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Reviews For: Timewave ANC-4/4+

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Review Summary For : Timewave ANC-4/4+
Reviews: 79MSRP: 199
Description:
Antenna Noise Canceller
Product is in production
More Info: http://old.timewave.com/support/ANC-4/anc4.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15794.3
KC0KBC Rating: 2019-03-30
Shocked at how well it works Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I’m just getting out of the gate with this but wanted to get a first impression out.

My antennae are all in the attic of a 2-story home and my shack is all the way down in the basement, so noise is a big problem. I bought the ANC-4 after much hesitation because I really didn’t have much confidence that it would work with my situation or that I’d be able to build an effective noise antenna that I could find a suitable location for.

When it arrived we also were in the middle of three days of non-stop rain so working outside needed to wait. Just for grins I set up the ANC-4 and attached the little wire included, hanging the other end over a hook on the wall. Again, this is in a fully-underground basement.

I turned on the radio and tuned up on 40 meters. Noise was a steady S6-7. Then I turned on the ANC-4. Noise dropped to under S1! I hadn’t even made any adjustments and already I was hearing signals I wouldn’t have heard previously.

This doesn’t mean I have no noise, but it does give me confidence that once I can start experimenting with proper noise antennae, I’ll be able to really change my whole operating experience. In the meantime, Just using a 4’ piece of wire is a huge improvement!
VK2LEE Rating: 2018-04-29
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I couldn't find a new Timewave ANC-4 in Australia but I found a used JPS ANC-4 noise eliminator. I have had it for a few months but have only just plugged it in.. I was surprised to hear how well it worked with a piece of wire attached to it. It really works.. NOISE JUST DISAPPEARED on 40 & 20m
I am still experimenting on other bands but I would Recommend the ANC-4 NOISE ELIMINATOR to any Ham with Noise... It is unbelievable how the noise just disappears... well worth every cent...VK2LEE LEE
SWLCHRIS Rating: 2018-04-21
It gets rid of a lot of noise Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
First time I saw these was when JPS was making them back in the 90's. I never got a chance back then to buy one as it was out of my budget.
Now in 2018 they are actually less than what they were if I remember right.I got mine this week.
Big and heavy construction of the unit makes me think it won't fall apart anytime soon.
Two knobs and three buttons makes it simple to look at and to operate.
The real trick is to get an antenna that brings in the noise that you want to get rid of vs the signal you want.
It took me a couple of days of playing with the controls and making a couple of different antennas to make this work in my favor. I can have s-9 + noise and when properly tuned the anc-4 can knock that noise down to s 4 maybe an s 3 on the TS-430.
That difference allowed me to work HB9EYP, CO3OPG, and ZS3D tonight.Now I have to work out an antenna for 80 meter operations but on 40 meters and above it works great as it is now with my setup.
If you can't hear them you can't work them.Being able to work stations that are 5 by 2 to 5 by 3 is a new experience for me. It definitely won't be leaving my desk anytime soon.
WD9GNG Rating: 2018-02-16
Great Product for Reducing Noise Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have had my Timewave ANC-4 for about a month now. I have been very impressed with how well it reduces noise using different antennas. Initially I used it with my Carolina Windom with the short provided wire. It worked OK against electrical noise in the house but didn't help that much with the power line noise. I put in a decent 12 ft noise dipole antenna at about 3 ft above the ground directly beneath the power lines and that made all the difference in the world. Major reduction in noise!

Next I bought a W6LVP Magnetic Loop antenna and put it up at 20 ft and it alone has done an incredible job nulling noise with a tight null of only a few degrees. Interesting that the noise null direction is different at different frequencies.

Those times that I want to pick up different hams, BCB stations, and beacons on the same frequency I will point the loop directly toward the station I want to hear and then allow the Timewave ANC-4 get rid of the noise that creeps in when I am not at a noise null with the loop.

The combination of the Timewave ANC-4 and the W6LVP Magnetic Loop antenna has eliminated all my electrical noise I was experiencing. It reminds me of SWLing back in the 50's and 60's before I became a Ham when there was relatively little electrical noise in the environment.

The key to good performance with the ANC-4 is the noise antenna being installed in an area and fashion to pick up maximum noise and as little of the signal you want to pull out of the noise.

The nice thing with the ANC-4 is that it automatically switches off to protect itself when you transmit with a 100 watt rig without any special connection needed to flip it off.

The W6LVP Magnetic Loop has a connection point to switch it off from a keying relay point on your rig with an interface cable.

I recommend you go to YouTube to listen to demonstrations of how well the Timewave ANC-4 virtually eliminates all electrical noise with an appropriate noise antenna.

The ANC-4 can also be used as an active antenna or diversity combiner! Pretty cool what all it can do for you in your shack! I had considered the MFJ version but was concerned about its quality based on reviews of MFJ products. I liked the technical specs on the DX Engineering version but is much much more expensive although has great capabilities based upon its reviews.

