a higher position, it will still work, it just becomes omni-directional. My use of a wire that I cut to connect to portable radios is, of course, not the best solution. Best would be an SMA male to 3,5 mm mono plug, which I am still looking for.
CORRECTION: I mixed up my references to the amplifier and bias tee boxes in my video. What I refer to as the bias tee is the amplifier and what I refer to as the amplifier is the bias tee. Second time I do this and second time viewers point it out. Somehow the incorrect terms seem to be stuck in my mind 🤔 Thank you to the viewers who pointed this out. For other non-technically minded viewers (like myself!), the amplifier helps to boost the signals, the bias tee provides DC power to the RF circuit to power the amplifier.
Below are some very interesting links, much more detailed and technical than my video, if you want to read up some more:
Loop height for small magnetic loop: www.lz1aq.signacor.com/docs/lo...
An overview of the underestimated magnetic loop antenna:
shorturl.at/uTVX0
Tips for using a magnetic loop antenna: shorturl.at/jlFL5
#antenna #shortwave #radio
00:00 Outside set-up
01:29 Fix loop to amplifier (not the bias tee as I say in the video)
01:47 Optimal height
02:37 How the MLA30+ loop works
04:55 Feeding the cable to the radio room
05:23 Connecting to my radios
05:31 Connect cables to bias tee (not amplifier as I say in the video) - Розваги
CORRECTION: I mixed up my references to the amplifier and bias tee boxes in my video. What I refer to as the bias tee is the amplifier and what I refer to as the amplifier is the bias tee. Second time I do this and second time viewers point it out. Somehow the incorrect terms seem to be stuck in my mind 🤔 Thank you to the viewers who pointed this out. For other non-technically minded viewers (like myself!), the amplifier helps to boost the signals, the bias tee provides DC power to the RF circuit to power the amplifier.
I think it's really helpful that you shared your experimentation with the placement of the antenna.
Thank you very much!
I know this is a video about the antenna, but I cannot help commenting on your cacti. Your cactus garden is simply superb!
Hey Jamie, thank you so much for your comment about the cactus garden! Years of care and attention :-)
The box at the antenna is a preamp the biasT power supply is the small enclosure that plugs into your USB port for 5v power .
Use PVC electrical conduit with a cross bar for a better mounting in stong wind.
You can secure with crossed cable ties.
The MLA-30 can also be used indoors near a window
Thanks John! I think you pointed this out in my unboxing video also, yet I still switched the terms around 😕 I added a correction now.
You are right about the cross bar, I think in areas with lots of wind or storms that would be very important. I do mention in my video that this is my installation at my location and that it would be different for different people, depending on where they are.
Very nice setup Sir, i like your garden.
Thank you Ashu!
Exactly what i wanted, thank you!
You're welcome! Glad it helped!
Outstanding video! Thank you.
Thank you Anthony, glad you enjoyed it!
I am trying to determine whether to buy one of these or not. The only place I can really put it is on my deck, which is about 10 feet off the ground. I have a number of metallic objects on my deck as well (such as my barbecue and some chairs with metal frames) Hopefully they won't interfere too much with the loop. Excellent video, Andre.
Thanks Andrew! I think the MLA might still work well on the deck, it is great at nulling out noise and many people use it indoors, it still improves reception. It's just always a gamble with sellers on Ali Express, some of them sell fake versions. Make sure you use a reliable seller.
@@swlistening Yes. I think Amazon Canada will be a better bet for me than AliExpress
Nice cactus garden Andre! Your Honda looks quite good as well.
Thanks! I have only a very small garden, both at the front and back. But it's enough 🙂
@@swlisteningSame here. Wow. The houses that side are actually quite distanced apart. You never see that on my side of Cape Town. It must be quite peaceful in Johannesburg on your side.
Edit: Would you say you are in a quiet area?
@@FamtechVideos Yes, my area is quiet. There are many houses in the complex, it is a semi-detached complex. But it is quiet.
@@swlisteningThat is how a friend of mine describes her part of Johannesburg. Rosebank side. Nice to see your setup though!
@@FamtechVideos Thanks!
