A Cheap HF Magnetic Loop Antenna - But Does It Work?

Here we take at a relatively cheap HF Magnetic Loop Antenna. Max SSB power is rated at 20 watts, but let's test it out in the garden with the IC-705 at 10 Watts. Is this actually a magnetic loop? Answers in the comments please :-)

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[patwalsh]

Looks like it would make a decent receive antenna for a shortwave listener good video.

[MakeDoAndMend]

I wouldn't advise using that unit with the Capacitors. I have made my own loop antenna and even low power capacitors can arc across. My capacitors are good quality but air spaced. My design doesn't fold up. As today I am still experimenting with my DIY Aerial. Cheers from old George

[Steve-GMHUU]

Thanks for posting. Obvioulsy not tosh on receive. Typical for "mag-loops", signal strength may be down compared to a dipole but the SNR is good. I will take a guess this is a "mag-loop" or Small Transmitting Loop to give it it's proper name. One capacitor is tuning the loop and the other is forming the series capacitor of a gamma match (that's why there is no small loop or toroid to couple to the big loop). On transmit, as for those polyvaricon capacitors? Not what I would opt to use - even at QRP power.

[migalito]

I use a 4 foot square loop made from 4 inch diameter aluminum dryer vent using a 23 inch on all sides square of 3/4 inch copper pipe as the inner loop. Capacitor changes dependent on band. These do have an upper and lower bound for what they can tune. Mine is 40 meter to 20 with efficiency at 27% near 40 m & 79% at 20 meters.

[RussellBaker]

I've had a CHA F-Loop since 2015 and the variable caps in that are rated at a similar power. But they are a hell of a lot larger than those tiny things, I don't hold out much hope of them lasting. SWR vs Frequency you'd expect to see a lot steeper dip than shown for this one. Finally just tune for max vol/noise on your radio and you'll be in the ballpark for fine tuning using the usual built in SWR meter

[xMarHazKx]

i have this antenna. The built-in tuner is very variant depending on the environment and how bend the loop.. i drilled on top of the box to make another monopod attachment to hold the loop so that it wont shake during windy.

[tomking]

The coax is FSJ-4 Commscope or a copy there of.
It is used for jumper material on Cell Phone Towers.

[TsiolkovskySportingLocks]

I've an earlier itterartion of this I think, the only difference being the common mode choke is inline with a short stretch of BNC cabling and not within an enclosure. Mine works adequately for Short Wave Listening but Ive not been brave enough to try transmitting with it. Mine is a swine to tune using a NanoVNA.

[sailingwavelength]

Ps I am setting up some mesh stations and nodes soon here in jersey 73.

[adam-gcrq]

Looking at the size of the loop on 40 meters it didn't surprise me that the loops performance wasn't that good pretty inefficient for 20 meters and above it'll probably be ok, if they say it'll work on VHF and UHF be interesting to see how it works out on 6 and 4 meters.

[TrebleWing]

those capacitors look very tiny for putting 20w into. With magloops you could get 2kv on the caps easily. You need wide plate spacing to make that viable.

[WTRI_Ronny]

That is indeed 63.00 US in parts and a nice length of hardline. Hard to fault it on price. Not a true mag loop though.

[raybokor]

can we have a review of the vhf etc side of the antenna

[jasonhowell]

A good receiving loop and that's about it, but this is not a magnetic loop. Good video as always.

[DAVIDGREGORYKERR]

I wonder if you had a good ground(GND) would that have made it work.

[ablaauw]

For someone who only listens. Seems fine if well priced. I wouldn't even try to transmit on it. 73'

[davidbrowne]

Hi Matt great video as always, it is called 😂😂 common Mode
Dave 2E0DMB

[Pedrok]

How come this does not have the second small at the top like other loops i have seen i would only use it on 10 or 20m at 5 or 10 watts

[alexg-nfyy]

could this be used with a c crane ssb 2

[digiital]

Looks like the sheild is the only part that is being used on the large loop.