Loop antennas may be constructed in many forms including horizontal full wave loops in square, rectangle or triangle (delta) shapes. They can also be in the vertical plane and are most often in the same shapes with the delta being very popular as it has both vertical and horizontal polarization. The impedance at the loop resonant frequency is approximately 100 ohms but will very slightly on harmonics. Loops are “quiet” antennas compared to verticals and dipoles and are omni-directional. The also exhibit gain on harmonic bands. Once you try a loop antenna you will know why they are so popular with old timers but still a secret to newcomers. Shown below are some typical designs:
Full Wave Horizontal Loop Antenna (a.k.a Skyloop)
This antenna is horizontally polarized and should be mounted as high as possible but works well at low heights of 10-30 feet. They are quieter than a dipole or a vertical, have a broader bandwidth and will usually out perform a dipole antenna.To determine the approximate circumference in feet of a full wave loop antenna use the formula:
1005/Freq in Mhz = length in feet.
The feed point impedance of a full wave loop antenna is theoretically in the vicinity of 120 ohms and requires a 2:1 impedance transformer (for single band loops or a 4:1 balun to match on multiple bands) with 50 ohm line. You will also need a feed line choke or better yet, just get the Hybrid 4:1+1:1 in a single box.
Vertical Delta Loops
Vertical delta loops can be oriented several way but the most popular is to have the “pointy” end at the top (usually a single support) and the lower horizontal ends just out of reach of humans and animals. Best feed point is 1/4 wavelength (246/f(mhz)) from the top point down one side. Vertical delta loops use the same 2:1 baluns as the horizontal loops or 4:1 for multi-band operation.
Use for 1/2″ Cable – RG8, RG213, LMR-400, etc.
For 1/2” cables use five split beads for 80-10 meters (3-30 MHz) or ten split beads for 160-10 (1.8-30 MHz) meters or use 15 for even higher choking for 1-10 MHz. For 144 MHz use only 4 beads as they will provide > 500 ohms. Typical common mode suppression is -9 to 30 dB depending upon the number of beads and frequency. Quite often 20 dB is considered the minimum effective reduction.
Typical Impedance per split bead: 10 MHz: 90 ohms, 25 MHz: 156 ohms, 100 MHz: 250 ohms, 250 MHz: 305 ohms
A minimum impedance of 500 ohms is needed for 50 ohm cable or 10 times the cable impedance for other cables to make a measurable difference in common mode current suppression.
The beads clamp to the cable and may be operated as is for indoor use. However, it is strongly suggested that they be covered to protect the plastic covers from weathering – use electrical tape for best results or heat shrink to ensure longer life. All kits come with instruction manual which covers assembly and application tips.
As you can see from the impedance vs frequency graph, you can very effectively increase the choking impedance by increasing the number of beads on the cable.
Snap On and Slip on Feed line chokes available in sizes to fix cables with outside diameters of 1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4", 1" - check website for other size options.
tech note: For RFI frequencies below 3.75 MHz, choose SNO75-1/2-5, 10 or 15 for improved common mode rejection
Note: Ferrite beads may be hexagonal or square shape depending on inventory on hand at time of order.