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Author Topic: Magnetic loop TX antennas  (Read 1384 times)

KA4WJA

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Re: Magnetic loop TX antennas
« Reply #60 on: February 21, 2023, 03:11:55 PM »

Jerry,
1)  No worries here, and while there are some DMR folks around (and, yes I'm sure your assumption is correct ---- there are more now than a few years ago), as I wrote it's not really my cup-of-tea, so I don't keep up with it.  :)   But, I do grasp that this does give some folks in severely restricted housing, a way to experience some ham radio.

And, if DMR (and the ham socializing without radios) is of interest to you, don't forget our ham dinners (twice a month), etc.


2)  BTW, while 3 active DMR guys local to you is good, as well as "many more" within 10 miles of you....just to give you some numbers, there are ~ 2000+ hams within 10 miles of you (> 1600 in Marion, > 950 in Citrus, and > 200 in Levy counties....and with highest concentration of population of Marion being within a mile or so of you, I suspect ~ 2000 - 2500 hams within 10 miles of you)....and, another > 1300 hams in Lake county, just 15 - 25 miles from you...

Now those numbers might not impress those in Miami, Tampa, or Orlando (or SoCal or NYC) areas....but, think of the of the population differences....our 3 county population is just a little over half-million...so, having about 3000 hams, in a population of < 600,000 is > 1/2 percent of the population.....and, with total US ham population of ~ 767,000 out of a total population of ~ 330 Million, that's ~ 0.23 percent....so, our ham population (within our town and surrounding area, within 10 - 15 miles) is more than twice the national average!

And, while there are some "planned" and HOA-controlled communities, much of our area is not "planned", and the only ham restrictions (Ocala and Marion County, can't speak for Citrus, or Lake) are for ham radio antenna towers / structures > 150' tall....ham towers of 150' and below don't even require permitting nor inspection!   So, is it any wonder that we have such a high percentage of hams?  :)


3)  Jerry, please take this part in the friendly, helpful way I intend.

a)  there is room for everyone in ham radio, whatever your desires are....whatever niche you find inspires you, there is room for you!  (I have been saying this since the 1970's, and it is still as true today as it was 50 years ago!)

b)  just 'cuz I don't use DMR, etc., I will not try to dissuade you from what you find interesting.

---- BUT  ----

c)  But, if you do decide to get into HF operating from your house (using your IC-7100, etc.), please, please don't spend money on poor / inefficient antennas just because many hams say "I used xxxx, and it worked great" or "I've worked > 150 DX countries using yyyy antenna", etc....this is especially important in your case (both the negative of having serious HOA restrictions, and the positive of having a modern Icom rig), where you can take some small, nearly invisible wire, and string it up in just about any length (>20' and < 150'), in just about any configuration / shape (straight, zig-zag, loop, etc.), at just about any height (above your head, of course), and feed it from an Icom AH-4 tuner (under the eave, or on a post, or even just sitting on a patio table, etc.), and you'd have a decent 80m thru 10m antenna, easy-peasy, that will work much better than any small transmit loop (actually better than EFHW, and other such compromise antennas....and unless you put down a lot of radials in your yard for a vertical, it's going to work better than a screwdriver-antenna in your yard...and, for local/regional coverage, out to 300 - 500 miles, a vertical is the LAST type of antenna to consider!)....with total cost of ~ $300 - $325 new (or ~ $200 used)...

Also, please remember your initial query was about EMCOMM activities, etc....which, here-abouts in Florida are usually on 40m and 80m, with comms paths of ~ 50 - 300 miles....which would necessitate a horizontal antenna, not a vertical antenna (whether a "screwdriver" or a 65' tall full-sized 80m vertical)....a simple horizontal wire antenna will be MUCH better here!
Please take note here that I'm not panning verticals, nor screwdriver antennas....just pointing out that you can spend 2 - 4 times the cost of an AH-4 on some HOA-designed verticals, or screwdriver, etc....and, they'd be 20db - 40db worse than a simple horizontal wire antenna, for 40m and 80m coverage out to 300 miles or so!


{and, btw, remember the AH-4 tuner is well-sought after on the used market, as it is a MUCH better tuner than LDG or MFJ...so, while a ~ $600 - $800 transmitting loop may be a tough sell on the used market, even at 1/3 of its original price ---- an AH-4 can be sold for ~ 2/3 of its original price, in just a day or two....so, the "real" cost of an antenna using the AH-4 is much, much less than the poorer-performing small-transmit-loops!  :) }



d)  And, finally....again, if you do decide to get into HF operating from your house (using your IC-7100, etc.), please get in touch directly....and, whether you heed my specific recommendations or not will be no worry here, as long as you get the advice the choices are of course up to you.....the problem is that much of the advice given (goodness help me for saying this!) ---- much of it is rather anecdotal and misleading, and some of it is just regurgitating of either what that particular ham has heard from others (think of that old game of "telephone"), or just a rehash of the marketing info.

Remember, I'm not selling anything....and, I will usually only share my own experiences with some particular antenna / antenna system, AFTER I've helped explain the science / engineering (don't worry, maybe just the basics!)...


Okay, gotta' go.
Jerry, please take care and enjoy!

73,
John,  KA4WJA
« Last Edit: February 21, 2023, 03:23:50 PM by KA4WJA »
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KK4GMU

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Re: Magnetic loop TX antennas
« Reply #61 on: February 21, 2023, 07:22:50 PM »

Thanks, John.  Someday we'll meet in person.
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IC-7100, RSPdx, AT-D878UVII-Plus HT, TGIF Spot

KA4WJA

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Re: Magnetic loop TX antennas
« Reply #62 on: February 21, 2023, 10:35:15 PM »

Jerry,
You're welcome!

73,
John,  KA4WJA
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