Adding a receive preamp to dave made 1x4?

[ShadowDelaware]

Can I add a receive preamp to an old school dave made 1x4?

 

[sp5it]

Sure you can.

 

[ShadowDelaware]

Sure you can.

Will it need a delay switch?

 

[sp5it]

Delay is needed for SSB, with or without preamp.

 

[nomadradio]

The sideband delay switch tends to assassinate receive preamps.

When the preamp is active and you key the mike, a short burst of your radio's RF power goes pushing up the preamp's hind end. So long as this burst of RF is brief, the protection diode that's usually in the circuit will handle it.

But sideband delay doesn't just slow down the relay's unkey side, it also slows down the time for it to respond and kick the preamp out of line. More than once, a mobile amplifier's preamp will be reported to work fine until the first time it gets turned on when the "SSB" switch was active. Poofs the preamp on the first or second key of the mike. Took too long to switch the preamp circuit safely out of line.

73

 

[Blackcat630]

I have never seen the need for a preamp under 50 mhz. . Every 11 meter preamp just seems to boost noise along with the signal giving no benefit to the operator.

My .02
Your mileage may vary

 

[nomadradio]

People want what they want, not what they need a lot of the time.

73

 

[Enterprise312ok]

Preamp can really help when running a 2' magnetic antenna on the mobile.

 

[JackMitchell]

Before addressing your question, I'd suggest reaching out to the manufacturer of your radio equipment or consulting the relevant technical manuals for precise information. However, generally speaking, adding a receive preamp is possible, but might require some additional hardware or configurations. As for the need for a delay switch, it depends on your specific equipment and the configuration of the preamp. Some radio devices may have built-in protections, while others might require an external delay switch.