[Premium-Rx] Help With HF Receiver - Consider This Too

[Arthur Delibert]

I will certainly second that notion.  A few years ago I bought a SAL-12 antenna, which switches in 8 different directions.  The cost was roughly the same as buying a top-quality consumer grade receiver, like an NRD-545, but I figured that a really good antenna would do more for my DXing than another radio would.  Very pleased with the performance, although there have been a couple quality control issues over the years.

  *   Art Delibert, KB3FJO

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From: premium-rx-bounces at mailman.qth.net <premium-rx-bounces at mailman.qth.net> on behalf of Randy Mcintosh via Premium-Rx <premium-rx at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Monday, July 3, 2023 4:22 PM
To: premium-rx at mailman.qth.net <premium-rx at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: [Premium-Rx] Help With HF Receiver - Consider This Too

Hi Premium-RX Gang,Over the years, I have had the opportunity to own and sell some of the finest mil spec and consumer receivers.  Yes, there are differences between them, but often much less than what owners, hobbyists, and enthusiasts want to claim.  I would like to suggest that the receiver is only part of the equation for enjoyment.  I do not wish to enter the fray of better or best HF receivers as so many of them have strengths and weaknesses and often personal preferences can muddy the situation.
Instead, I would like to advise that anyone who owns a good desktop receiver, regardless of make or model, consider using a good antenna.  As I have witnessed with many owners of top receivers, they are often attached to very poor or weak antennas.  Yes, I am aware that many of you utilize good antennas, but you would be surprised to discover how many people will pay thousands of dollars for a top shelf receiver and then connect it to something simple as a 10 foot wire running over the curtain rod.
I personally have two listening stations... one at home and the other at a cabin in the mountains.  Both stations utilize 4 different antennas that are dipoles (Par EF-SWL & Alpha Delta DX Ultra), loops (Wellbrook), amateur vertical or beam antennas.  At any given time of the day or on a given band, one antenna will seem quieter and out-perform another.  Then at a different time of the day, the antennas seem to reverse and offer opposite results.  I realize that it is not possible for everyone to have an antenna switch and choose between antennas for best reception, but it is possible given what I have witnessed personally, that many serious hobbyists can up the game with a better antenna or with a second dipole running perpendicular to the primary antenna to get signals optimized from a different direction.
So much money, time and attention is often focused on the equipment and often little consideration is given to the receiving antenna.
Randy KB3GGC
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