MF performance with multiple antennas

K6OZY

I just picked up a PixelTech Mag Loop to hook up to SCU-B RX-In. I thought I'd post a quick BIG picture showing how much better it is at receiving MF than my Carolina Windom. It is doing an amazing job at being immune to all the noise I have to deal with. I cannot believe how many stations I can see now. I was able to receive HD AM from out of state! The top panadapter is the Carolina Windom, the bottom one is the MagLoop. I love how I can manipulate so many inputs on the radio. I never owned a 5000 that had multiple inputs, just a 1500 & 3000, so this configuration freedom is pretty amazing. I am looking forward to diversity reception abilities. I know this one is years out, but still.

Graham-KE9H

Chris: Thanks for posting this. FlexRadio uses the Pixel-Loop as a demonstration antenna at most Hamfests where we run live demos with the Flex-6000's. There is a lot of information in this comparison. It looks like the lower half of your MF (AM Broadcast) band is being jammed by some kind of power supply or video display noise. BUT, your Pixel-Loop is rejecting that noise by some 30 dB relative to your Windom. Of course your Windom is not tuned for MF, so it is acting like a big E-field (electric field) probe antenna. The Pixel-Loop is a pure H-field (magnetic field) antenna. I have always read that most man-made noise is worse in the E-field. That is certainly true in your case / environment at MF. Picking three random signals, your signal to noise improvement with the Pixel-Loop is anywhere from 5 to 21 dB with a typical improvement of 11 dB (about 2 S-units). On 790 kHz, were your slice is tuned, the signal to noise improvement is greater than 30 dB (5 S-units). That is dramatic. Pixel-Loop says their amplifier is set to reproduce the same signal level as a dipole, but I can't tell that, since your Windon is way off tune at MF. I also suspect that the improvement will not be quite as dramatic when the Windom is operated at resonance, and it is receiving both the E and H fields. Would you accept a "home-work" assignment to do the same dual display capture upon a frequency where the Windom is resonant? Thanks, --- Graham / KE9H ==

Dave-N9CHM

Thanks for posting this Chris. I was on the "edge" on whether to spring for a Pixel-loop, this just put me over the top!!!!!