[Elecraft] 160m loop experiment a big failure

[n5ge at n5ge.com]

How high is the loop?  If a loop is too close to the ground it will be an NVIS
antenna and send your RF straight up into the clouds.

Use coax, not ladder line.  A properly sized loop is supposed to have near a 50
ohm match if fed from a corner.

Yes, you will definitely need a choke balun.

73,
Tom
Amateur Radio Operator N5GE
ARRL Lifetime Member
QCWA Lifetime Member


On Sat, 15 Oct 2011 12:14:31 -0400 (EDT), goldtr8 at charter.net wrote:

>I set up a 160m loop in the yard to try one out from all the great 
>reading I did regarding the antenna.
>
>For me I can get it to tune with no problems except the RF in the shack 
>is terrible.
>
>I ran 450 ohm ladder line from the antenna to my balanced line 
>connections on my MFJ 962 d tuner.
>
>As soon as I connect the ladder line the RF is bad, basically everyone 
>states that I sound like I am in a jet airplane.
>
>Now there is also a bit more to the story as the loop surrounds the 
>house as that is how the trees are plus the dipole is also very close to 
>one of the edges on the inside of the loop.
>
>So I dont know if the problem is that everything is in the middle of the 
>loop, or running ladder line into the shack is a bad thing, maybe the 
>tuner internal balun is not the correct one.
>
>Bottom line is the K3 was real unhappy with this scenario so the ladder 
>line is pulled out of the shack and coiled up on the tree next to the 
>loop outside.
>
>One thing I have researched this morning is that I need a current balun 
>and I should have it external to the shack and run coax between it and 
>the shack.  Also I should have the shield grounded like I do with the 
>dipole to direct ground.
>
>So I thought I would share my current failure while I ponder my next 
>move or give up on the loop.   Ok I wont give up, YET!
>
>Cheers
>
>~73
>Don
>KD8NNU
>
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