Article: Translation of Radio CommentaryThe following picture shows two outdoor active external radio antennas set up by a foreign player. Coincidentally, these two small ring antennas are both made in China

Article: Translation of Radio Commentary

The following picture shows two outdoor active external radio antennas set up by a foreign player. Coincidentally, these two small ring antennas are both made in China. Specifically, the antenna on the left that is higher is K-180WLA, and the antenna on the right that faces us directly is MLA-30.

In recent years, the sales of these two antennas in China are both good, with prices around 180 yuan, and they have successfully entered the overseas market through eBay, AliExpress and other platforms. The foreign player admitted that although they did not set it up perfectly, the combination of these two antennas with the radio worked very well. He has Shanjin ATS-909X2, Desheng PL990, PL680 and some smaller machines. He likes to listen to short wave programs, Amateur radio signals, constant amplitude waves and aviation band signals.

Another foreigner asked him, 'What do you think is the difference in performance between these two antennas?'? He said: The K-180WLA antenna has a wider frequency coverage, covering aviation band and FM band, and it is well matched with the Software-defined radio products of the Nooelec brand. In addition, there is no significant difference between the two antennas. He plans to improve the installation method again, but currently both have performed well. The MLA-30 has slightly more RF interference because it requires an external power supply, while the K-180WLA uses a built-in battery for power supply.

After seeing the above picture, a player stated that PVC pipes are very suitable for installing antennas that are not too long. He often uses PVC pipes to install magnetic ring antennas made of aluminum or copper. One of his future plans is to spend several hundred dollars to buy Heliax brand coaxial cables and make a magnetic ring transmission antenna with a straight diameter of seven or eight meters for his shortwave radio station.

Regarding this, the owner of the double ring antenna above stated that the PVC tube is easy to process and works well with various antennas in his hand. In the future, he will also improve the installation method of the double ring antennas. For the place where he lives, these two ring antennas cannot be set too high yet!

Coincidentally, I do have these two antennas in my hand, and the MLA-30 antenna is a second purchase. In the past few years, I have also compared the reception performance of these two antennas in the medium and short wave bands, and I feel that the effect is almost the same, with no significant difference that can be heard with just one ear.

Foreign Demon Revised MLA-30 Antenna

However, because the K-180WLA antenna has a wider range of use, in addition to medium and short waves, it is also upwardly compatible with FM and aviation bands. Therefore, I use it at a higher frequency and hang it in the corner of my study all year round, using an adapter to continuously provide signals for my RSP1A receiver and regular radio source.

MLA-30 antenna for foreigners

Through these two years of observation, I have found that more and more foreign players are starting to purchase these two domestic antennas. For active circular antennas that often cost hundreds of dollars abroad, the K-180WLA and MLA-30 antennas are priced around $50 or $60 abroad, but their performance is not at all fuzzy, which surprises foreigners. They not only advertise their antennas on the media, but also many people do their own magic modification of the antennas, such as replacing the standard thin stainless steel ring with a thicker copper ring, or improving the power supply method to reduce radio frequency interference, etc. They have a lot of fun!

I once said that in today's world, radio manufacturing depends on China. Now it can be said that the manufacturing of radio antennas also depends on China!

Friend, have you ever used these two antennas? Do you agree with my opinion?

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