THE LOOP ANTENNA/ WITH LADDER LINE

[K0YNE]

I FIRST BEGAN USING A LOOP ANTENNA ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO. I DON'T USE A PERFECT CONFIGURATION IF THERE IS ONE, BUT RATHER DESIGN IT TO FIT THE PROPERTY. MY TOTAL LENGTH IS
ABOUT 270 FEET IN A SORT OF RECTANGULAR SHAPE. THE HEIGHT ABOVE  GROUND AVERAGES 35 FEET.
IT IS FED IN THE MIDDLE OF ONE SIDE. THE HOME BREW LADDER LINE IS MADE OF 14 GUAGE COPPER WIRE OUT OF A SPOOL OF SOLID WIRE AND PVC TUBING ONE HALF INCH IS USED AS SPACERS EVERY
24 INCHES. THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE LADDER LINE IS 2 3/4 INCHES SPACING.  THE SPACERS ARE NOTCHED ON EACH END AND A HOLD DRILLED TO CAPTURE THE WIRE AND TIE IT TO THE SPACER. A NOTCH IF YOU WILL AND A HOLE TO PASS A SHORT WIRE THRU TO HOLD THE LADDER LINE TO EACH SIDE OF THE SPACER. MY LADDER LINE WAS APPROXIMATELY 80 FEET LONG BY THE TIME I GOT IT INSIDE TO THE TUNER. IF YOU HAVE LESS SPACE THAN 270 FEET IN LENGTH, MAKE YOUR LOOP WHAT
EVER YOU CAN FIT INTO YOUR PROPERTY. A LOOP IS SAID TO BE LESS NOISY THAN A DIPOLE.
ALSO, I BELIEVE A LOOP IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN A DIPOLE. MY 270 FOOT LOOP WILL TUNE NICELY ON 160 THRU 15 METERS AND DID HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY WITH 15 &10 METERS. PAUL K0YNE

[wd0avl]

Paul is right about the loop antennas.  He convinced me to put one up about 3 years ago, and I couldn't have had anything please me more.  My loop is 435 ft., and has 5 unequal sides.  It just happen to work out that way because of where the trees happen to be that worked out to be anchors. My ladder line is about the same as Paul's, made the same way with pvc spacers, and is approximately 65 ft. by the time it gets into the shack.  I tune it with a good old Dentron Super Tuner that I bought from Woody several years ago.  I can tune everything from 160 thru 20, but I have trouble with 10 and 15, but I rarely use those bands anyhow.   If you have the room, I highly recommend putting up a loop, and even using one for whatever room you have. Steve, WDØAVL