[MAMS] 1296 looper

[Zack Widup]

Well, at least you found it!

I remember in Dayton your 1296 looper looked even more beat up than mine
did.
:-)

Actually my 902 looper is worse because I squeeze it in a car that is just
big enough to hold it (barely) and it gets squashed a lot. The 1296 looper
is smaller and not quite so beat up.

I did have that problem with my 902 looper earlier this year. I ended up
taking the driven element off, unsoldering the piece of UT-141 from the
brass boom feedthrough mounting bolt and putting a new piece on.

73, Zack W9SZ


On Thu, Jul 7, 2011 at 3:30 PM, Lloyd Ellsworth <l10368r1 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Had my first failure of a loop antenna, in, well, ever since I started
> using them. When G3JVL came up with them in the RSGB Journal. 1970 whatever.
> Still have the first ones I built.
>
> Been having trouble with the rover 1296 looper for some time. Top antenna
> on Rover. Because it is up on top, it meets up all the time, with branches,
> foliage and all. Fixing it all the time. Started getting intermittent
> results. I usually attributed it to poor band conditions or location, and
> moved on. Sometimes it worked fine. Sometimes not. Started keeping a watt
> meter in line, looking for any problems. Kept watching it. Last few
> contests, started to note some SWR issues. Especially with the 75W amp.
>
> Finally found the problem today. Going over the antenna. Straightening bent
> loops. Looking at the driven element, noted a slight micro crack,
> discoloration, just above the boom ground connection of the UT.141 matching
> section. Wiggle, bright light and the magnifying glass and could see the
> crack. Playing with the IC8 HT, SWR and 1W Bird slug. Found it. Crack went
> all the way around. Just at the edge of the solder. Right weather,
> temperatures, making that intermittent connection, intermittent. At other
> times, not. Intermittent connections and problems, are always the most
> "fun". Well, then spent some time to find parts, and replace it. Now to test
> it. By using it.
>
> Hate to even suggest how many hours disappeared into this intermittent
> problem. How many lost contacts. Already wiggled it so the PTFE dialectric
> now clearly shows. If I get ambitious, will throw it in the example box of
> problems found. Another grand show and tell item.
>
> Yes, I have known about making loops, curves, for allowance for expansion
> in the lengths of semi rigid. Been doing that since day one with it. Well,
> first time with a loop antenna. Kind of hard to do, with the loop feed. This
> is why it takes me most of a day to set up rover for contests, etc. Then
> events like MAD to try things out. I do not presume every cable, antenna,
> connection, connector is good. I test them all. Amazing what you find that
> does not work. Test everything.
>
> 73, Lloyd NE8I/r
> EN74 etc
> ne8i at arrl.net
>
>
>