HF RX SWL Antenna For Small Spaces And Apartments RTL SDR
Here we take a look at the X1-HF 1 - 50 MHz Trapped Coil Receiving antenna from Moonraker.eu
More information on this can be found here: www.moonraker....
SDR Used in this video: RSPdx (www.sdrplay.com)
SDR Software used in this video: SDRuno (www.sdrplay.com)
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#TechMinds #HFVertical #Moonraker
Пікірлер: 119
What a great professional review, no waffle straight into it. Nice to see results across the bands. Well done.
Just to confirm - it works. works fantastically with a SDRplay RSP1B. There were no instructions in the packet, but easy enough to work out. After a month of use with the X1-HF and SDRplay1B using SDR Connect. The X1 is 10 m away at a base height of 2.5m attached to the stench pipe - at some point will put the X1 up to 5m which will be level roof top-ish. House Front faces west, house rear east. Garden slopes upwards at top of garden the X1 is only 1.5m above ground. Quick review - these are all based on the initial OOB settings on the SDR UNO using an iMac in an urban location of terraced houses in the centre of the UK. LW & MW are clear, SW depends on propagation really. Some long distance can be heard - like the Chinese beaming around the world and also Vietnam - from the West Cuba was heard. Other Bands - pretty much dead - CB NFM is just noise, maybe no CB'ers in the locality? No marine in the middle of the UK!, PMR noise, VORILS also silent. Ham Bands are ok, heard on 70cm as well as 20, 40 & 60m. Air Band is ok, 35 miles nearest airport so don't hear that, but the Central Control bands are clear as close to a transmitter and the plane line of sight is pretty good. It is just a shame to "Other bands" is pretty much useless for me. BTW signals up it DTV land appear to be picked up. All in all not a bad antenna, with holes. Question is? is it better than the Wideband Desktop Discone 25-2000Mhz table top/outside? at the higher bands?
Thanks for this - I always like how nicely pronounced airband comms are - very civilised, like everyone is drinking tea in between overs :-)
This antenna works a treat with a Tecsun PL-398MP shortwave radio. pulls in plenty of stations on HF That said, this antenna can't compete with a MLA - 30+ Loop antenna
@robertos.6150
2 жыл бұрын
so do you mean that MLA is better? direct experience?
@BillyNoMates1974
2 жыл бұрын
@@robertos.6150 Yes. I have both. The MLA-30 is a better antenna from 1Mhz up to about 15Mhz. sensitivity drops off above these frequencies. Provided the loop antenna is placed correctly (not nulling out stations from europe) then it picks up so many stations. For me the local noise can be a problem at times and the HF antenna will also pick that up as well, where as the MLA-30 will just null the noise out. On the flip side, the Antenna in the video has a wider frequency range coverage and still works well right up into the airband and will pick up the stronger DAB radio stations at 200Mhz (even though its not rated for that)
Theres also active mini whips and active/passive magnetic loop antennas for hf that take up even less space than this thing.
The big issue with verticals always comes down to noise pickup; If you are in an urban area, this is likely to be an issue. Loops are a much better choice in such areas. Some are very pricey, but there are lots of plans on the web
@solutionentertainment547
4 жыл бұрын
mla30 better
@brazenbull636
3 жыл бұрын
@@solutionentertainment547 this. Upgraded mine to an 8ft loop recently. Performance is beastly..
Pulls in quite well, be even better above the roof level. Thanks
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
That’s what I thought considering it’s size, and quite good on most ham bands too. I might set this up with a WebSDR in The near future! Cheers
wow you are blessed with a low noise floor indeed!
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
It’s not always the case and I live in the middle of no where 😩
Thanks & 73's from Florida, USA!
Thanks for very informative video. I like SWL and Moonraker product for limited space antenna.
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching 🙏
Thanks for this video. Will probably try to order the antenna from Holland
Was searching for antenna Here comes tech minds to rescue
@f8ukp
4 жыл бұрын
do yourself a favor and buy something else...
@christiancampbell466
4 жыл бұрын
Martin Rath Reasoning?
