[Antennas] Re: small Isotron non-loop

[Kargokult@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/3/02 7:40:19 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
tfarl@IowaTelecom.net writes:

<< 
 FWIW:
 
<< Last night I worked a ham in Roswell, N.M. on 80 meter PSK31.  He was
 running 20 watts into an Isotron Loop, which he referred to as his
 "birdfeeder".  
 Tom >>

Never thougt about that before, but its peaked capacitor plates do resemble
a little roof.  BTW - NOT a loop type antenna. If you get a closeup, it
is 2 capacitor plates and a coil, not a loop, a coil like a big loading coil
for mobiles. So you can figure it's a resonant series circuit, with co-ax
taken off the loading coil at the right points.  Altho he (designer-
manufacturer  seller )  got a patent on it, that's not necessarily saying 
much, as it seems some pretty non-original ideas get patents. Also, i
would wager it works basically no better than a whip antenna ( or 
helical anteanna, i should say, since the Isotron is a balanced antenna
with no earth grounding. )  Or, as Kurt N. Sterba would point out, you 
can work as many stations with any piece of junk, at approximately
the same same size and height, and using an antenna tuner.
Hue Miller