‰ NOW 35 WPM ‰ TEXT IS FROM APRIL 2018 QST PAGE 51‰ 2 1/2 POUNDS. ITS MOUNTING BRACKET USES TV TYPE U BOLTS AND WILL ACCEPT MASTS UP TO 1 3/4 INCHES OD SEE FIGURE 7. POWER FOR THE PREAMP IS SUPPLIED THROUGH AN MFJ 4117 BIAS T AND 12 V WALL TRANSFORMER INCLUDED WITH THE ANTENNA SEE FIGURE 8. CONNECT A SHORT FEED LINE FROM YOUR RECEIVER TO THE BIAS T, AND THEN ANOTHER FEED LINE FROM THE BIAS T TO THE ANTENNA. AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, SIGNALS FROM A 3 FOOT LOOP ARE WEAK, AND QUITE A BIT OF AMPLIFICATION IS REQUIRED TO BRING THEM UP TO USABLE LEVELS. A SCHEMATIC ON MFJS WEBSITE SHOWS THAT THE PREAMPLIFIER USES A PAIR OF GALI 74 MMICS OPERATING IN PUSH PULL. THE WEBSITE GIVES NO SPECIFICATIONS BUT SAYS THAT THE PREAMP HAS A LOW NOISE FLOOR AND WIDE DYNAMIC RANGE. WITH THE PREAMP INTEGRATED INTO THE ANTENNA, WE WERE UNABLE TO TEST THAT IN THE LAB. THE LOOP IS SO SMALL AND LIGHT THAT IT DOESNT TAKE MUCH TO SUPPORT IT. FOR THE REVIEW, I USED AN OLD TV ANTENNA TRIPOD WEIGHTED DOWN WITH A COUPLE OF CONCRETE BLOCKS AND 10 FEET OF TV ANTENNA MAST. THAT ALLOWED ME TO ROTATE THE ANTENNA BY HAND, ALTHOUGH IF THIS WERE A PERMANENT INSTALLATION, I WOULD CONSIDER ADDING A LIGHT DUTY TV ANTENNA ROTATOR. THE MAST AND ANTENNA WEATHERED SEVERAL EARLY WINTER STORMS WITHOUT INCIDENT. I PLACED THE MFJ 1886 ABOUT 50 FEET AWAY FROM MY TRANSMITTING ANTENNAS AND FED IT WITH A 75 FOOT PREASSEMBLED LENGTH OF 240UF TYPE RG 8X SIZE COAXIAL CABLE ‰ END OF 35 WPM TEXT ‰ QST DE W1AW ƒ