This reply is directed to Pete (AC5E) and cc everyone else
following this thread.
Sorry Pete, for the first time in my 5 months on this reflector,
I fully disagree with you. In fact, in my opinion, you couldn't
be any farther from the truth! (Re. Horizontal Loops).
Theory here and theory there, I have built and used this antenna
in about 15 different locations including a few (back then) semi
rare dx locations (e.g., Andorra in 1979). Maybe American soil,
both with and without aluminum covers is inferior to European
soil ;-)
Typically, I had the loop 10m up (30 ft.) and it was a full
wavelength for 80m. I usually fed it with open wire to enable
multiple band usage. Occasionally I built one for either 40 or
80m and then fed it with 50 Ohm coax without any sort of matching
at all.
Here is what I found. For NDIS, the so called "Cloud Burner"
ALWAYS outperformed a dipole or a Windom at similar heights. The
dipole at low elevations is supposed to be more or less an
omni-directional radiator - I can't confirm this, though it
probably is. The Loop is certainly an omni-directional radiator.
No surprises here. Just, in my highly subjective opinionunated
opinion, the loop was always about an S-unit stronger than the
dipole for short range QSOs.
The surprise is, even at this (for 80m) low height, I was always
able to run stateside pile-ups, even on SSB, and I was usually
running in the 100w class. In fact, using this antenna often in
Field Day contests and running QRP, my team would generally score
enough points to have placed in the top 20 in the 100w class. It
turns out, this "so called" cloud burner seemed to work at least
as good for DX as any dipole I ever used. Not sure where the
theory is on this but I know darn well where the reality is. I
consistently worked stateside on 80 and states, JA, VK and
sometimes ZL on 40m even though I was only running QRP.
Next, try using this thing on higher bands. Our experience was,
using it on 20m, it had a very strong low angle radiation off of
all four corners. If oriented correctly, I had one path to JA,
the second to USA, the third long path to VK, and the fourth
pointing at the middle east. Several times at different field
day sites, we confirmed that the long-haul dx signal strength to
Japan or stateside was just as good as a 2-ele. quad or 3 ele.
trap beam at the same height (ca. 10m high). Of course the
Front-to-Back was missing. All in all, an outstanding field day
antenna for a class which only permits one single antenna.
I have lived all over Germany and have been in 6 different ham
radio clubs. Every club I was in switched to this antenna for a
field day antenna once I showed them how well it works. It was
always the same story: the first year they put up a dipole "just
in case". After that, they didn't bother with the dipole
anymore. Unfortunately, about 10 years ago, the German
(Deutsche) Amateur Radio Club (DARC) changed the field day
contest rules and now only allow one elevated mast. That killed
the loop for us since it typically needed 4 masts (unless trees
were available). It's back to the inverted Vee now.
So Pete, that has been my experience with this antenna which you
do not like. My retirement plans are to move somewhere that I
have enough land to put this antenna up, put up 4 poles, string
the loop, and then just forget about antenna maintenance forever.
No more climbing towers, no more rotor maintenance, no more soggy
traps, etc.
Maybe it doesn't work in America, but it sure goes like
gangbusters over here!
Finally, if you open the far corner-end of the loop, it even goes
on 160m!
73
Rick
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