@antalperge1007
Жыл бұрын
@@christiancampbell466 Simple; a loop, like MLA-30+
Oh... I think you answered my question in the video. But... nice RX indeed. 73's!.
Cross Country Wireless LAA+, job done
I see you using your mouse to move / shift the frequency. Looks like your doing a click and drag. I can not get my program to do this, is it an option? 73 wd4dda
Thanks for video. I am a SWL and have just bough an SDR Play SP1A. Was the antenna at the height it was in the garden for what we were listening to or was it higher. Another question what sort of length coax would still be OK, I have an awkward shaped house. I use RG8X, would that interfere with the signal if the coax went through the loft down to my shack. Sorry if the questions seem daft.
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
No question is daft so you’re more than welcome to ask anything. Yes, the height shown in the video was the height used when showing the reception. Would of been better higher up. RG8X would be fine for < 30Mhz. Interference would depend on what other electronics that are nearby, solar panels, noisy psu, led lights all seen to cause havoc. But I would suggest just to try and see how you get on. Thanks for watching 🙏
@mikepeirson1150
4 жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial Thanks for answering.
Hahaha... You said strap-on! Great video dude!
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
Haha thanks dude!! 👌
i know that there is not much to compare to . but u have worked with the miniwhip also.. how would u compare them regarding reception.. i have the miniwhip for some time but if this works better i go with the moonraker..
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
Unfortunately I do not own or have ever used a mini whip but if I ever get one I’d gladly review it and do a comparison.
Just to look into this antenna aft thinking to replace a wire of 26m long cos the neighbors are annoyed by the wire over the pillar . Possibly to add a mini tube as mst to raiser the antenna en higher though I m not so sure if they will accept it Do you think that this can compare with the wire antenna in performance for the HF and VHF band?
How does this compare to the Scanking HF Discone 0.05 To 2000 MHz antenna from Moonraker on the HF bands? The reason I ask is because I have an SDR with only one antenna input, and the idea of an antenna like the Discone being this broadband is attractive as it basically covers everything. But I know in life everything has it's tradeoffs, particularly I find it curious that almost all discones are 25-2000 MHz, so why is this ONE discone from Moonraker 0.05-2000? What makes it different and why isn't it more common? It makes me a bit suspicious and maybe this X1-HF might be better for Sub 25 MHz... reviews are hard to find.
A comparison with a 2 metre vertical wire would compare ? I bet you would hear just the same ? Sigs might be down but then so would the noise ?
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
I’m not so sure just 2m of wire would be better as this has loading coils to help match multiple bands. Only one to know I guess :-) 👍
@robduncan599
4 жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial i know signal will be up as will noise. I am not saying 2 metre vert wire will be better but much of a much ness sig to noise . But a test would show if i am right or talking rubbish? As a new ham in mid 90s i had a variety of ant (quite location)and was a keen listener to 136 khz cw this was a very weak band as 1 watt erp . I had 720 feet v wire and 140 feet doublet a very long wire 360 metre low wire and a 21foot vert which was ok on most bands but was the only ant that was any good on 136khz (2.2km band) . So my take was sometimes the ant you think is best is not always so ! As a keen mobile ham a 80m or 40m whip works well on that bands , but belive it or not a simple 9 foot whip with no loading will hear everything the proper ant can hear ! Only a test will show this or not . But my comment was only a suggestion. 73 MM0UDI .
Excellent video, thank you. How about following this up with a compact transmit antenna over the same bands or a similar rangetoo? If such a thing exists?
good review hmm. this antenna or a Moonraker 11-554 Scanking HF Discone Antenna ? I am not sure what mountings come with a discone though and what I would need to buy extra to mount onto a pole. This things tend to get overlooked by radio ham guys.
if you can put a antenna outside as this is designed for I would hazard a guess that a wire ran to a pole (which you would mount this on) would work just as well and be a lot less expensive
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
Absolutely, I mentioned in the video that there are many ways to achieve the same thing, this is for people that want a ready built solution. Personally I like building my own antennas, but some people are not interested in that. Thanks for watching 🙏
@darrenshiels2820
4 жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial great vids by the way keep up the good work
I cant seem to find the antenna on your US store,what does it normally cost?
