I recently bought a MFJ1026 noise cancelling device to try and improve my
receiving capabilities on Top Band. I have several beverages installed from
1000 feet to 600 feet long but they never seem to hear better than my
transmit antenna (T-top vertical). When I listen on the transmit antenna I
turn the receiver RF gain way down and I can sometimes hear a weak signal
that way.
These beverages are in direct contrast to the beverages I had installed in
New York for many years. Those beverages worked wonderfully and pulled in
the weak signals. The only time I would ever listen on the transmit antenna
in NY was when a local would call me. When I installed the beverages here
in Texas I used the same hardware (baluns, etc) that I had used in NY.
The difference, I think, is the ground conductivity. In New York, the
ground was rocks and gravel which was a poor ground. My new QTH here in
Texas is part of the blacklands prairie which has excellent ground
characteristics. The end results is that the beverages here do not hear
very well.
So in my search to hear the weak ones by eliminating some of the southern
noise on Top Band, I decided to try a MFJ1026. (You folks in the north just
don't appreciate what a challenge it is to hear through the southern noise
on the low bands.)
So far, I am very disappointed in the 1026. It exhibits about 30 to 50 db
of attenuation when I switch it in line. That is in spite of it supposively
having a built in pre-amp. When I push the pre-amp button, very little
happens. When I experiment with very strong signals, I can get it to null
the signal to some extent. But my real problem is I cannot use it to help
pull weak signals through the noise because the weak signals are attenuated
to nothingness.
Maybe I am doing something wrong?
Maybe I have a defective unit? I sent an e-mail to the MFJ tech support
line asking for help, but I haven't heard back from them yet.
Is there anyone out there that is having good luck using an MFJ1026 to pull
the weak signals through. If there is, I would like to hear from you. Thanks.
73, Richard
k5na@texas.net
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