Made in Germany 

Remember our review of the Reuter RDR Pocket C4 SDR. in RadioUser, May 2018: 8? Well, there is now a new aerial contender in town, from the workshop of our friends at Reuter Elektronik. Consequently, our Aerials Now expert Keith Rawlings will be reviewing it in the May 2022 issue of RadioUser.

The Reuter RFA1 allows continuous one-button tuning over a relatively large frequency range thanks to its microprocessor design without the need to manually switch between ranges or to switch antenna modules.

An illuminated LC display is installed for display purposes. The reception voltage of the built-in ferrite rod is amplified with a low-noise amplifier (SFET/OpAmp cascode) and output to a standard 50Ω, Ohm BNC connection.

A quality multiplier circuit allows the bandwidth and output level to be varied. The antenna is designed for indoor use in heavily noisy surroundings. It can either be supplied with power autonomously from an installable battery, a DC hollow pin socket or via the HF cable. Using the power supply via the cable allows for remote control of the tuning and quality setting from a control unit or suitable receivers.

The housing is made of robust ABS with an anodized and printed aluminium front panel. The coil of the ferrite rod and the electronics are shielded internally. The main reception range with high reception levels includes the LW, MW and lower SW range. The antenna voltage decreases steadily in the higher SW range. To improve reception in this range, an auxiliary antenna (rod, short wire) can be connected, which acts as a tuneable, selective ‘electrical’ antenna.

The RFA1 operates with 55g of ferrite material. When compared with other ferrite antennas, the use of material and the achievable frequency range must be considered. Especially when used in a low-noise environment, the internal noise of the RFA1 can be higher than the external noise, and other designs may deliver better results. The aerial is also available as an outdoor version (RFA1B).

[Pictures are provisional - this aerial will be fully reviewed in the May 2022 issue of RadioUser – Ed.]