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Reviews For: DX Engineering ARAV-1 Active Receive Vertical

Category: Antennas: VLF/LF/HF Receive only

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Review Summary For : DX Engineering ARAV-1 Active Receive Vertical
Reviews: 5MSRP: 229.00
Description:
DX Engineering’s Active Receive Antenna systems offer excellent receiving performance from 100 kHz to 30 MHz. A 102” whip is used as the antenna element. The unique coupler design makes it vastly superior to traditional active antennas in both strong signal handling and feedline decoupling. This results in significantly better weak signal reception due to lower spurious signal interference and reduced noise.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-arav4-1p
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0055
K8JHR Rating: 2017-06-24
Super ! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using the ARAV-1 Active Receive Vertical antenna for several years with good results. It is comparable to the Wellbrook ALA large aperture active loop antenna (one that uses a large wire loop - perhaps 5m on a side - not the 1.5m aluminum loop type, which I have not tested) - and it is a good addition to the station. I used it for both SWL and ham band reception, and it works as well as a 125 foot random wire antenna. Low noise, consistent and reliable receive-only antenna. Just be careful to locate it far enough away from transmitting antennas so as not to overload it or your receiver. Small footprint. Inconspicuous 8 ft stainless steel whip element on a relatively small box containing the remote pre-amp. Uses 75 ohm TV coax cable. Not cheap, but works well and would be a swell option for those with antenna restrictions.

Just MY take... JHR
AA6VB Rating: 2014-01-17
Updated Review Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Several years ago I purchased a pair of DXE-ARAV2-1P active antennas which I phased with the MFJ Deluxe Noise Canceling Unit. I just replaced the MFJ unit with the DXE Active Phase Controller. This season I have used the system only on 80 meter cw. The performance is outstanding.

It really does a great job of peaking signals and it is super easy to operate. Just turn the main dial and the stations come out of the noise. It often improve the strength of signals by several S units, which is about 18 db. It's astounding! The signal to noise ratio improves dramatically, and I can hear signals that are literally and completely buried in the noise on my transmit vertical. The signals literally become Q5 copy. Signals that could not otherwise be heard are clearly readable.

It makes a terrific 2 element phased array which equals, and often outperforms, my 330 foot beverage when signals come from the same direction.

73, AA6VB
N8IL Rating: 2013-01-22
Great Addition to my rig! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had previously erected a Beverage antenna oriented toward Europe and was very pleased, but concerned that it will have to come down in the spring. I thought I'd give the ARAV-1 a try. The active receive antenna performance was significantly better than expected! I did expect better signals than the Beverage for stations not favored by the Beverage. The reality was that more than half the European stations were easier to hear! The signal to noise ratio was much better for most stations, whether they were in Europe, or in the Pacific. I would recommend the system to anyone that doesn't want to go to the expense and trouble of buying a high-end rig, and everyone else!

-Neil N8IL
SHEETS_GUY Rating: 2012-09-08
Nice Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Got an ARAV to replace the RF Systems DX-1 my HOA made me take down. I replaced the whip that came with the unit with a 17ft collapsible Alpha whip from ARS. I picked up about 3-5db across most bands using the longer whip over the stock one...

It's only been about a week but I am pleased with the antenna so far. Signal levels overall are nearly on par with my DX-1 which cost more than twice as much and has a much larger footprint. Band by band:

LW: Edge to DX-1

MW: Moderate edge to ARAV. That's saying a lot because the DX-1 was strong on MW.

SW thru 20m edge to DX-1. For some reason the DX-1 was a lot better on 20M amateur band (from memory) but I think there's much less a difference between the two verticals on 90m-41m.

SW: 15MHZ and higher slight edge to ARAV

I have always like DX Engineering products and would enthusiastically recommend this to anyone wanting a pro antenna that have space/HOA restrictions.
YD1OJZ Rating: 2009-01-28
Great product !! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Would like to share our experiences in using ARAV2-1P as we already used it for 160 CW contest in year 2007 and 2009. We were using callsign YE1ZAT.

In year 2007, our station was locating in regular real estate area and we installed ARAV2-1P about 30 meters away from other building. During contest found noise level can be reduced compared to our TX antenna (wire dipole about 40 meter height from ground). In diople noise is about S-9 and at ARAV2-1P, its about S-5. This quite help us to hear weak signal. For grounding of ARAV2-1P, we were using 3 rods buried about 2 meter depth in the soil.

But in year 2009, during CQ WW 160 contest on Jan, we decided to build station at the beach side. Still using wire dipole for TX antenna at about 10 meter height from sea level. And we installed ARAV2-1P with grounding system by put 8 wire radial @ 5 meters only and also buried about 50 cm in the sand. Found the amazing result !!

Compared with dipole where noise level S-9, at ARAV-1P, noise level can be reduced to S-3 ! So we can really hear lot of signals where we definitely can't hear by dipole.

Congratulation for DX Engineering for this great product. We can break our country record to get highest QSO numbers cause we can hear many DX stations.

Joz YD1JZ
for YE1ZAT