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Reviews For: Ciro Mazzoni Stealth Loop

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : Ciro Mazzoni Stealth Loop
Reviews: 5MSRP: $1,800
Description:
THE STEALTH LOOP is a small HF antenna with continuous coverage from 40 to 10 m. ? No installation is needed: you can put THE STEALTH LOOP on the ground, on a balcony, on a table, on the roof of your stationary car, etc. No pole is required. We created THE STEALTH LOOP for hams who have no space to install their antennas or have issues with their neighbours over large antennas on their property. You can have the great advantage of the magnetic loop in a very small space. 6.6 - 29.8 Mhz continous SWR 1.3:1 typical FB ration: 6dB FS ratio: 25dB Power Rating 125 watts Dimensions: 54x19.6x10.2 Weight: 15.432 lbs.
Product is in production
More Info: https://www.ciromazzoni.com/the-stealth-loop-by-i3vhf?pgid=jipr2efh-c834b447-50aa-4853-86d4-82cc0897bfc0
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
1555
N4LCD Rating: 2025-01-21
Fascinating Antenna Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Ciro Mazzoni Stealth Loop.

I've had mine for more than a year.

The shipping box was incredibly well made. No damage whatsoever in shipping.

The TIG welds of the 6061 aluminum rectangular tubing have good penetration and are substantial. The antenna is built like a Sherman Tank.

I ordered the plastic cap for the variable capacitor and it works perfectly for keeping the plates free from debris. I can't imagine not having the plastic capacitor cover.

I ordered the long motor cord and it works perfectly.

I also ordered the Icom control cable. Easy to configure for Icom IC-7300. It plugs into the 1/8 inch Remote jack on the back of the IC-7300. It has a serial connector (DB-9) on the ATU end and yes, there is a circuit board inside that plug's housing. This is the cable that gets the rig's frequency for the ATU.

I run my rig off off of a 40 AH Lithium Iron Orthophosphate Bioenno battery.

I run the included 24 VDC Automatic Tuner Unit (ATU) off of either the included 24 VDC wall wart or off of two small 4 AH 12 VDC Lithium Iron Orthophosphate batteries in series.

There are three modes of tuning.
1. Fully Automatic mode which I don't use. I prefer to control when it tunes.
2. Semi Auto mode which I use because I just have to tap Enter on the keypad and it tunes to the Rig's frequency. There's a red LED on the ATU which notifies you when it's time to retune.
3. Manual mode which I have used occasionally. You have to punch in the frequency in kc before tapping the enter button.

Tuning is ultra easy. Going from 40 to 10 meters takes the longest time due to full movement of the capacitor plates. Retuning within a band is quick.

I did a lot of experimenting with loop placement.
I experimented with an adjustable height metal legged plastic 2 X 4 foot table. The lowest height seems to work fine. That's a little over 2 feet high. I sprayed painted the table with Rustoleum Stealth paint.
I experimented with 20 feet of chicken wire under the table legs (on the ground), and with the chicken wire between the table top and the antenna's rubber feet.
Same experiment except a Faraday bed sheet from Amazon.
Those two helped get the SWR down, somewhat.
However the major breakthrough in SWR was when I experimented with radials with large copper alligator clips holding them to the PL-259's metal nut. That dramatically dropped the SWR. Radial length varied from 30 to 40 feet. I didn't measure them. Laying on the ground. Insulated wire.
So I quit using the chicken wire and the Faraday sheet and just use a few radials mostly in the direction of maximum radiation which is in line with the loop.

Adjustable Rubber Feet
There are 4 adjustable rubber feet under the antenna. Adjusting their height can make small differences in SWR if you need it.

Power handling.
It's rated for 125 Watts.
I have used it with up to 100 Watts on both CW and SSB with no issues.

It's light enough (15 pounds) for one person to carry it.

Before buying it I thought the price was a little stiff. However after using it, especially after adding a few radials, I think it's worth every penny due to its stealth and small size and the quick effortless tuning from the operating position. It's also portable, easily fitting inside my SUV for POTA on a park bench.

I have used it at two club field days at 70 Watts and it worked the whole country just fine.

If I didn't need the stealth capability, which I do, I most certainly would have purchased the Baby Loop which is totally non-stealth, but with large round elements. Same band coverage but higher power rating. And $300 more. And very non-stealth.

