Loops

The idea of constructing loops for receiving radio signals is almost as old as the industry itself. Always popular with MW DXers, HF loops have gradually been gaining acceptance. Although signal nulling with such loops is always a difficult challenge, their lower noise characteristics are a big plus for folks in noisy environments, such as condos or apartments. Smaller loops almost always need some sort of amplification and/or matching. If you are building a loop outdoors, Safety First. Make this link a must read. Don't become a statistic!

Commercial Units

• For antennas that cover only MW (or MW / LW) please see the Antennas section of the MW DXing and Broadcasting article

MW and/or SW coverage

• AMLA150 Magnetic Loop Antenna
• An Active Low Cost HF Loop from the UK
• AOR LA400 (via Universal website)
  • eHam review of AOR LA-400
• Chameleon CHA RXL loop
  • Chameleon CHA-RXL SW Receive Loop Antenna review (YouTube)
  • The Chameleon CHA RX1 Amplified Loop Antenna via SWLing.com
  • Chameleon CHA-RXL Stealth Receive Loop Antenna (YouTube)
• Elad Baby/Mini Loops
• GA450 loop (eBay)
  • GA-450 Active Small Loop HF Antenna (YouTube)
• KA7U - 1 Meter Loop Antenna
• The K-W180WLA Battery Powered Active Loop via rtl.sdr
• MegaLoop FX (in German)
• MFJ-1886
• MFJ-1886X 220v version of the above
  • eHam review of the MFJ-1886
• MLA-30 Magnetic Loop Antenna
  • Inexpensive wideband amplified mag loop receiving antenna on eBay
  • David reviews and compares the MLA-30 magnetic loop antenna
  • Reviews of the low-cost MLA30 wide band HF magnetic loop antenna
  • MLA30 Magnetic Loop Antenna Review and Comparison
  • Inside the MLA-30 Active Loop Antenna
• MLA-30 Plus Magnetic Loop Antenna
  • Comparison between MLA30 Plus and Original MLA30 (YouTube)
• NTI MLFX Active loop
• NTI ML060 Active Loop
• Noble Radio RXLP-1 Receive Loop
  • eHam comments on the RXLP-1 Receive Loop
• DX Engineering / Pixel RF PRO-1B Active Loop
  • eHam reviews of the PRO-1B
  • eHam comments on the RF PRO-1B
• SDRplay comparison of 4 popular magnetic loop antennas (YouTube)
• Sony AN-LP1 (via Universal website - discontinued)
• Tecsun AN-48X
  • Radio JayAllen reviews the Tecsun AN-48X AM/LW/SW Active Loop Antenna
• USAP Aperiodic Loop Antenna
• YouLoop

Desktop Active Loops

• Grahn ML3 (page is in German)
• A preliminary review of the PK Loop C-LOOP-HDSW6-18
  • A follow up on the PK Loop C-LOOP-HDSW6-18 Antenna
  • eHam review of PKLoop LW antenna

from SWLing.com

• Larry’s variation of the W6LVP amplified magnetic loop antenna
• The Signal Sweeper-How to Build a Portable Wellbrook Loop Antenna

Wellbrook Antennas

• Wellbrook Communications

EHam reviews of Wellbrook Antennas

• Wellbrook ALA-1530
• Wellbrook ALA-330
  • eHam comments on the Wellbrook ALA-1530 Loop Antenna
  • eham comments on the Wellbrook ALA-330 Loop Antenna
  • eHam comments on the Wellbrook Medium Aperture Loop Antenna ALA100LN
  • eHam comments on the Wellbrook ALA1530S Plus

Other Wellbrook Reviews

• The Pixel Technologies PRO-1A and Wellbrook ALA1530 Active Loop Antennas Compared PDF article
• Wellbrook ALA-1530-Interesting Loop for Small Gardens

W6LVP Loops

• W6LVP Loop with Power Inserter
  • See the bottom of this page for the same loop with a T/R switch for hams
  • eHam Reviews of the W6LVP with T/R switch
  • eHam comments on the W6LVP Loop with T/R Switch #2
• W6LVP Magnetic Loop Antenna Experimenter's Kit
• W6LVP Portable loop

Amateur Radio Loops (transmit capable)

