The G23 as installed at my home.   ® Mick Evans

RON SMITH GALAXIE Antenna's

As you will probably have guessed by now, I never do anything by half and my continued interest in radio is no exception to the rule. I have been fascinated by radio for more years than I care to remember now.  I think my earliest interest in radio was when my father bought me a HARRIER portable radio that could pick up Aircraft and the local Police when they were located at the top of the VHF FM band.   In 1992 I took the UK Radio Amateurs Examination and subsequently acquired the the callsign of G7NNT.  From then on my interest in radio really went into high gear. In the past two to three years my interest has waned slightly due to other commitments and my interest in the 'net and High-End audio but I still continue my interest in radio, albeit in a slightly different way at the present time.   Coupled to my trusty Audiolab 8000T,  I am currently using a kit-built RON SMITH Galaxie Antenna. The antenna started life in mid-1998 as a 17 element and in late 2000 I added the extension kit and upgraded it to a  23 element. The antenna itself is fed with u-100 double-screened coaxial cable and is mounted externally on a purpose designed radio mast at 30 feet above ground level.               A Galaxie 17 installation  (Photo courtesy Ron Smith)   As you could probably guess,  I am always delighted at the superlative results obtained from the Audiolab Tuner/ Galaxie 23 Antenna combination. The main transmitting stations in my area are located at Belmont in Lincolnshire, Emley Moor and Holme Moss in West Yorkshire. Belmont is at an approximate distance of 80 miles away.  Emley Moor at is at a distance of 90 miles.   The Galaxie 17 is the most popular mode in the Galaxie range. When used as a fixed array, the relatively wide acceptance angle can allow several transmitters to be received within the 3dB points and the low windload enables the use of a single steel, or scaffold grade alloy mast up to a length of twelve feet provided that at least one fifth of the mast is below the top fixing point. On rotator use the 17 is the maximum load for an unaided lightweight rotor provided the submast is kept to a maximum of 20 inches (50cms). In cases of doubt, use an alignment bearing or a heavy-duty rotator. Larger models of the Galaxie antennas are available to order from the manufacturer.  The largest model available off the shelf is the G23.  In the models greater than the 17, a special outrigger element needs to be fitted to the boom to reduce flexing and wind damage, in the 26 / 29 and 32 element models this outrigger is replaced by a Geodetic frame (in essence, twin booms!). In real world usage, the G17 is ideal for most listeners.  For DX or long distance listening the G23 is likely to be more useful.  With its high side rejection, tight acceptance angle at 15 degrees and virtually flat response between 3db points, the G23 is ideal tool for DXing.   However even with perfect mechanical and dynamic balance, wind loading is still high and requires the use of either an alignment bearing or a heavy duty rotator.

G17 SPECIFICATION Gain: 15.9 dBs Acceptance Angle: 45 degrees Front to Back Ratio: 33.7 dBs Windload @ 100mph: 50 lbs Height: 33 inches Length: 74 inches Width (maximum): 69 inches   G23 SPECIFICATION Gain: 19.2 dBs Acceptance Angle: 15 degrees Front to Back Ratio: 36.8 dBs Windload @ 100mph: 72 lbs Height: 33 inches Length: 134 inches Width (maximum): 69 inches   Ron Smith aerials can be contacted at the following address:    RON SMITH AERIALS 98 Ash Road Luton Bedfordshire LU4 8AQ TEL: (01582) 736561  FAX: (01582) 733686   The illustration shows a Galaxie 23, Arrow 30, and an AM Whip installed on a Twin mast for extra stability (Photo courtesy Ron Smith)     The G23 installed on my rooftop.   A G17 installed in Vertical mode. When used in this manner, a G17 mounted for vertical use will have a wider acceptance angle somewhere in the region of around 8-10 degrees.   An ORION 10 seen here installed by a Dutch listener.

Comments by Malcolm Steward  Audiophile March 1992

To dispel the notion that any aerial will suffice so long as it is roof mounted, compare the signal strengths I measure off the two aerials I have on a 12-foot roof mast.

The secondary device is a Magnum Dynalab ST-2 omnidirectional, while the directional Multi element Galaxie 17 is aligned to use the transmitters at Wrotham in Kent and Crystal Palace in Southeast London. The Magnum Dynalab Omni Gives 40dB of signal on Radio3, the Galaxie gives 67dB, a difference of more than 2mV, more than 22 times the gain.

On one of London's commercial stations. The Omni manages 39db (89microvolts) while the Galaxie pulls in 74dB (5 millivolts), the latter being more than 50 times greater. The difference, especially on Radio 3 is readily audible. With live broadcasts the Galaxie produces a deep soundstage, greater clarity, more depth and substance to instrumental timbre and more low-level detail than either the Magnum or the Yagi which the Galaxie Replaced.

For those who require similar performance but are daunted by such large arrays, there is a skeleton version of this known as the ORION.

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