Overall, it's a winner. (Especially after adding a few radials.)

After receiving it, I had a few questions and DXEngineering Tech Support was knowledgeable and very helpful. I highly recommend DXEngineering.

W9DJ Rating: 2023-08-25
Strange Looking Antenna Actually Works! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This cleverly designed and strange looking loop actually works. It does not work like a full sized antenna - no magic - but it is a credible performer and is ideal for stealth operations. If I rated it on performance against full size antennas I would give it a 2 or 3, but for what it is, it's amazing.

Mostly I have used it on 40, 20 and 10. I have found that by putting the control box between the exciter and the amp, and tuning with the amp in bypass mode, I can run 500 watts PEP on SSB into it with no problems. The automatic tuning is fast and accurate, always producing a low SWR (typically around 1.5:1). As the instructions state, it works much better outdoors in the clear than indoors.

It does not disassemble, so it's not terribly portable, and the power supply is 24 volts, which means you will need a converter if you want to run it off a 12 volt battery.

It's expensive, but not out of line with loops that handle power. They advertise it as a 125 watt antenna, but I really like that I can put in more to compensate for its inefficiency. BTW, I normally run it with a 3x5 piece of 1/4 inch mesh galvanized hardware cloth underneath it, though the instructions say it's fine on bare ground.

It's very sturdy in construction. Most people have not heard of it, so it's always a kick to describe what I am using for an antenna. People who see it say it looks like a car jack.

From a stealth viewpoint, one of its big advantages is that it doesn't stick up, so if you have a fence or can hide it behind a bush, no one will know it's there. Also, for whatever reason, perhaps the loop architecture, I have found no RFI to home audio, etc. when using it. I actually put in the same room as my stereo equipment and got no RFI into the stereo, even with the subwoofer powered on. I did not expect that. However, receive indoors is terrible, I suppose due to the noise pickup from house wiring. There is also no sign of RF getting back into the radio, even running with no RF ground.
N1MXB Rating: 2023-02-20
Excellent Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Have work stations all over the world, directional but you can turn it with your hand. I am using an amplifier just put the control box before the amp, l am using it with the icom pw-1 with 500 watts the control box and the amplifier follow the icom 7:00 automatic operation work all-band from 6.600 to 30mhz, no complains you can even use-it on top of the car stationary mobile.
K5TCP Rating: 2022-09-06
Great product if you have to deal with an HOA Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Hi, Second the review from WB0GKM! What a great loop! One of my first contacts was with Chile from the DFW area! Ordering a Baby Loop next! 73 de K5TCP
WB0GKM Rating: 2022-09-05
Expensive but very well made and very capable loop antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
TL:DR version: Works as advertised or better! Super easy to tune using the tuner box and can handle up to 125 watts.

Now the longer version: This rather odd-looking loop antenna works like a charm on 40 – 10 meters and is very directional allowing you to null out QRN and QRM if needed. While very expensive the build quality is such that it should last you a life time. Great for HOA or POTA type operation. Got mine used which made it affordable for me, YMMV.

Build Quality: Outstanding! Made from heavy duty metal with near perfect welds, this thing is built like a tank. The open capacitor is also quite hefty and the stepper motor is super accurate when tuning. Easy hookup with power (provided by a wall wart; 24v) and coax to the rig.

In Operation: Amazing! First off, this is super easy to tune. The supplied tuner box allows you to punch in a frequency and then the antenna tunes itself. Generally, in my installation, I can get 1.5:1 or less on all bands. It is currently installed in my basement shack with no reflective surface (see manual) under it at all and it still tunes up just fine. Can also be interfaced to your rig for auto tuning as you change frequency.

Max power is 125 watts. I’ve been running 75 watts on FT8 and have had no problems.

Does it get out? Oh, Yes! I’ve have mine inside in a basement shack so about the worst environment you could have and I still regularly work out to 1,200 miles on 20 meter and above. Reception is also very good with nice nulls as the antenna is rotated.

Conclusion: Is it as good as my outdoor 20 meter dipole? Of course not, but it doesn’t claim to be. This is a great antenna for HOA situations. I have been racking up the stateside and even some DX on this antenna from inside the basement!