Topband: Sanity Check on K9AY Loop Sensitivity

[m.r.c.]

Be sure to check your high angle receive antennas near Sunset and Sunrise, 
especially during this period of high solar activity and wide polar oval.

A low receiving dipole (10-15 ft) accounted for upwards of 50% of our NA 
contacts from XZ0A, and we were always heard in central-eastern NA on a skew 
path (a greyline duct is the simple explanation)

This was not a strange oddity one day, we were there nearly 4 weeks with 1500W 
into a full size elevated ground plane and a variety of wire RX antennas, and an 
OP on duty on 160 all the grey and dark hours. Listen on the beverages, hear 
nothing at or near sunset,. Listen on the low dipole, hear workable signals.

(this was before custom loop arrays and 4-8-9 circle RX antennas were available 
and finally designed well - we were a multi multi so many low signal designs 
were not possible with other transmitters running. Never the less, high angle 
receive clearly won the battle in the sunset hours )

Robin, WA6CDR,
XZ0A XZ1N, VP6DX


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Waters" <mikewate at gmail.com>
To: "topband" <topband at contesting.com>
Sent: Monday, December 12, 2022 08:13
Subject: Re: Topband: Sanity Check on K9AY Loop Sensitivity


> That's a new one for me! A short Beverage for higher-angle signals. Thanks!
> I need a few of those here for closer stateside signals. :-)
>
> 73 Mike
> W0BTU
>
> On Mon, Dec 12, 2022, 9:55 AM Frank Donovan <donovanf at starpower.net> wrote:
>
>>
>> ... Once you get your loop antenna going you might consider experimenting
>> with alternative loop configurations for improved performance. For example,
>> the VE3DO loop has excellent reviews. K3LR is a big proponent of VE3DO
>> loops.
>>
>> https://www.ok1rr.com/index.php/antennas/8-the-ve3do-receiving-loop
>>
>>  http://audiosystemsgroup.com/VE3DO.pdf
>>
> _________________
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