Moonraker amp

[kg4ehv]

I have an IC-8500 and I really love the old girl, but she is really hard of hearing on VHF/UHF. I was wasting some time on DXE and saw this amp and wondered if it would help. Did it! Woke the old girl right up. I was getting 1.5 WX stations on the discone and after the amp install, I'm getting 4. Its a win to me, still doing some testing, but looks like I'll be keeping it inline.

Moonraker MRP-2000MK2 Moonraker MRP-2000 MK2 25-2000 MHz Scanner Preamplifier | DX Engineering

 

[merlin]

There are better preamps, this one boasts a good frequency range, but can't find other important specs.
Based on a Microchip EMMC, it should be quite good.
What you want is a very low noise level and good IP3 intercept.
At least 6Db gain will compensate for cable loss. 12 Db and up is getting hot, usually enough to overload receiver front ends.
If it works with no broadcast distortions, then go with it.
For me, testing means on the bench, sweeping with a spectrum analyzer and noise figure tests.

 

[G7RUX]

I have an IC-8500 and I really love the old girl, but she is really hard of hearing on VHF/UHF. I was wasting some time on DXE and saw this amp and wondered if it would help. Did it! Woke the old girl right up. I was getting 1.5 WX stations on the discone and after the amp install, I'm getting 4. Its a win to me, still doing some testing, but looks like I'll be keeping it inline.

Moonraker MRP-2000MK2 Moonraker MRP-2000 MK2 25-2000 MHz Scanner Preamplifier | DX Engineering

They are ok-ish but you'll want to make sure to dial the gain back, pop it at the top of the feeder and ideally use filters to knock out any high-level paging, broadcast stuff. The 8500 is a pretty decent receiver so I'm wondering why you are experiencing issues with it.

 

[kg4ehv]

I believe someone overloaded the front end, I got it off the bay so anything goes. It really seems to help the IC-8500.

 

[G7RUX]

Ah, that's probably the through diode switches having been damaged...easy to change btw.

 

[kg4ehv]

I've blown my allowance for this year, but maybe next year send it to the Icom man and let him go thought it.

 

[prcguy]

If a preamp runs off a 9v battery its going to have terrible overload/IMD specs. I would avoid it unless the antenna used will be a rubber duckie type. A good high level preamp draws enough current to suck a 9v battery dry in 30min or less.

 

[kg4ehv]

If a preamp runs off a 9v battery its going to have terrible overload/IMD specs. I would avoid it unless the antenna used will be a rubber duckie type. A good high level preamp draws enough current to suck a 9v battery dry in 30min or less.

Using a wallwart.

 

[prcguy]

Using a wallwart.

I was referring to the Moonraker preamp, it doesn't matter what you power it with, its going to be prone to overload and problems if connected to a base antenna.

 

[2IR473]

Don’t know if it is the same (pretty sure it is), but since most things made in China seem to be made by only a few manufacturers, this might work just “as well” as the one sold by DXE with the Moonraker branding, and $36 less…Taurus MK2 25-2000MHz preamp

 

[Ubbe]

Don’t know if it is the same (pretty sure it is),

It happens a lot, that a Chinese manufacturer gets an order, being the lowest bidder, and when that are done they continue making the same product but put another brand name on it and takes the profit themselves selling it on AliExpress and other such sites.

/Ubbe

 

[G7RUX]

Don’t know if it is the same (pretty sure it is), but since most things made in China seem to be made by only a few manufacturers, this might work just “as well” as the one sold by DXE with the Moonraker branding, and $36 less…Taurus MK2 25-2000MHz preamp

I can confirm that these are internally identical to the Moonraker unit.