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Reviews For: Antennas4Less HF-319 Magnetic LOOP

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Antennas4Less HF-319 Magnetic LOOP
Reviews: 6MSRP: 149
Description:
Small magnetic Loop antenna for the 80 through 17 meter bands
Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0064.2
W4FID Rating: 2021-07-19
Does a lot at an attractive price Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I had a few questions and got quick response from the owner directly. The web site order process was easy and the antenna came fairly quickly. USA made. Well thought out design and good quality that is easy to use and does well. Price was very attractive -- especially compared to many of the others. You do have to get the "feel" for tuning it since it's a hi Q device with a steep SWR curve. Hi Q is why loops radiate as well as they do and "punch higher than their weight class" At age 75 and with only so/so dexterity I did fine after a few minutes of using it. From north central Florida, in the shack, next to lots of wires and cables from the home station, on the ground floor, with a low ceiling, with HUGE trees over the house, and aluminum window frames too close it wasn't an an ideal trial location. But in a few hours casual operation (mostly FT8) with poor band conditions I worked dozens of stations all over the east half of North America with my IC-705 on 80 - 40 - 30 - 20 meters. Also had a few CW and SSB QSOs and even checked in to a couple nets -- one of 75 meters! PSK Reporter showed I was being heard on the west coast, in the Caribbean, northern South America, and Europe a few times each. It's small and light enough to easily fit in a laptop computer bag. It's does well on a simple light weight camera tripod. It's sturdy enough to travel well. It's quick to set up -- I can go from arriving with the station in a Pelican case to on the air from a picnic table in about 5 minutes -- unpacking, hooking up the rig, setting up the loop. My XYL and I travel quite a bit. This loop with be going with us all the time. Would also be good for a severe HOA where you have to set it up in your yard or drive or patio and take it in every time you operate.
K5TED Rating: 2021-06-16
Similar to Caras loop, wider bandwidth Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The Caras loop, which appears to be identical construction, "works". Not spectacular, but I have made some phone contacts on 40m and several digi contacts with this antenna. The Caras only does 3.5 to 15MHz.
https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/hf-315-magnetic-loop-antenna-from-caras-mfg.573292/
It was not, in my opinion, a good $140 spent.
KC9MWD Rating: 2021-06-16
Don't know if it's the bands but.... Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Not sure if it's the band conditions but I have yet to make a single QRP contact with my IC-705. I can hear stations and can usually get the SWR down below 1.5 but no one can hear me.
Tuning the antenna is no problem and I'm amazed at the low noise level. Also you can rotate the unit to optimize the S/N ratio which is kind of cool.
I also have a Comet HFJ-350M "Toy Box" antenna that seems to get out a whole bunch better but it's noisy.
The search goes on...
NA3P Rating: 2021-01-16
Loop works very well for the price! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I think this is a great little mag loop. Much less money that the competition. I don't know exactly how the coupling works but everything is inside the tuning box. I use it for portable use and sometimes inside the shack. I am going to send it to my ham brother who is in a nursing home. I'm sure he can set it up in his bedroom window and get out successfully with a QRP rig which I also plan to gift him. Hopefully we can have a ragchew from NC to VA in the near future.
KO6WL Rating: 2020-11-24
Excellent value, small, easy to setup, loop antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I was interested in trying out a mag loop antenna. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one. This one seemed inexpensive. I keep mine in a small Whole Foods bag in my car's trunk alongside my trusty old tripod. I can set this mag loop antenna up in 4 minutes. I use it on 20 and 40 meters with an Elecraft KX1. There is one tuning knob and I don't have any difficulty finding the right setting. Mounting this mag loop on a tripod is easy, because the bottom support tube contains the metal part that attaches to your tripod. Granted, we are all waiting for better HF propagation, but I am still able to make contacts now with this mag loop. Customer support is responsive and quick. I recommend this well designed antenna.
N0XE Rating: 2019-10-10
Outstanding Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is my second all time favorite loop over the Alex Loop. A true bargain and especially right now as the loop I believe is presently on sale. The antenna covers a different frequency range then most of the smaller magnetic loops on the market, 80 through 17 meters. I am very impressed with it and how it performs favorably as compared to my Alex Loop yet less then 1/3rd the price. I encourage you to check out the Antennas4Less website and you can read all the specifications on the antenna as well as a multitude of happy hams whom have purchased the antenna. I only give the Alex loop an edge in performance based on my personal indoor experience with my Faraday shield home I live it, but for most hams you will be very pleased with it if you live in a more normal structure. My loop did fine on all bands with only 80 meters in my case with no contacts, but not hard to believe on that as your really pushing it on that band, although I know others have made contacts on 80. Your mileage may vary as we all have different environments to contend with at times, this loop is an outstanding bargain and the components are top notch in the control box. Quality is not an issue with this antenna and uses a different form of coupling. I encourage you to go to the Antennas4less website and read all about this great little loop. You will be pleased on how well it works as well as the support and customer service from that company, The owner is a ham and dedicated to his product and to his customers. He has given the ham with some limited funds a chance to use a magnetic loop that can really perform. I hope he keeps making this antenna as it is a fine addition to the ham community. 73 Jim N0XE