12/9/23 update
Just for giggles, I recently got out the old Walkham Loop. It worked just fine but I had no idea how spoiled I had become with the Hampack tuning system. The Hampack tuner is much easier to use. Also, I obtained a Vivitar VPT1250 tripod, as recommended by Alex. It is light, small, and fragile. And just perfect for either version of the Alex Loop. I would not trust it in a stiff wind. However, it is easy to carry, small to pack, has a relatively small footprint and supports the loop just fine. The small footprint is very convenient if, like me, you have to maneuver on a small balcony.
9/12/22. This is in response to the questions from LNXAUTHORS concerning instructions and the "holed connectors" on the long straps. My instructions were virtually hidden in the compartment of the longer zipper on the front of the backpack. It is not a place where a person would ordinarily look. The instructions don't address the holed connectors. However, most backpacks have something like this. Users can put their thumbs through these to adjust the fit of the backpack when it is on the back.
I have had an Alex Walkham loop for the past 4 years and have had this loop for a few weeks. I can't comment on how durable this newer package will be but I can compare the functionality of the HamPack to the Walkham.
First, the minor differences. Gone are the gold plated coax connectors. Gone is the safety rope for securing the loop when erected in places where it might otherwise fall and cause injuries to those below. In fact, in the directions to the HamPack, Alex does not even mention a safety tie. (We should always use one anyway.)
Added are two notable improvements.
The first is the backpack, which can hold the antenna and, in two separate, smaller pouches, a qrp transceiver and various accessories. Mine can easily hold more than I want to carry for any distance. For example, a Yaesu ft-818ND, two 3 amp hour and one 6 amp hour Li-Ion batteries, a small keyer and a small paddle key, an outboard audio filter, a small set of headphones, a small log tablet, a Nifty manual, a few small tools, and pens, and a small package of various connecting cables. There are also two side pockets for water bottles. There is room in the rear compartment for extra, relatively flat items. Loaded this way, the backpack weighs a little over 13 pounds.
The backpack seems to be well make and is very cleverly designed and very functional. It is quite a relief to have a ready-made backpack for loading and organizing an entire portable station that can fit on your back. As another reviewer noted, the zippers do not seem to be particularly robust. I don’t recommend overstuffing the backpack, then trying to squeeze the zippers shut. However, the zippers should last a long time when used with reasonable care.
(One tip regarding the smaller pouches. They sit on the three antenna tubes. If you fill the pouches, they sit higher than the sides of the backpack because they are sitting on the tubes. The zippers might be over stressed in these circumstances. To avoid this, I put a small item, such as a 3 amp hour battery, on each side of a pouch, where they will not sit on the antenna tubes - and then leave a space in the middle of that bottom layer. This way, I can still fit a lot into the pouches without stressing the zippers.)
The second is the tuner with its reduction drive, markings for the various bands, and built-in AlexTune. This does not necessarily work better than the tuner of the Walkham loop, with external AlexTune, but it is easier to use. It is a convenience, a significant improvement, but not a necessity.
There is a wrinkle with the AlexTune. When used with a 5 watt signal, the light glows so brightly that it is difficult to determine where the sweet spot is. It is easier to find the sweet spot with a 1 watt signal. Also, an antenna analyzer works just fine.
In summary, the Walkham loop is a five star item. The HamPack is even better. Alex is a very clever and a very focused fellow. Unlike other loop manufacturers, who are designing for more and more power handling capability, Alex has continued to make portability the prime concern. He has built in as much functionality as possible while maintaining great portability. I have one of those other loops, a Precise RF unit, that will handle higher power. It is a great product. However, it is not nearly as portable as the HamPack, which works extremely well within its power handling limitations.
For station-on-your-back portable operation, the Alex HamPack if by far the best option.
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