All in all, the Timewave ANC-4 is a great product and does exactly what I wanted and needed it to do when I purchased it!
N8OPS Rating: 2017-12-30
OH. MY. GOSH. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've been struggling with noise since I put up a Hustler 4BTV in the back yard and got back on the HF bands with an Icom 7410. My issues are now resolved.

I guess flabbergasted would be the right word- this thing works so incredibly well. I have a 40 meter NVIS antenna low to the ground along the side of the house, and I plugged the stock short black wire antenna that comes with the unit into the noise antenna socket. Then I took the end of that antenna and stripped the wire a bit, dabbled some copper grease on it, and put a short piece of shrink-wrap over the center conductor of the PL259 that goes to the 40 meter dipole. I slid the greased noise antenna wire into the space between the shrink-wrap and the center pin and blew on it with my heat gun. It shrunk down and held the exposed end of the wire antenna tightly to the center conductor. I folded a few inches of the noise antenna back over the coax and zip-tied it together.

I figured that this would give me the best of both worlds- I would have an antenna wire in the shack, and I would have the dipole working outside for noise there.

The net result is hard to believe- 3.5 S-units reduction in noise instantly. I haven't tried other bands but on 40 meters where I am most of the time this thing is just a dream. I can't recommend it enough. Also, the tiny little thing is HEAVY. It is so refreshing to see over-engineered equipment of obvious quality in our throwaway world.

Timewave you have completely transformed my enjoyment of ham radio. Frankly this thing is just too cheap. When MFJ units cost $170-$200 this unit would be a steal at $299. I paid $189 at HRO for a brand new ANC-4.
K1FT Rating: 2017-10-26
Works for me Time Owned: more than 12 months.
About 15 years ago I suddenly had S9+10 noise that I could not locate. After 2 years of fruitless search, I bought and hooked up a used ANC-4 and bingo, almost no noise, and me back on the air having missed a few dx-peditions for countries I needed. A few years later, Cox, one of two ISP's in this area replaced an amplifier one house away, and the noise disappeared, so I sold the ANC-4. Fast forward 10 years and the noise is back. After a week of checking my house, I bought another ANC-4, and the S9+10 hash is down in the
W7VO Rating: 2017-06-10
Works here! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I borrowed a Timewave ANC-4 to get rid of some persistent low band noise from the neighborhood (S9+), and I will say that IT WORKS! I worked a record (for me) number of stations in the WPX contest because I could now hear them on 40 and 80 meters. The noise antenna is a Hygain 14AVQ vertical mounted on a fencepost, nearest the local power lines. 100 feet of RG-58 into the shack (to lose some signal), and no radials used.
I recently purchased a used MFJ-1026, and while it also seems to do its job, it requires a better (higher gain) noise antenna to be effective, and is more "fiddly".
I had to give the Timewave unit back so I also purchased an older JPS ANC-4 (pre-Timewave), and the MFJ units. I'll say for now that the ANC-4 unit has my vote. Easier to use, and can make better use of a lower gain noise antenna. Maybe more later when I do a review of the MFJ noise unit.
KV4AN Rating: 2017-05-31
Noise Killer when installed correctly Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
At this QTH, I often have S9+ power line noise. I had to do something, so finally decided to try a noise canceller. Wasn't expecting much, but WOW! On 80m, I'm able to go from S9+ of nasty buzzing power line noise to S1 of sweet HF static. The secret is the noise antenna. The 6 foot wire included is not long enough and the 12 foot dipole they suggested didn't work either. I used 24 feet some horizontal and some vertical. The noise from the noise antenna and noise gain control must be the same as the noise level from the antenna. You can check by disconnecting the main antenna and adjusting the noise gain. Making the noise antenna longer to increase the noise gain enabled me to get the deep null. If you don't get a null, the noise antenna is too short. Truly amazing when you set it up and adjust it correctly.
VA2DV Rating: 2017-04-03
A life saver Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I moved to a new QTH in the middle of the city with an awful level of noise. 80m and 40m being the worst bands. Just got my hands on a used ANC-4. It work fantastic a my location. I am able to null out most of the electrical noise and plasma tv's around. My best "noise" antenna so far is actually the common electrical ground of the house. The unit is actually a little tricky to tune but that's minor compared to the relief.
Solidly built, it's probably the most useful accessory in the shack.
AA0MV Rating: 2017-04-03
It's possible to make the ANC-4 noise cancellor work. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have a great deal of electrical noise in my neighbor. I purchased the ANC4 with the hope that
I could cancel out the noise as advertised. I used an outdoor wire antenna that is parallel to my main antenna. The two antennas are separated by several feet. I had No success using this arrangement for 40 thru 80 meters. It worked OK on 20 meters.

I experimented and found that a vertical amplified loop antenna proved to be a great sense antenna for the ANC4.

The ANC4 now has enough noise available for the front panel controls to actually cancel or greatly reduce the noise.

An amplified loop was the key to make the ANC4
a valuable accessory for my shack.

I have not tried transmitting with anything more
than 100 watts

The ANC-4 appears to be of good quality. From my experience an external amplified antenna brings the ANC-4 to life.


Steve
AA0MV