Hi! I was inspired by your video. I have two MLA 30 Plus antennas both about 12 ft up. I had one with a 3 ft. Copper loop, the results were good, but it was producing spurious signals. I took that one down, mounted it on a smaller piece of PVC that I measured by what you said of 2 loops height. I attached the stock loop and stuck in the ground
I will do some testing and let you know how it performs against the other.
Thanks for your comment Anthony, I am really interested in hearing what your experience will be with the lower mounting position. Please do comment here again once you have done your tests.
My antenna is doing well. I just recorded a weather forecast from VMC Charleville Australia on 12365 khz USB. I've heard it before using my other MLA 30 Plus at 12 ft. But today's signal was strong using the ground mount antenna. I have the video I could show you if you would like. I'm in Florida in the US.
@@anthonyfranz8317 This is good to hear! Thank you for sharing. Please do share the video link here, I would like to watch it.
@@swlistening I have the video on my phone, how do I send you a link to it?
@@anthonyfranz8317 OK, you will need to upload the video to a site like UA-cam or maybe Google Drive, if you use it? Or Dropbox? Then you can send me the link from there.
The little box indoors has these words on it: "Biasing Tee"; it's not the amplifier. The Low Noise Amplifier is the box outside under the loop. It wouldn't make sense to amplify the signal indoors after it has been degraded by passing through the cable.
Thank you for pointing this out! I added a correction to the description and the comments.
Nice video
Thank you!
Mooi uitgelegd { verteld } en mooie cactussen. Groeten Albert🇳🇱📻
Dankie Albert! Ek verstaan die woord uitgelegd 🙂 By ons is dit uitgelê.
Excellent how-to presentation on the MLA-30+ loop antenna and how to position it in one's garden for best reception. I thought that vertical active magnetic loops, like most other antenna designs, should always be installed high above the ground on a mast or rooftop. That's obviously not correct, at least for the MLA-30 design. Thanks Andre. Mark
Hi Mark, thank you so much for your comment! I certainly think in some cases it might help to install this one higher up, some experimentation might be needed, depending on your location. But for me it certainly works best just above ground level.
Hello André. Instructive video, thanks. I'm curious about your mentioning sources saying that the MLA30+ works better when close to the ground. I've read everything and its contrary about what is best for this antenna. Would you mind sharing a link to this source please?
I have a question too: I've just received my 2nd MLA30+ that I plan to use for countryside DX SWL outings. Much to my surprise, it came with a much bigger loop than the 1st one I have on my balcony. The former has a ~62cm diameter, the latter ~84cm. What's the diameter of yours? Have other people seen MLA30+'s with varying diameters like this?
Side note: hope you'll see my recent report posted to the HC DX list. It was a fantastic evening. BTW this should give you my mail address, if for some reason you want to get in touch. That'd be great.
Hi Alain, thanks for your comment. I listed some of my sources in the video description, but there they are also:
Loop height for small magnetic loop: www.lz1aq.signacor.com/docs/loop-height-for-small-magnetic-loop.php
An overview of the underestimated magnetic loop antenna:
shorturl.at/uTVX0
Tips for using a magnetic loop antenna: shorturl.at/jlFL5
But, you know, I will be the first to admit that there are very many different viewpoints about this, I picked it up myself as I was reading. My MLA30+ is just above ground level (two loop widths high), and it seems to work really well this way. Some sources say this is a good position for the loop. But others say different things. I really think it also depends on your area, your immediate surroundings, buildings and other large barriers (like balcony walls) around the loop, general RFI in the area. I think there are so many variables. For me and some sources the just above ground level works very well, for others it might not.
About the fake version, I actually just replied to your other comment as well, seems like the difficulty in forming a circle is one of the things that does show it is fake. Also, the bias tee box has a red light on the fake one and not green. I just measured the diameter of mine, it is 62 cm.
I haven't read the latest HC DX list yet, I will read it later tonight. I am looking forward to seeing your report! I will take down your email address there for sure.
@@swlistening Thanks again André. Sorry I've missed the reference links in the description. Oops.
bonjour avez vous vu les potentiomètres dans les deux boitiers ? qui permette de régler le gain ?