Does this have to be clear of buildings? I have brick buildings on both sides, and I can only put this up about 20 ft
would this antenna have any problem working with a normal radio that has a internal antenna socket i believe a 3.5
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
Ummm 3.5mm jacks are normally audio jacks, but if it is an antenna jack then yeh sure, it should work.
@columbo7927
4 жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial I beleive its a 3.5 mono needed thanks
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
Ahhh yes, that’s also quite popular 🙏
I want this one.
A very informative video, thank you. I am interested in receiving HF Airband frequencies, such as the North Atlantic ATC stations for transatlantic flights. You said that one could chuck a piece of wire out of the window, but what sort of wire would be best, and how long should it be? Also, would you need to add a connector to the wire to go straight into the receiver's antenna input, or would it work by simply wrapping one end of the wire around an indoor telescopic antenna that's connected to the receiver? I look forward to your advice. :-)
Great Vid been looking at types for recieve only Any issues wud u think if secured it to a pole that has a fibre glass Ant on allready Cool reciever too what make is it ?
would have been nice to see the comparaison against your transceiver reception with your efhw...
@TechMindsOfficial
Жыл бұрын
Unfortunately I don’t have this antenna any more, but I can guarantee the EFHW would of been better.
@Aleziss
Жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial ok thank you, I am on the lookout for a good receive antenna so I guess that ain't the one !
Hello, Aisen Lopez, WP4RDO from Puerto Rico. Is this antenna only for RX or is it for transmitting also?. It it is capable of transmitting....How much power can it handle?. Thanks.
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
It’s only for RX, I put on analyser and not resonant where needed.
I wonder how this does compared to the pa0rdt mini whip. Also, did you try as low as 200hz for something like catching NDBs?
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
I have been asked this and I think I will try and get a mini whip so I can do a comparison.
@murrij
4 жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial I have one but haven't put it up yet. The thing with the mini whip is you have to power it. HF RX doesn't need power right?
Please uploading sss mk2 super scan stick 25-2000mhz 🙏🙏🙏Please
Hi, nice video ! Could you advice for a cheaper SDR compatible with your software & that kind of antenna ? 😢 Just want to give a first try to these technology before invest much ! Thanks
Hello. Does it perform better than the MLA-30?
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
I’m not sure as I don’t own a MLA-30, sorry.
@antalperge1007
Жыл бұрын
Definitely! 👍
Vertical antennas can be noise magnets, especially in urban areas. You completely ignored a loop which doesn't need to take up a lot of space and is resistant to noise. If you are out in a rural area you *might* get away with a vertical, but my money is on a loop hands down.,
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
The loop is an antenna I’m going to be exploring soon :) thanks for comment and thanks for watching 🙏
Have you tried any HF Volmet stations?
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
Yes I did, I could receive Shannon ATC on 5MHz quite well.
Hello first of thank you for your very informative video as always. I’m in process of purchasing a sdr to hook up to my long wire antenna and I see that they are as cheap as $25. My question is that sdrplay cost over $120 here in California. Is it worth it to pay more and purchase the sdrplay or are they pretty much the same and I could just buy one from Amazon got $25 and get the same results?
@VicGreenBitcoin
2 жыл бұрын
Yes
@JohnBaxendale
Жыл бұрын
You will receive much more using the SDRPlay. They have built-in filtering and amplification that the $25 SDR's don't. They also better bandwidth so you can see more spectrum at the same time.
Great video, thank you
I have a Scanking HF Discone, it looks the same but has radials. Do I need the radials? what do they do?
@rayerdinc2441
3 жыл бұрын
Hi, Is the Scan King HF Discone good please? I was looking at that one before I saw this video. Appreciate your feedback , please.
Very interested, just out of curiosity, have you tried out a mini-whip?
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
KK4PYN I havn’t no, are they any good?
