Hello.

The people who replied and suggested that you string 30 feet (or more)
of insulated wire around your room(s) are absolutely correct. This will
outperform any of the antennas you mention below IF your house/location
is relatively electrically noise-free. (You may want to turn off
computers, fluorescent bulbs, etc.) If you can hang such an antenna out
of a window (even on an as-used basis) without having the wire touch
the ground, this would be even better.

I have found, through experience, that inexpensive active antennas are
just no good (with the possible exception of the MFJ 1020C when it's
used as a preselector with a random length outdoor wire - NOT as an
active antenna, but that mode of operation evidently won't do for you).
I have read that the AOR LA-380 indoor active antenna is a fairly good
one; that costs about $400.00. The sadly-discontinued AOR WL500 Window
Loop Antenna ($200.00) is also a very good indoor antenna and works
exceptionally well with the Satellit 800. The very BEST indoor active
antenna is, of course, the Wellbrook ALA 330S (or the '1530 if you are
more interested in MW DXing). However, this is quite expensive and
complicated to install; it is, however, the easiest of all active
antennas to actually use. (All that is necessary is to have it mounted
on a TV rotator. Then you merely change the antenna's orientation
depending on the direction of the signal you want to hear. There is
nothing else to adjust.) I have two of them, both mounted in my attic.
One of my Wellbrooks is used with my Satellit 800 and the other is used
with my AOR AR7030 Plus. (You cannot mount one of these antennas in
your room unless you are a single person or have a VERY understanding
significant-other!)

Please remember that you cannot "cheap-out" on an antenna, even a
random-length outdoor wire. With that kind, the least expensive antenna
there is, you need a balun, a lightning/surge suppressor, and various
other items. With indoor antennas, the expense climbs. There is no way
around it.

Finally, you must consider this fact: the ANTENNA is FAR more important
to good reception than is the RECEIVER! The best radio in the world is
of no use whatsoever if coupled to an inferior antenna. Indoor
antennas, working in a relatively hostile radio environment, must have
exceptionally good design and manufacture in order to fuinction in a
manner satisfactory to DXers. That costs money.

Other than an outdoor random-length wire (or a wire hung about your
room), you CANNOT buy an antenna that's any good at the prices you
mention.

If you cannot afford better at this time, and the 30 feet or so of wire
strung around your house is unsatisfactory, do NOT waste your money on
one of the cheap-type antennas you mention (or some other "miracle"
antenna you see on eBay or other dealer), but use your Grundig's whip
and SAVE your money until you can afford a proper indoor active
antenna.

Best of luck.

Joe

JazzyJeff wrote:
MFJ's 1022 looks to be the least expensive and easiest to use, but is
it the right one for use with the Sat800? I've also looked at some
offerings from Palstar and Vectronics that look pretty nice. Universal
Radio wants $54.95 for the 1022, $79.95 for MFJ's 1020C, $99.95 for the
Palstar AA30 and $89.95 for the Vectronics AT-100. The MFJ 1020C and
the Vectronics AT-100 look almost alike. What makes the 1020C cost more?