30 dB in line amplifier [Not Answered, sorry I accidentally hit accept on the comment.]

Comments

• WA2ZKD

  January 2018

  what kind of antenna do you have?

  
  
• krjones

  January 2018

  Currently I have a discone antenna but I sit down in a depression so I’d like some better performance. I just purchased this antenna https://www.amazon.com/Station-Antenna-ANLI-Amateur-Radio/dp/B0093N20D0/ref=sr_1_4?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1515014566&sr=1-4&keywords=Ham+radio+antenna
  
  But I haven’t installed it yet.
• sesykes71

  January 2018

  Unless I am missing something or that is the wrong link, the antenna is for 144 and 450 MHz. The KiwiSDR only receives to 30 MHz. Unless you have a pretty big discone, it won't work very well at HF. 
  
  As to the amplifier, the gain isn't so much a factor as how much power it can put out. If you have no transmitters nearby it shouldn't be a problem. If you do, what ever couples from it's antenna into the receive antenna will be amplified. The amplifier you have the link for says max output is +10 dBm. That is a pretty big signal for a receiver but I don't believe it will harm the Kiwi.
  
  Steve KD2OM
  

  
• krjones

  January 2018

  Thanks Steve. I didn't even notice that I had the wrong antenna. And great info about the amplifier. No transmitters around so hopefully this will help give me a boost. 
• sesykes71

  January 2018

  I am not sure what discone you are using, but if it is a 30 MHz to 2000 GHz for instance, the amp will increase the noise on your system. You said previously that you sit in a depression, HF really doesn't care much about that, only line of sight frequencies do. You might have better luck with an antenna specifically for HF. You don't mention how much room you have for antennas but loops or even a wire 30 to 50 feet long would be much better than a discone meant for frequencies above 30 MHz. To use the wire antenna, you will need a balun, a 1:9 works very well. You can wind your own or there are many low cost ones available.  The wire doesn't need to be very high although higher is better, 10 or more feet off the ground will be fine.
  
  Steve KD2OM
  
• WA2ZKD

  January 2018

  https://www.dxengineering.com/search/product-line/kd9sv-products-9-1-beverage-antenna-transformers?autoview=SKU&keyword=9:1&sortby=BestKeywordMatch&sortorder=Ascending