Quote:
Loops are much better, and the self-supporting type like the Wellbrook aluminium loop can be easily mounted on a pole or tripod and rotated to further null out the local noises, but Sod's Law says that as you null one noise another will come up!
I've had a Wellbrook since about 2000, and started off with it on a tripod indoors. Even that was a huge improvement on my outdoor wires, taking the noise level down by several S-points.
|
The Wellbrook is many times the price of the poorman's SLA-30 +. I have extended the 5.6 m whip indoor up to 2.9m and leaned it against the window. Its resonance peaks at around 26MHz based on the VNA sweep. It is working as good as the SLA-30 + picking more stations but also more noises. I think it will work a lot better when I stick it outside the window in the summer. It is a hot FM antenna even its length is longer the quarter/half wavelength based on the Tiny SA spectrum analyzer readings.
Quote:
Re the general lack of signals - HF propagation is very bad at the moment and has been for several years. Amateur comms are at a low ebb due to the poor conditions and anyway there has been a drift away from analogue 'phone to digital text/data like FT8.
Utilities like aircraft are still about but a lot of maritime services have gone digital, so the delights of 'Anglesey Radio, Anglesey Radio' are things of the past.
|
I have received no SSB, no air band, no maritime, nothing with the XHADAT D-808 indoor. The SW stations are not interesting to listen to. Last night I was listening to nuns' prayer from the Vatican Shortwave transmitted from Ukraine. That was the most interesting thing I have received. I have tried to listen to the International Space Station ISS on 145.800 MHz with my Boafeng UV-5R +, have no luck so far. At least in the USA, people can listen to police communication etc. I have invested not much money on this hobby on SW and Ham listening. It is easy to get discouraged and give up. Probably I am more interested in the technical side of antenna and theory etc. Otherwise I find it very disappointing listening experience in SW radios.