I posted this over on the IRCA group, but it may get better mileage here:

I’m turning my attention back to MW DXing after a couple of years doing other interesting radio things (there’s alot to dip one’s toe into).  I’m wondering if anyone has experience with using one of those inexpensive MLA30+ mag loop antennas specifically with the Tecsun PL-310ET for mediumwave DXing?

The external antenna jack is labelled SW/FM so I’m assuming it does not disable the internal ferrite rod when the loop is plugged in.  I noted a youtube video of a PL-330 SW jack being switched to MW use by pushing and holding the 3 button. This trick doesn’t seem to work on the PL-310ET.  Does anyone have experience with using this mag loop on MW?  I ordered one and am looking forward to playing around with it.  Any tips are welcome.

Thanks for your help.

Paul
Maple Ridge, BC

You could use a coupler to get MW signals from the MLA30+. I have done that many times with a variety of purchased and more home made couplers. However. a radio with an antenna jack which connects on MW and disconnects the ferrite in the radio always seems to work better. I have the PL-330 and it does well. I have not compared to my other radios which accept MW into the antenna jack and disconnect the internal ferrite. The PL-330 is by far cheaper than the others I have except the PL-360 and the PL 330 is at least as good on an external antenna. The flat Li cell in the PL330 runs it for many hours. I'd recharge before remote  sessions by simply plugging in a USB cable.  -FARMERIK

Op 27/03/2023 om 23:44 schreef Rik:

the MLA30(+).

What I did.

I replaced the 60cm loop of the mla30 with a GIGANTIC loop of 2x2 meters. What I got: a gigantic signal!


Thanks!

PS: the 2x2 meter loop is a wire inside a 16mm pvc loop. Tubes 16mm costed about 67 cents for 3 meters before the crisis, and turns costed about 3€ for a pocket of 5 16mm turns!

Marc
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On Mon, Mar 27, 2023 at 02:44 PM, Rik wrote:

However. a radio with an antenna jack which connects on MW and disconnects the ferrite in the radio always seems to work better. I have the PL-330 and it does well.

Rik,

I have personally disassembled a Tecsun PL-330 model for a loopstick antenna transplant, and can confirm that the plug-in antenna jack is for FM and SW only, since it is directly soldered to the same RF circuit board connection as the whip antenna. It does not disconnect the ferrite loopstick in the radio.

73, Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)

Once I use the key board trick the original poster mentioned, to switch the antenna jack to MW it SEEMS to disconect the ferrite because it does not hear much room RFI or any stations. Once an antenna is plugged in it hears MW very well.

The other radios I have which SEEM to disconnect the ferrite, but maybe they do not are the PL-990X, ATS 909X, ICF-7600G and ICF 7600GR. I might miss remember exact model numbers, but those are or were popular radios.

Hi there,

Thanks folks for your input.  This is the link to the youtube video I referenced in my original post. 

https://youtu.be/-6YOn80EegY

Myself I do not modify portable radios. I have built many MW antennas though. Another example I thought of Re: the difference between radios which allow MW antennas to plug in and coupling to the internal ferrite is the Sangean PR-D7. Bare foot Sangean makes several more sensitive models on MW. I bought one modified by PK Loops to have a BNC input for MW and using that is noticably better than coupling the  more sensitive Sangean AM FM models to my loops and BOGs. All of this is just opinion of course.

When I still lived in Connecticut I visited Riks' house and have to say his bogs are amazing...he has several in what I would call a dream rural location and has done more with these antennas and various radios than anyone else I have met.

Jay