I was interested to read recent comments on 160M receive antennas. As it happens, I just completed a coaxial loop antenna for my K2 this weekend, as described by KN4LF and KC2TX, and combined it with their recommended preamp. It's the antenna design that's been in the handbook for years. I've wanted to try one of these for some time, thinking I might hear that rare DX that everyone else seems to be working. So it's all tuned up and seems to work well, but let me ask a basic question. If I already enjoy relatively quiet conditions on 160, in spite of living in the city, will the loop ever hear anything that my full-sized inverted L won't hear? The inverted L seems to work well, as I've worked all over the US, including Hawaii, during contests; all the while at 5 watts (I know, it's all about their beverage and not my whopping signal, but still I'm pretty happy for QRP). My nominal noise level on the L is 2 S units. I peaked up the K2 and measured receive sensitivity, and I think it's doing all that it should. So is this loop antenna just a fun project, or will this let me hear things so far down in the noise that I would not other wise hear them?
Parker WD8JOL K2 #2636 _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
