R30 antenna suggestions

[prima19rider]

love my R30 but need a dedicated antenna to better receive better reception. What works for the HF and SWL bands.

I am thinking of this:
COMET-NCG DS-150S
Discone Antenna 25 MHz - 1.3 GHz with 60 Feet RG-58 A/U

 

[Whiskey3JMC]

Most HF & SWL bands are below 25MHz. For optimal RX, you'd be better off with a loop antenna or long wire

 

[prima19rider]

Most HF & SWL bands are below 25MHz. For optimal RX, you'd be better off with a loop antenna or long wire

Thank you very much, Can you provide any Brand recommendations?

 

[Hit_Factor]

Thank you very much, Can you provide any Brand recommendations?

Long wire you make yourself.

Go to home depot buy wire, wrap a stripped end around your stock antenna, tape in place. Roll out your spool. 80 feet or so should work well.

The higher up, the better. Sloping works well too, run one end into a tree, the other in through your window.

If you want to buy something fancy, this would do nicely. You are being redirected...

 

[prima19rider]

Long wire you make yourself.

Go to home depot buy wire, wrap a stripped end around your stock antenna, tape in place. Roll out your spool. 80 feet or so should work well.

The higher up, the better. Sloping works well too, run one end into a tree, the other in through your window.

If you want to buy something fancy, this would do nicely. You are being redirected...

Thank you very much.

 

[ka3jjz]

I would avoid that OCF dipole - it's very likely to overload the radio. These handhelds are simply not built for that much RF the antenna would receive

If you are going with a short wire antenna (I would in your case), this is a good step up - all you will need is some coax, some tape, sealant and a jumper to go from a PL 259 to a SMA and you're in business....

Par EF-SWL, LNR Precision EF-SWL End Fed Dipole SWL Antenna. Par EF-SWL.

Mike

 

[prima19rider]

If you are going with a short wire antenna (I would in your case), this is a good step up - all you will need is some coax, some tape, sealant and a jumper to go from a PL 259 to a SMA and you're in business....

Mike

Excellent suggestions thanks.

 

[Fast1eddie]

Have to throw my two cents in...I own a AOR 8200, 8600 and the R30, all excellent receivers in their own right. My external HF antenna experience has been that these receivers will overload tremendously with the R30 offering more user attenuation and RF Gain settings whereas the 8200/8600 only has a 10db attenuator. I find a single wire connected securely to the bnc/sma adapter works fine, although moving the wire direction may improve signal over noise. Both radios have a extremely high degree of built in preamplification, so look at it as if active antenna circuitry is installed, thus requiring only a very short wire section, which in a crude sense, it is.

I want to wind or buy some 9:1 coils and make a mini version of a PAR End Fed to try on these receivers, would make a nice travel antenna if it works ok.

 

[prima19rider]

Have to throw my two cents in...I own a AOR 8200, 8600 and the R30, all excellent receivers in their own right. My external HF antenna experience has been that these receivers will overload tremendously with the R30 offering more user attenuation and RF Gain settings whereas the 8200/8600 only has a 10db attenuator. I find a single wire connected securely to the bnc/sma adapter works fine, although moving the wire direction may improve signal over noise. Both radios have a extremely high degree of built in preamplification, so look at it as if active antenna circuitry is installed, thus requiring only a very short wire section, which in a crude sense, it is.

I want to wind or buy some 9:1 coils and make a mini version of a PAR End Fed to try on these receivers, would make a nice travel antenna if it works ok.

Thank you! I have a 6 band dipole for my Icom 7100, hooked it to the R30 and reception was excellent hope to get the same result from a dedicated antenna for the R30.

 

[Hit_Factor]

Thank you! I have a 6 band dipole for my Icom 7100, hooked it to the R30 and reception was excellent hope to get the same result from a dedicated antenna for the R30.

Good news.

I was thinking the 10 rf gain levels and attenuation would allow sufficient adjustment to prevent overload.

 

[ka3jjz]

To an extent that depends on the local RF environment. I'd hesitate putting a 6 band dipole on a R30 in the NY NJ suburbs but out in the middle of Kansas, maybe.

Mike

 

[Hit_Factor]

To an extent that depends on the local RF environment. I'd hesitate putting a 6 band dipole on a R30 in the NY NJ suburbs but out in the middle of Kansas, maybe.

Mike

That's a good point Mike. I live in an agricultural county and forget that not everyone else does.

 

[Fast1eddie]

Go for it! The worst that can happen is overloading, so you adjust the RF Gain and attenuator as needed, I have found setting the gain to 5 works well with intermittent use of the attenuator.

 

[wb4sqi]

I am using the MLA-30 loop sold on eBay by various vendors. Works very well below 14mhz for SWL and ham bands. Due to the low cost it has become a hackers dream, changing coax and connectors, changing gain, making the loop out of heavier wire, etc. I have found that I can’t run rf gain at max or I have image issues from something high powered close to me. Otherwise it is great value for the cost. Tecsun has released their loop antenna which is even cheaper so I would expect to see mods there also.