@KK4PYN
4 жыл бұрын
kzread.info/dash/bejne/mnypyaaQgpizpsY.html
@KK4PYN
4 жыл бұрын
Performance for its size is amazing..better than my g5rv on receive
Is this available in the US from a supplier over here? Thanks for the video Matt! Passed my final Amateur exam the Extra back in February. I have the RSPdx SDRplay unit that this would play well with.
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
Well done on passing your Extra! That’s awesome! I don’t think there is a US specific supplier but I’m pretty sure Moonraker would ship to the US, drop them an email for a price. :)
@randysmith2755
Жыл бұрын
DX Engineering
Should you not tape that PL whit some adhesive tape professor?
@TechMindsOfficial
2 жыл бұрын
If it was a permanent install then yes, it would be advisable to stop water ingress.
@VicGreenBitcoin
2 жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial haha oke, did missed that part ;-) it was temp setup. People in the Helium mining/LoRa community collectively forget the adhesive tape by the way, interesting to see that sometimes turn out/gardenhose
What's the software name?
Would I need an antenna tuner as well?
@jakejacobsen4890
3 жыл бұрын
No, on receive only radios which an SDR radio is, no antenna tuner is needed. Now, if you are just going to use a random length of wire, MFJ makes a tuner that helps on SW/MW/LW bands. MFJ Model MFJ-956. Hope that helps! Jake KC8BQN
How about an HF antenna in a loft space say with a length of 12 feet? what if any antenna can be recommended?
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
In a loft space I would recommend a wire antenna tacked to the beams horizontal. What bands are you looking to receive and is it RX only?
@SusanAmberBruce
4 жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial RX only long wave and medium wave
Lol, I was searching the same in The day, I need this in Pakistan
Will this work for cb?
What connector on coax do you need
@JonAhlquist
Жыл бұрын
Based on the online ad, the Moonraker X1-HF has an SO-239 connector and comes with a PL259 to SMA adaptor and 10m of RG58 coax, presumably with SMA connectors on each end. For those in the US, depending on shipping costs, a direct order from Moonraker in the UK may be cheaper than ordering from DX Engineering, but you also have to consider customer service. The one posted review at DX Engineering prefers the MLA-30+ over the Moonraker X1 HF Vertical. Note: A random wire antenna is about as good as the MLA-30+ on HF: kzread.info/dash/bejne/oISItsSNpdmWgag.html Similarly, a random wire is as good as an MLA-30: kzread.info/dash/bejne/aJWt1tmddLCeaNo.html See also kzread.info/dash/bejne/faR2zbSrms3WmJc.html
I would want a send and receive Antenna myself. Maybe a 1- 300 MHz if this is possible.
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
There’s quite a lot of SWL’ers that don’t need to transmit. I put this antenna on a vector analyser and it’s not suitable for transmit, only receive.
@kennedy67951
4 жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial What type of antenna would someone need to do what I just mentioned?
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
To be honest I would have a dedicated antenna for 0 to 50mhz and then a vhf/uhf colinear for the upper bands. Comet antennas do a 8 band vertical that covers HF up to 400 MHz, I’ve never tried one so no idea how well it works or how much they are.
@kennedy67951
4 жыл бұрын
@@TechMindsOfficial Thank you mate.
@drrogue
4 жыл бұрын
Take a look at the Tram 1411, although it goes from 25 MHz
You could get much better use out of your equipment if you actually use the settings correctly in Uno... Gain, NB, NR, AGC, etc...
That's a bloody good antenna. Think I'll pick one up!
@antalperge1007
Жыл бұрын
Try an MLA instead, like MLA-30+ 👍
Great to see the coronavirus has also infected RF as well
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
That’s QRM loo
I had this Aerial its a load of crap.
is not a antenna... is just a vertical wire... nothing more
Had me until, " good ol' boris johnson". Shame. I was enjoying the video until that point.
@TechMindsOfficial
4 жыл бұрын
Dude, I don’t do politics, it was sarcasm 👌
@murrij
4 жыл бұрын
March Rich - geesh