Re: [IRCA] IRCA Loop update 3

["Craig Healy" <bubba@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

> Have you had the chance to see how the 10-foot loop performs on the LW
> beacon band? I'd also be really interested in it's performance in the 2,
> 3, and 5 MHz tropical bands.

The loop works well down into the 100kHz LORAN stuff.  Local beacons are as
good as on any other antenna I have.  I did have a chance to listen through
the ham and shortwave bands and it seemed fine.  I went through 75 and 40m
ham, and the 49 and 41m shortwave bands.  Again, as good reception as I'd
have on the sloper.

Find a large toroid and get thirty bucks worth of plumbing stuff. I used 1"
copper on the last loop and was pleased.  Wind six to ten turns of wire on
the toroid and solder to a jack that fits your cables.  I used an SO-238 for
the usual RG8 connectors.  Solder up a square with the four elbows and
tubing with the toroid slipped over one of the tubes beforehand.  It's that
simple.  Took me about an hour of slow paced work to build this last one. I
have the toroid in the bottom center of the loop when in use.

> If it is broadband and does a good job there as well as the MW band, it
> may be an answer to my local electronic noise problems.

Used inside, it will pick up noise.  It does seem a fair bit quieter than a
whip or short wire.  Often it's better to try to phase noise out with
something like a modified MFJ-1026.  I haven't tried mine down into LW
though.

I just bought a DX Engineering preamp.  It works well in from of the R8B
either with it's internal preamp on or off.  I used both primarily last
night.

What I have noticed is that it seems to hear low angle DX much better than
my sloper.  TA hets are much louder across the band over the other antenna.
The ability to null is a real bonus.

Craig Healy
Providence, RI


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