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Reviews For: AlexLoop Walkham Portable HF Small Magnetic Loop Antenna

Category: Antennas: HF Portable (not mobile)

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Review Summary For : AlexLoop Walkham Portable HF Small Magnetic Loop Antenna
Reviews: 84MSRP: 129-299 USD
Description:
The AlexLoop Walkham is a Small Magnetic Loop Antenna designed by Alex - PY1AHD after nine years of field tests with more than 800 confirmed QRP DXs.
The new model goes on a small cushioned bag designed to accommodate 3 small 15 inches pieces that can be easily assembled and disassembled in less than a minute.
It has a registered record on 17 meters on the Hall of Fame of the Hfpack group - http://hfpack.com/hall/ connected to a FT817 QRP transceiver.
It is the ultimate solution for those hams who loves to be on the air anytime and anywhere and for those living with limited space.
It covers continuously any frequency between 7 MHz to 30 MHz and can be quickie and easily installed on a window or a balcony. And can go to your vacation or business travel.
It is so light that you can even walk and talk holding in your hand while tune it with your thumb.
The maximum recommended power is 20 watts SSB or 10 watts AM/FM
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.alexloop.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00844.9
NA7US Rating: 2016-02-21
Great Portable Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This antenna performs! I have worked several countries with my K2 and the Alex Loop running 5 watts in side my house on the ground floor. It is quick and easy to set up. The only drawback is how sensitive it is when changing even a few kc and the SWR jumps up but is easily brought into resonance. I have tried several portable antennas and this is by far the best. A little pricey but worth it.
VE4MM Rating: 2016-01-08
Easy to Set Up and Use Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased this antenna for our trip to Sint Maarten December 3-13, 2015.

I brought my Elecraft K3 and the antenna in a back pack and operated from our Ocean Front Condo deck in Simpson Bay.

The antenna set up in a few minutes and I was on the air right away. Made numerous contacts each day on 10M, 20M and 40M. Signals were 59+ on 40M which I could not believe from such a tiny antenna.

I brought a Buddie Pole to Mexico in 2008 and it was hard to tune and the performance was bad compared to the Alex Loop. Buddie Pole in garbage now.

I will bring the same setup to Turks and Caicos when the wife I travel there in December 2016 in Grace Bay and stay in a new house on the ocean.

Nothing like operating the radio while watching the yachts in the Bay, and planes land and take off at SXM Airport, and watch people on the beach at the same time. Paradise!

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Earlier 5-star review posted by VE4MM on 2015-08-30

Got the loop working the other day and took 3 minutes to set up. Bought a Vivitar tripod for $15 knocked off the camera mount with a wrench and used electrical tape on 2 places for the antenna support. Works perfect.

This thing pulls in signals. And I am amazed at the performance for such a small antenna.

I bought this for my 10 day trip in December 2015 to Sint Maarten. (And may operate from other close islands)

I have brought a 2 element Steppir beam, Crankir, and a Buddie Pole on other trips and I am just sick of lugging all this stuff in my luggage now.

With my KX3 and Alex Loop in a backpack I am set with a load of under 10 pounds.

My wife will be happy that I do not need 2 large suit cases and a ski bag for my equipment.

MM
M0UMS Rating: 2015-09-28
Fabulous Portable Antenna... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Received this in the post in the UK from Brazil in less time than expected, at least 5 days early. Well packed. First time out with it today, mounted on the recommended Vivitar VIV-VPT-1250 tripod (bought on EBAY from the USA). very easy to assemble, even first time. Took less than 3 minutes. Connected to my Yaesu FT-817ND, and within a few minutes was listening to a call which I thought I could make a contact with. Using 5 watts from my QTH at Stanmore, North London, I answered a CQ call on 20m and was heard first time. Made a contact in Rudersdorf, South East Austria, a distance of approx. 984 miles. Not bad for a first effort, even with just 5 watts. I was told my siganl report sounded like 5/8, but the meter at the other end said 5/4, but I was coming through loud and clear. Can't wait to use the brilliant Alex Loop again. My only criticism is with the tripod - too light and almost blew over a couple of times, so will have to add weights to it, or change the tripod (not the fault of the antenna).
R2ABT Rating: 2015-08-17
Just amazing! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My friend Stan UA3LMR lent me his Alexloop antenna to play with during a couple of weeks. This antenna exceeded my expectations dramatically. Probably it is the best all-in-one antenna for work wherever you go or stay – balcony, beach, mountains, park, picnic, in emergency cases. It is very small, stealthy, but highly effective one. On my point of view, it works equally to my delta-loop antenna. However, you have no need to take a mast, or search a tree to hang it on. You also need no an antenna tuner to operate with it. To be on the air just take an Alexloop, a transceiver, and a key paddle or a microphone. It was amazing to find out that in spite of sharpness of resonance, you can easily search stations without retuning the antenna, walking 100-150 kHz up and down from resonant frequency. You just have to retune it if you want to reply to CQ-ing station, and it takes 3-5 seconds; the same time takes my Elecraft T1, automatic antenna tuner, when I work with wire antennas. All in all, Alexloop worth to have it despite its high price.

