[Boatanchors] using an LNA for R-1524(P)/WRR

[Eugene Hertz]

Hello again...
Thanks to everyone who responded about my new receiver (that I hope to pick up from the seller one weekend).  Several of you either own the receiver or have used it. Seems there is a general consensus that it is not that sensitive, stable or selective! But as a friend of mine pointed out, how often do you get to buy a radio for $3/pound! 

As far as sensitivity. I am a novice with electronics so I had a question. Would it be possible to insert a low noise wideband amplified between the antenna and the receiver? I had the following in mind, minicircuits ZFL-1000LN here is the spec http://www.minicircuits.com/dg03-172.pdf  the range of the receiver is 30-1000Mhz. I was thinking of using a discone as an antenna.

Would this help me? Would this even work? If an LNA concept could work, what kind of specs would I look for? gain? noise? IP3 (whatever that is!)?

Any direction would be appreciated!
Thanks
Eugene