Bonjour et merci pour votre commentaire. Je n'ai en effet pas vu le potentiomètre, une chose à vérifier !
congrats on your nice garden!
i am still wondering about how directional the mla30 is. i did notice that i usually have to turn the antenna 90° when trying to get a signal from cross the atlantic versus trying to catch a local station. haven't looked into it, but my wild guess would be that it matters a little bit at which angle the loop is positioned towards the radio waves.
there is a german guy here on youtube who claimes to have build an entirely non directional mla30 loop. it is not round anymore but strechted out so that it is two parralel lines. i tried building that but did not have the same results he had
Thanks! I do wonder about the directional thing also, I never seem to need to turn mine. It picks up Africa, Europe, Australia, Asia, North and South America just the way it is. But I suppose if I want to search for some really low-powered signals like European pirates or some of those South American signals it might help to experiment with the direction.
A few years ago I used to experiment a bit with passive receive loops, mostly Moebius loops or so-called YouLoops made out of a piece of RG-58 or similar coaxial cable. While I've never actually tried them out at ground level, rather at man's height or above, I found out that these loops are pretty directional on LW & MW, also it's somewhat noticeable at 6 MHz, but the higher the frequency the less pronounced the side nulls become. At 11 MHz I was hardly even noticing a difference. Idk, perhaps it souls be different close to the ground? 🤔 And even if the loop does lose directivity with height increasing, it should still do OK on mediumwave 😅
BTW the theory says a loop can be considered a small magnetic loop, with all its properties, as long as its diameter does not exceed 0.1 wavelength (although others suggest a 0.084 ratio). What I found out as an OK compromise is a circa 90-100cm dia. loop. Not only because it can grab more signal on HF & down... That's also about where it is resonant on the FM band. So it feels like killing two birds with one stone (omg, what an awful idiom XD I think our Polish one is much better - roasting two pieces of meat on one bonfire 😅)
Oh btw, don't think a Moebius loop is better just because I mentioned it XD such a loop, behaving essentially like a two-turn loop, becomes more resistive at higher frequencies, so depending on size it just becomes deaf at 14-18 MHz 😂 better do a single-turn loop like you have, or a shielded loop which can also be made out of coaxial cable. Break the coax braid right in the middle of the cable, join it at the ends, connect that braid to the braid of your lead-in cable... and it should cut down on noise a bit further 👍
@@swlistening sometimes turning the antenna just clesrs reception for me. only very few stations can be made to disappear with turning the antenna.
not sure if i just have to null out different noise sources for different frequencies. maybe some stations get overpowered by noise if that isnt nulled out
@@ArnieDXer Thank you for this, very interesting to hear about the directional nature on LW and MW. With mine I feel as if I have not really had much success on MW. I think it is because I never turn it. So I need to experiment more with this.
The idiom for killing two birds with one stone in my language (Afrikaans) is "to kill two flies with one slap". Also, I think, a bit nicer than killing the birds 🤣
Hi Andre, I also have the MLA-30+ but after experimenting with different heights. I tried from 4ft to 20ft and have I found signals were noticeably stronger when I put it higher. Not sure if it's got to do with the location. I have mine about 15mt away from the house. And I'm using a Sony icf-SW 55.
Hi Andrew, thank you for your comment. I have been thinking about putting mine a bit higher just to see if there is a difference. How high did you put yours in the end?
Hi Andre, mine is at 21ft at the moment. I'm also trying a new mod. I've taken off the wire loop and attached a 12mm flat aluminum loop today, so I'm looking forward to seeing how it compares to the standard wire.
@@andrewbadinski7040 Thanks Andrew. I would be very interested to hear how the aluminium loop compares to the standard wire.
Hi Andre, well I've tried the new aluminum loop. It's hard to tell if the conditions were better last night or the loop actually is performing better because there does seem to be a difference. I've just ordered a Tecsun pl 660 so looking forward to trying it with that. Take care
Will the metal wire part of the
antenna rust?
That's a good question, John, but unfortunately I do not know the answer. Never seen anyone complaining about rust, so my guess is that it is probably rust proof.
No, it's stainless steel.
@@bblair502 Thanks!
@@StratmanII Good suggestion, I think when our summer rains come this might be a sensible precaution. Winter here in my area is bone dry, summer gets lots of rain. We are just moving into summer now.
@@swlistening It depends on the wire. Is it copper?