Unboxing MLA30+ loop antenna #shortwave

Finally got myself the MLA30+ loop antenna. This is my unboxing, or unwrapping, it does not come in a box. I haven't used it yet because I seem to need some adaptors for the antenna cable, to connect it to my Kenwood R1000 and my portable radios.

[CheekyMiner]

That is so cool you can support a local store to get your accessories.

[FamtechVideos]

Nice video! Let's see what we can DX with it.

[ashusaini]

Wow, nice active antenna . Please make a signal comparison video what you got with this active antenna and a simple wire antenna, we get a idea how much effective is that.

[JohnGreen-SWL]

The smaller box is a bias power supply so it steps up the voltage from the usb 5v to 12 volts to power your Mega Loop MLA30-A preamp via the coax

[kwdavids]

The amplifier is the box on the antenna pole. What you are calling the "preamp" us not an amplifier, but a "biasing tee." It's purpose is to take the 5V from USB and upvert it to 12V to send up the antenna wire to power the amplifier that's on the antenna. The MLA-30+ can operate on 5V, but not as well. Some of the SDR dongles have the capability of sending 5V up the wire, and in that case, you don't use the biasing tee which serves no purpose.

The value of the MLA-30+ is primarily for noise reduction by nulling the source of noise perpendicular to the plane of the antenna; that is, the open side of the loop is the nulled area. Apart from noise reduction, you'll get just as good a result with a longwire.

[markuswolf]

Hello Andre, why not a passive, very low-noise, high-reception Youloop antenna?

[andrewmcphee]

I have a couple of these MLA30+, the first one I modified by replacing the wire loop with copper tubing, it works well. I bought a second MLA30+ that I won't modify so I can compare them.

I would have liked to see a video of you assembling the wire loop - it is the most annoying thing I've ever encountered! I wonder if anyone in the world has managed to make it perfectly round with no twists in it. If they did, I definitely want to know the secret! Best wishes from Australia.

[johanleroux]

Hi Andre. Congratulations with your latest acquisition. May you have lots of fun with it. I will be very interested to see what results you get, especially any difference on the SNR meters, like on the XHDATA D-808. I will also be curious about your experience with the placement of the antenna, whether internal or external, as well as (any) elevation or distance from your radios? BTW, when I got mine (also from Leon) I deliberately wanted to keep my kit mobile, so I opted for garden riser irrigation pipes (green or brown - 400mm) with easy assembly connectors, mounted on a camera tripod. This has worked very well inside or outside, and I can get quite a bit of height by adding lengths of the riser pipes, subject to wind and stabilising guidelines. Keep up the great content. Looking forward to see your results.