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Reviews For: CHA P-LOOP 2.0

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : CHA P-LOOP 2.0
Reviews: 2MSRP: 499
Description:
Chameleon portable magnetic loop antenna, version 2.0
Product is in production
More Info: http://chameleonantenna.com/CHA%20P-LOOP%202.0/CHA%20P-LOOP%202.0.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0025
KE6EX Rating: 2017-05-14
Easy to use and very portable Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have the CHA P Loop 2.0 and I have to say it was a breeze to setup. It had taken me only minutes to put the loop together. I really like the tripod and telescoping mast setup for this antenna. It is also nice to have the option of running additional power using the Power Compensator. When connecting the loop to my radio I was impressed at how easy it was to tune.

This antenna will be nice to take on a trip or just operate from your backyard patio. Since I live in a HOA it has also made operating a pleasure. It has been one of the best purchases I have made for my station setup.
KC4YCX Rating: 2017-04-27
Quick set-up, good performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
So, I am hardly an expert on mag loops - this is my first! I was looking for something with decent performance that could be put in my suitcase and pulled out at a moments notice when bored in some hotel or rented apartment during my frequent travels. I had tried some of the usual options - random wire, portable verticals, etc, but I was seriously disappointed with their performance. So I figured what the heck, life is short, let's see what all the fuss is about concerning portable mag loop antennas! They seem to be quite popular at present and all the reviews were encouraging so I plunked down my cash and ordered the Chameleon version based on one silly youtube review that gave it a thumbs up. I was not happy with the price given what you get, but sometimes it is worth the extra for the convenience.

The ordering was painless and the product arrived very quickly, not quite amazon-prime-quick, but almost. It was very easy to set up and once I was sensitized to the very very fine tuning required, I had it up and running with my KX2 in literally minutes.

My first attempts to use it "for real" were on a mountain top in Fukushima Japan on 18 m one Sunday afternoon. At the time this was the only band with much activity. After a quick tune, the band was jammed with activity. I was super impressed with the receive performance as it appeared to vastly exceed anything from a random wire or portable vertical. However, given my QRP state, and language restrictions, I was unable to provoke a response to my CQ's.

I am currently in a Tokyo Hotel room trying again. Unfortunately the electrical noise in the room is horrendous and I can't receive anything, let alone transmit. Of course, the band conditions are abysmal as well. Truly abysmal.

However, I will take the antenna for a walk with me this evening to a local park and see what happens. I am hoping for magic. I will keep you posted.

Until then, and in summary, as best I can tell given my limited experience with such matters, this antenna performs as promised and is without doubt incredibly portable and easy to use. If you are in the market for something like this, I have not detected any red flags so far.