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Re: [IRCA] ALA 100
Patrick, I can vouch for Nick's comments and elaborate on my usage, having a bit more time this morning, while between patients at the clinic. At home, I have my loop above the garage and into a large maple tree in the back corner of the property oriented towards NZ. It is quiet, more so than the Conti corner fed loops. In my reading, I had heard of very good results when raised high off the ground, which is the reason I moved it higher in the trees. Most users, though, keep it fairly low to the ground and even on a rotor (I think Guy Atkins did this, with multiple turns...he might wish to comment on the final results....I think that he replaced this with a Conti loop which has performed flawlessly since it's installation).
On the Charlottes, I put up 2 large diameter loops. One NE/SW and the other N/S. Mostly I use the first one and simply attach it when I'm up there and otherwise the wires are tied around some lower branches until I'm there again. The total diameter is somewhere in the 60 to 80' range and is a superb performer. At times, it's every bit as good as BOGs and a mini 450' Beverage. I'm really happy with it on LW, but also on SW and tropical band DX....on the shortwaves, it outperforms the Beverages by a long shot, which is not unusual as the Beverages are simply too long for the shortwaves. It's just a fantastic, and quiet, all around antenna for LW, MW and SW and takes up virtually no room. Therefore, all you need to do is find a convenient tree and get some wire up into it that's reasonable squarish, and run some coax to it, and with the ALA100, you should have some very good results. Alternatively, you could experiment with much smaller diameter loops, with or without secondary turns. One could even add a rotor. Go for it! I know that if I see a used one around (rare), that I'd be in the market for another....for travelling. .............Walt.
----- Original Message -----
From: Nick Hall-Patch <nhp@xxxxxxxx>
Date: Sunday, January 25, 2009 9:52 am
Subject: [IRCA] ALA 100; was Friday night TA/ Beverage antenna
To: Mailing list for the International Radio Club of America <irca@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> At 21:56 1/24/2009, you wrote:
>
> >Walt,
> >
> >I talked to John about the Wellbrook loops at Grayland and
> looked at
> >them. I really don't have any room to set one to the NE.
> The only
> >antenna I have to the NE is the SW EWE and I have thought of
> the NE EWE,
> >but the return coax will be sitting under 3-4 feet of water in the
> >Winter. I have plenty of room in "certain" directions, but not always
> >the direction I want. :-) The Wellbrook would also have to be
> pointed to
> >the NE/SW correct, as would a EWE? So I am in the same boat. I
> could put
> >a 700' beverage to the North again (maybe), with 150 feet of buried
> >coax, but I have that neighbor to the West of me with the light
> dimmers,>so that is another issue in running any antennas over
> towards that
> >house. They have been threatening to move for years and are
> elderly, so
> >maybe in time they will move. The previous person there had no noisy
> >lights. I found no TA LW activity on any of the other
> antennas period!
> >Just the Eastern beverage brought them in. If it wasn't was the noise
> >level, many would have been excellent. They were S9 or better
> in many
> >cases, but the buzzy noise level is an issue too. There seem to
> be an
> >issue with the EWEs, vertical, etc on TA's. I get them but not
> as good
> >as I wished. T
>
> The ALA100 seems to be less sensitive to local electrical noise
> than many other antennas, Patrick. It's still a little
> sensitive to placement, away from the house is better, however
> I've successfully used one in motels (the convention at Seaside
> for example), and in urban areas in Japan which are not know for
> their electrically quiet conditions. Like other
> loops, it provides a reasonably sharp null and broad peaks, so a
> bit of rotation might knock local noise down further.
>
> I wonder if there is someone you could borrow one
> from? Will homeland security let them into the
> country from Canada? (hi.)
>
> Nick
>
>
>
> *****************************
> Nick Hall-Patch
> Victoria, BC
> Canada
>
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