I have a YouLoop antenna here, I have been experimenting with.
I see there is now a pre-amp available for them.
Has anyone tried one out yet?
I see there is now a pre-amp available for them.
Has anyone tried one out yet?
Loops Youloop pre-amp
- Thread starter rocky28965
- Start date
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Where did you see this? Might be interested...Mike
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Google turns up 2 or 3 of these. Which one are you talking about? Mike
I was looking on aliexpress
13dka
Member
The dyslexic ("Magentic") one on AliExpress seems to be just a generic preamp in a box, pretty cheap too. The description lacks any information like gain and whether or not this can be used with a Bias-T box.
The other one ("Elekitsorparts") seems interesting because they say it's based on the LZ1AQ preamp and it seems to have a shielded loop transformer with extra SMA jacks in addition to the regular loop terminals, so you can attach the YL coax halves and crossover box directly. It's "out of stock" though.
I have used the YL with preamps quite a lot over the past years. First off, the YL does not need a specific "YouLoop preamp", any generic (50Ω in/50Ω out) LNA would do. If you have a radio that doesn't meet the sensitivity requirements for a passive NCPL aka YouLoop a(ny) cheap preamp will make it work, which is also when it's (kind of) worth the hassle.
However, until last year I was assuming that a preamplified YL can be compared with other SMLs. But while comparing a couple of antennas with the SULA last year I learned that I was (very) wrong. Admittedly, the 2-turn design makes the YL shine on MW even without a preamp due to the loop delivering somewhat more sizeable voltage down there and the specifics of the band. On shortwave that specific moebius loop design seems to be turning into its biggest disadvantage though and it stops being comparable to normal (or "shielded with gap") loops. I can only assume that the 2-turn design is messing up the "footprint" and introduces additional losses that make it pretty deaf on low elevation angles.
One of several example videos shot during bad conditions - the YL was mounted on a short mast (~2m/6') and the SULA was lowered to the same height for the experiment, both were equipped with a LANA HF preamp:
Another one to show that this wasn't only an issue on pretty high frequencies (Singapore VOLMET 6676kHz):
Since the conditions were bad the difference was pretty dramatic but I wasn't out there to show how bad the YL performs, I meant to use it as a reference antenna for the SULA and I was pretty surprised by the result. To put this into some less exotic relation, later tests were showing that a "real" SML (rigid, unshielded 1m loop with a proper high quality loop amplifier) would have had the same signal as the SULA (but not necessarily the same SNR).
That being said, the YL et al are not meant to rival other antennas in DX reception, their purpose is to make reception possible in (very) noisy environments, where other antennas would receive nothing but the noise.
The other one ("Elekitsorparts") seems interesting because they say it's based on the LZ1AQ preamp and it seems to have a shielded loop transformer with extra SMA jacks in addition to the regular loop terminals, so you can attach the YL coax halves and crossover box directly. It's "out of stock" though.
I have used the YL with preamps quite a lot over the past years. First off, the YL does not need a specific "YouLoop preamp", any generic (50Ω in/50Ω out) LNA would do. If you have a radio that doesn't meet the sensitivity requirements for a passive NCPL aka YouLoop a(ny) cheap preamp will make it work, which is also when it's (kind of) worth the hassle.
However, until last year I was assuming that a preamplified YL can be compared with other SMLs. But while comparing a couple of antennas with the SULA last year I learned that I was (very) wrong. Admittedly, the 2-turn design makes the YL shine on MW even without a preamp due to the loop delivering somewhat more sizeable voltage down there and the specifics of the band. On shortwave that specific moebius loop design seems to be turning into its biggest disadvantage though and it stops being comparable to normal (or "shielded with gap") loops. I can only assume that the 2-turn design is messing up the "footprint" and introduces additional losses that make it pretty deaf on low elevation angles.
One of several example videos shot during bad conditions - the YL was mounted on a short mast (~2m/6') and the SULA was lowered to the same height for the experiment, both were equipped with a LANA HF preamp:
Another one to show that this wasn't only an issue on pretty high frequencies (Singapore VOLMET 6676kHz):
Since the conditions were bad the difference was pretty dramatic but I wasn't out there to show how bad the YL performs, I meant to use it as a reference antenna for the SULA and I was pretty surprised by the result. To put this into some less exotic relation, later tests were showing that a "real" SML (rigid, unshielded 1m loop with a proper high quality loop amplifier) would have had the same signal as the SULA (but not necessarily the same SNR).
That being said, the YL et al are not meant to rival other antennas in DX reception, their purpose is to make reception possible in (very) noisy environments, where other antennas would receive nothing but the noise.
Thanks for the very detailed reply.
13dka
Member
Case in point - I'm usually using the YL in a hell of a noisy environment with multiple computers and other digital devices including switching PSUs running in my
Right in this window sits WBBR 1130kHz, transatlantic DX indicator station #1 for us Europeans, 3,751 miles from here and against all odds, with the YouLoop (+ LANA HF, which makes it work better with the Belka receiver) I can pick that up pretty OK.
There are mainly two "Youloop Preamplifiers" on the market:
Separate preamp:
Replacing the Youloop's T-piece with the balun (also with Bias-T modul):
Separate preamp:
Replacing the Youloop's T-piece with the balun (also with Bias-T modul):
Just got my "Youloop Magentic Antenna Preamplifier" (first aliexpress link in my post #8).
It's a Chinese copy of the "RX small preamp with 2SC5551 in box" by QRO.cz originally with 2SC5551 transistor.
hamparts.shop
Test:
a) frequency response: 400 kHz to 35 MHz with 18,6 dB - 3 dB (should be 10 kHz to 300 MHz!)
b) Bias current not adjustable (missing connection on the PCB)
c) not possible to identify the transistor
So the frequency range of 10 kHz to 300 MHz is not true (but that's the advertised range of the Youloop ANTENNA!).
This amplifier is usable only from MF to HF and therefore supports a Youloop kind of antenna not very good (completely missing VLF, LF and VHF).
It's a Chinese copy of the "RX small preamp with 2SC5551 in box" by QRO.cz originally with 2SC5551 transistor.
RX small preamplifier with 2SC5551 in BOX ASSEMBLED VERSION | hamparts.shop
ASSEMBLED version of RX small preamplifier in enclosure by Jan OK2ZAW qro.cz. KIT version also available at hamparts.shop.
hamparts.shop
Test:
a) frequency response: 400 kHz to 35 MHz with 18,6 dB - 3 dB (should be 10 kHz to 300 MHz!)
b) Bias current not adjustable (missing connection on the PCB)
c) not possible to identify the transistor
So the frequency range of 10 kHz to 300 MHz is not true (but that's the advertised range of the Youloop ANTENNA!).
This amplifier is usable only from MF to HF and therefore supports a Youloop kind of antenna not very good (completely missing VLF, LF and VHF).
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