MFJ Noise cancelling pre-amp

[ToryGlenn]

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone here has used an MFJ 1025 /1026 noise cancelling amplifier with their SDR?

If so, was your experience with it favorable or not? I am considering buying the 1025 (without the aux antenna jack) to
see if I can improve signal reception via noise reduction. I am not a big fan of MFJ stuff, but I'm hoping this will help.
Some of the youtube videos I've watched regarding the 1025 and 1026 seem to indicate they provide good noise cancelling and
signal improvement, but they were being used on HF transceivers, not SDR's. So, I"m not sure if it will make a difference or not.

I'm considering purchasing it because I listen to shortwave a lot, but I seem to only be able to tune in strong signals from Asia and
can't seem to get much else.

Any advice would be appreciated.

[Roger]

People have had good luck with these units and with the Timewave ANC-4. An SDR like the RSP will work with this unit just as well as the receiver in a ham rig.

However I suggest you first look at how you can reduce the level of noise coming into your RSP. If the antenna is too close to your home you will pickup all kinds of noise from digital devices (wall warts, TV's routers etc.). Several RSP owners have had good luck using Magnetic Loop antennas from W6LVP and Wellbrook. You can also pickup noise on the outside of the coax shield coming from your antenna. This can be reduced with RF line isolators which you can make yourself or buy from MFJ or myantennas.com. If you search this board you will find noise reducing posts that may help you. You will also find lots of information by joining the SDRplay and SDRuno Facebook groups and searching past comments.

Roger

[fotoralf]

I've used a 1026, years ago, with conventional receivers in an urban environment and it saved me from giving up on HF radio altogether. I even opened mine up for the AM radio band by removing two inductors at the antenna inputs. With two Datong active antennas spaced by about 30 m it was quite good at rejecting noise from nearby sources and even worked as a stearable array on the AM band by letting me 'switch' between multiple stations on the same frequency.

I don't see a reason why all this shouldn't be possible with a SDR.

Ralf