Topband: VE3DO Loop

[Tom W8JI]

> Not so. Time to put this misconception to rest.
>
> Read my description of K9AY Loop operation in the most recent ARRL Antenna 
> Book and review the description of a DF loop with sense antenna in that, 
> or earlier antenna books.
>
> I have never been able to achieve the same pattern as the loop using 
> close-spaced elements in a phased array. However, a model using a small 
> loop in combination with a nearby short vertical does indeed result in the 
> same pattern. (Feed them with equal currents and 90 deg. phase shift.)
>
> Magnetic lines of force from an arriving wavefront MUST induce currents in 
> a loop. You can't ignore them and assume that the vertical end portions 
> are the only place energy is captured.
>

Gary,

I certainly am not ignoring the horizontal wires. The horizontal component 
of wires, besides supplying phase delay and phase inversion (acting like 
leaky wide-spaced feedlines) adds significant higher angle component to the 
response, which is generally not what we are looking for.

The meaningful lower-angle response all comes from the vertical tilt of 
wires.

As a matter of fact the more perfect the earth below the antenna, the more 
suppressed the high angle content.

This can be clearly seen by anyone if they model a vertical antenna, and 
they models a vertical radius loop antenna. The vertical has a null straight 
up. The loop has a strong response straight up. I can't imagine the 
straight-up response added by the horizontal component of the wire 
contributes much to DX response.

73 Tom