QRP Small loop for 40 and 20m QRP (25w or less)

[jaypea500]

Problem: When I go on vacations and outings, I like to take my Icom 705 with me. I do a lot of FT8 and SSB work at QRP levels. The issue is, especially when operating from or near a hotel and other noise makers (power lines, etc), it's almost impossible to operate because of all the man-made noise. Especially seeing that I have to use compromised antenna systems to keep weight and size down. I've tried wire antennas. But they're way too long for hotel use. I've also tried a few vertical models. But they're very noisy.

I know from using receive-only loops for listening, the loops are able to buck a lot of the noise. My favorite listening antenna for vacations is the YouLoop. Compact, light, and rejects tons of noise. Coils up into a medium size Ziploc bag for packing. But loops for transmitting seem to be bigger than what I'd like to use. For instance, I have an AlexLoop that I use at home. But it's a bit too big and unwieldy, and requires lugging along a big stand to keep it upright.

So, I'm looking for a small loop transmitting antenna for QRP use (no more than 25w, usually less) on 40 and 20m primarily. It would be great if I could find an antenna similar to the YouLoop, but able to handle transmitting. Would be great if it were something pre-built, though I could build it myself if needed. I'd use a small tuner (like the Emtech ZM-2) with it.

Thanks for any help provided...

...joe kd2qbk

 

[John_S]

Look at building a magnetic loop...not terribly complicated or crazy expensive. Is very tweaky though...not frequency agile like a wire antenna. Youtube and web should be full of instructions to build. Another thought is the Chameleon Tactical Delta Loop...a little pricey, but well made, sets up very easily...5-10 minutes, and it works well. Does need a bigger footprint than a mag loop. I do tend to favor larger over smaller antennas. But it tunes easily from 10m to 40m. One of these with a Xiegu G90 and a battery make a really great package. Unfortunately you can't open one of these up indoors, which might encourage you to find a park and do some POTA.