[Elecraft] Magnetic Loop antenna...off Elecraft topic

[Jon K Hellan]

Stan Jacox wrote:

> Anyone else build small loops for use with their QRP rigs for a while? The
> only down side I've seen is the need for more complex remote tuning and
> narrow range before needing to retune. What has been your experience? What
> am I missing, since the magnetic loop seems to solve so many problems for
> antenna restricted stations why are they not talked about more often?

Never tried one. It sounds like you've come up with something that will at least improve your
reception. You should do some systematic measurements to see if transmission is better or worse
than with the dipole. There are many magnetic loop success stories, but my impression is that
even more hams find them inefficient for transmission. Your 80 kHz 2:1 SWR tuning range on 20m is
a warning sign to me. I believe it should be narrower for an efficient magnetic loop. But building
a better capacitor should improve that.

Good luck
Jon LA4RT