Loops Prospecting the Cross Country Wireless Loop

[air-scan]

This looks like to me a high quality antenna for $75usd shipped. It's prototype was made from a bicycle rim. The guy in the videos demonstrated its working quite well. The retail version is not a bicycle rim it's wire. I might order one. If the guy who makes it and sells it is on RR I hope he fills me in on details on if it can be used for receive only equipment and fit it with a 3.5mm mono plug for a portable receiver. It is advertised to have the right frequency range I am after which includes the VHF airband. I enjoy listening to ham radio SSB frequencies and decoding shortwave radio grams.

Tell me what you all think of it and if anyone here is is using one daily please state your opinions. I wont be ordering anything until at least March if all goes well.
Cross Country Wireless Loop antenna amplifier +

Would I be right buying one?

 

[ka3jjz]

There are a few concerns here. The rated gain (granted at 20 meters) might very well be a bit high to be used on portables. I don't see any way to reduce the gain. Too, the base unit needs 5VDC from an USB source, which can introduce noise. As an example the W6LVP Experimenter's kit doesn't require USB power and thus eliminates that possibility. At frequencies above 3 Mhz or so, and more so in the VHF range, the loop loses its directivity, and probably isn't much more than an amplified whip at VHF air. I would also question whether the seller would supply a cable with a 3.5 mm plug on it, although a few minutes with a soldering iron would fix that. Likely as not he doesn't even know that RR exists.

I would be doing some research using our wiki, viz.

Loops - The RadioReference Wiki

wiki.radioreference.com

Heck you don't need to have a loop to copy the SWRG broadcasts. A good wire antenna, mounted away from the home, will work fine (I've see a few folks using that Radiowow radio with a small wire antenna....). However if your area is more urban and you have a lot of noise issues (who doesn't?) than a loop is worth considering.

Mike

 

[air-scan]

I'll just keep shopping around. I don't want a MLA 30+ due to the proven IMD problem.

 

[ka3jjz]

The wiki I gave is a real good place to start...Mike

 

[kruser]

This looks like to me a high quality antenna for $75usd shipped. It's prototype was made from a bicycle rim. The guy in the videos demonstrated its working quite well. The retail version is not a bicycle rim it's wire. I might order one. If the guy who makes it and sells it is on RR I hope he fills me in on details on if it can be used for receive only equipment and fit it with a 3.5mm mono plug for a portable receiver. It is advertised to have the right frequency range I am after which includes the VHF airband. I enjoy listening to ham radio SSB frequencies and decoding shortwave radio grams.

Tell me what you all think of it and if anyone here is is using one daily please state your opinions. I wont be ordering anything until at least March if all goes well.
Cross Country Wireless Loop antenna amplifier +

Would I be right buying one?

The guy that owns CCW and builds them, Chris I think, has a pretty active groups.io chat group here: CrossCountryWireless groups.io Group

 

[ka3jjz]

There's also a pretty active loop antennas reflector on groups.io...

loopantennas groups.io Group

*This is the Loop Antenna Group to Ask Your Questions, Get Answers and Information about Loop Antennas for improved your Radio Listening and Enjoyment.* This is your "HOW TO" Loop Antenna Forum to : Get Information, Plan, Design and Build Loop Antennas for both Radio Reception and Transmission...

groups.io

Mike