Peter

73! de R2ABT
KQ4FM Rating: 2015-07-13
AlexLoop Performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The AlexLoop:
I am very pleased with the AlexLoop. I use it indoors near a window in a ground floor room and have no problem making contacts on 40 through 10 meters. If a station is an S5 on my KX3, I am usually able to make contact with him.

I also use the AlexLoop outside on my patio. As one would expect, signals are stronger outdoors and contacts are abundant. I am frequently able to null out noise with the AlexLoop if it is not coming in from the same direction as the desired signal.

The AlexLoop is very well made and tunes smoothly with a knob at the bottom of the tuning box. One can truly hold the mast in one hand and operate the tuning knob with the thumb of that same hand.

I have built a number of magnetic loops myself but have never attained the frequency coverage the AlexLoop achieves. This product falls right near the price point of other small loops that do not even come close to the same performance, weight,
operability, and fun. Even with the poor propagation conditions we are currently experiencing, if I can hear a station, I can almost always make contact.

Alex, the loop's designer, is always available by email to help out if you have questions about his products. I have followed his antenna experiments for years and only WISH I had hit on the Alex Portable Loop design before he did! Buy with confidence. 73 KQ4FM previously W4GZV
K0ALN Rating: 2015-05-14
Great results first time out! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Boy am I impressed! Took my new AlexLoop, 817nd, buddipole tripod and some PVC pieces with me to a friend's wedding in Punta Gorda, Florida. No problem at all with TSA! Set up on the dock right beside the canal. First contact was with HK1MW w/2.5 watts. Made several more stateside contacts at 5 watts with my limited time over 2 days, and finished with OM2VL in Slovakia. I'm jealous of the East Coast hams getting into Europe so easily!! I'm looking forward to trying it out here in the Rockies this summer and in the NAQCC summer sprints. Quick and easy set up - will work great in combination with my 10/20/40 LNR QRP end-fed and Buddipole. Pricey but worth it.
WB3BIQ Rating: 2015-04-17
Amazing Antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
If you find something that is REALLY GOOD--you should tell others about it. Case in point-- the AlexLoop antenna! In a little over a month and a half, I have filled up nearly four pages in The ARRL MiniLog, worked over a dozen countries in Eastern and Western Europe, UK, South America, all over the U S-- with five watts and my FT-817ND. This high Q "RF Transformer" has revitalized my QRPp activities! If I hear a SSB station at S8 or S9, I am usually heard with an S8 to S5. This antenna also has directionality, which is another plus. Amazing!

I have often gotten reports where the ham on the other end can hardly believe my my watts and this loop antenna!

If you want to be amazed, i recommend this antenna. You won't be disappointed. Thank you, Alex, for this great product!

73's from Rick, WB3BIQ
KG4UHV Rating: 2015-02-21
Excellent antenna Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is the best antenna for my needs and The perfect match for my FT817ND. The price is definitely worth it. Don't even hesitate to buy it. I made great contacts with just 2.5watts. Thank you Alex.73.
N4SAX Rating: 2015-01-05
Great Performer! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I wholeheartedly echo all the other "5" reviews here! I received the Alexloop Walkham for Xmas. I first assembled it inside my shack and easily made 3 stateside contacts (MD, PA, and OK) - all on the first call! Very easy to set up and tune and really hears well! I then took the Alexloop Walkham and my IC-703 to a local park and had a blast with easy contacts with PA (W1AW/3 back-to-back on 15/20 meters!), CA, AZ, and NC. If you would like to see the antenna and IC-703 in action, just do an internet search for "Alexloop Xmas" and you will find my video on Youtube. All in all, I am highly satisfied with this great little portable antenna. I also purchased the Vivitar 1250 50" lightweight tripod, which fits neatly inside the Alexloop case. If you remove the camera platform attachment from the Vivitar tripod, the Alexloop will fit neatly over the remaining stem. Note: You should mark and stop the tripod's riser at about 4" so you don't allow too much of the riser stem to protrude/extend into the Alexloop's bottom tube. Bottom line: The AlexLoop Walkham is a GREAT QRP antenna!
AD7QQ Rating: 2015-01-02
Excellent Antenna Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased the AlexLoop Walkham about 3 months ago as an alternative to the vertical multiband antenna I had used for SOTA but which could not tune the WARC bands. I was very pleased at the ease of setup and ease in tuning. The whole package was easy to add to my Icom 703 backpack settup even with the tripod. The selectivity of the magnetic loop antenna helped with loud stations on weekend contest days (my most common SOTA days as well). I could easily hit the midwest and southwest from Northern Idaho on 5 watts and felt that it was much more sensitive than the vertical. I set it up in my living room next to the wood stove and recliner chair and did PSK during the Christmas holidays and it worked great despite being indoors. I found the quieter the environment the easier it was to tune, but a good set of headphones would probably have overcome that minor issue. It truly takes about 45 seconds to tune the antenna to your operating frequency and I never had to deal with worse than a 1:2 SWR, and usually was better. I have used it on 7, 10, 14, 18, 21, and 28 MHZ with success. While expensive, I feel it was worth the investment and I have had a blast using it.