20 M mag loop advice
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2025 5:29 pm
Hi, I have a noob question about mag loop antennas.
I inherited a coil of 3/8-inch OD copper tubing.
I would like to build a 20 M magnetic loop antenna for portable operation.
Question - If I'm happy with a narrow band of frequencies (e.g. FT8), can I build one without a tuning capacitor?
Follow up question - How sensitive is the loop to the surroundings. I'm in North Dakota, so I envision putting a tripod with loop a reasonable distance from my car and it will almost always be flat without trees.
Thanks,
Ted, Wo0R
I inherited a coil of 3/8-inch OD copper tubing.
I would like to build a 20 M magnetic loop antenna for portable operation.
Question - If I'm happy with a narrow band of frequencies (e.g. FT8), can I build one without a tuning capacitor?
Follow up question - How sensitive is the loop to the surroundings. I'm in North Dakota, so I envision putting a tripod with loop a reasonable distance from my car and it will almost always be flat without trees.
Thanks,
Ted, Wo0R