• AEG Ultra Loop RX 40-80-160 (note: Receive only)
  • eHam comments on the AEG Ultra Loop RX 40-80-160
• AlexLoop
• Alpha Antennas Magnetic Loop Antennas page
  • Alpha Antennas Resonant loop reviews (EHam)
• Build the K1FM Loop
• BTV.cz (in Czech)
• Chameleon Antennas
  • eHam review of Chameleon F Loop
  • eHam review of Chameleon F Loop version 2
  • eHam review of Chameleon M Loop
  • eHam review of Chameleon P Loop version 2
  • eHam review of Chameleon Skyloop
  • Various YouTube reviews of Chameleon loops
• Express Precise Loop
• Icom AL-705 Magnetic Loop
• Indoor 20m loop (QRZ forums)
• Magloop
  • Magloop reviews on eHam
• Magnetic Loop Antenna for 160-40m
• MFJ Loops and related
• MLA-S (MMT) v3
• Moonraker Ltd Whizz Loops 13-427
• MRA-QRP 20W QRP Small Loop Antenna
• OM0OET Ultralight Magnetic Loop Antennas
• Practical Communications
  • eHam review of Practical Communications Loops
• PreciseLOOP HG-1 Magnetic Loop Antenna
  • eHam review of the MLA-T
• The Start - HF Copper Loop for 40, 80 and 160m
• Welcome to DJ3TZ's Small Tuned Loop Antenna Page
• WiMo Antennas and Electronics
  • eHam review of the Baby Loop
  • eHam review of the Midi Loop
• Wall Loop for 20m (QRZ.com)
• Wonder Wand Antennas WW-WL750
• W4OP antennas via LNR Precision
  • A review of the W4OP portable magnetic loop antenna via SWLing.com
• 80 Meter Frame Antenna

Homebrew Designs

MW and/or SW

• A Homemade Magnetic Loop Antenna
• A Magnetic Loop Antenna for SWL
• A Wide band active receiving loop
• Australian 1m Loop
• Crossed Parallel Loop Antenna Build (via Radio Hobbyist)
• DXZone-Loop Antennas
• How to make a 5 band frame antenna (YouTube)
• K1FM Mini Magnetic Loop 2.0
• PA3GZK Wide Band Active Loop Receiving Antenna
• The Carpet Loop (via Hard Core DX)
• The Hermes Loop at VK1HW
• The KK5JY Porch Loop Receiving Antenna
• The Small Vertical Loop for HF Reception
• The W2PM Mini Diamond Receiving Flag
• VE1ZAC Magnetic Receive Loop
• WB5DYG Shielded Loop Antennas (PDF)
• Wellgood Loop
• 80/160m Coax Receiving Loops

SWLing.com Articles

Loop on the Ground (LOG)

• Frugal Radio’s Loop On Ground (LoG) Antenna
• Tom builds a portable Loop-On-Ground antenna
• Loop-On-Ground Antenna Part 2: Tom upgrades his low profile, low noise, portable DXing antenna
• Loop-On-Ground Antenna Part 3: Tom’s low-noise, low-profile, portable antenna evolves

Other sites

• The Loop on the Ground (LOG) Antenna
• 160-20m Loop on the Ground (LOG) Discussion Thread

Make Your Own YouLoop

• How to build a noise cancelling passive loop antenna
• Hack a broken VGA Cable to make a binocular ferrite core for your loop antenna
• More about hacking VGA cables to make binocular ferrite cores
• Greyhat's Noise Cancelling Passive Loop tweak (updated)

The Small Unidirectional Loop Antenna (SULA)

• Introduction
• Construction Notes
• Questions and Answers

Various / Other

• Magnet Wire Vertical Loop (stealthy)
• Paul’s large aperture “Volleyball Net” loop antenna
• How to build a passive resonant transformer coupled loop for HF (updated)
• Giuseppe’s portable multi-loop homemade shoe rack antenna

Technical

• A Varactor Tuned Indoor Loop Antenna (PDF)
• Balanced Loop Antenna Preamp/Tuner via eHam
• Electrically Small Resonant Loop for HF ((PDF)
• The G0CWT Small Tuned Loop
• HF active receiving loop antenna
• Joe Carr's Loop Antennas Handbook via Universal Radio
• Wideband Loop Antenna Matching Networks (PDF)
• Making a Receive Loop Antenna
• Zip Cord Rx Loop in 15 Minutes thread

Amateur Radio (Transmit Capable)

• Small Magnetic Transmitting Loop for 80-20 meters
• Portable Small Transmitting Loop for 40-17 meters
• Slinky Small Transmitting Loop
• 40M Spiral Magnetic Loop Antenna. Build a Loop antenna (YouTube)

Loop Amplifiers/Kits

• The AAA-1C Active Antenna Amplifier
• Add on Loop Amplifier
• Amplifier for Internal Antennas
• Cross Country Hi Z Amplifier
• Cross Country Wireless Loop Amplifier
• Loop Amp for Hula Loop SW Radio
• LZ1AQ Active Antenna Amplfier
• MiniKits Loop Antenna Module
• Modified M0AYF Amplifier (PDF)
• RF Preamp Kit
• Wellbrook LA100LN-M (NA version)
• W6LVP Experimenter's Kit
• 2x J310 Push-Pull Low-noise HF pre-Amplifier (30 KHZ - 30 MHZ)

HF Wire Loops

• AS-SAL-30 Mark II Shared Apex Loop Array
• Full Wave Loop Antenna
• Horizontal Loop Antenna Experiments via SWLing.com
• H5ANX Mk4 Delta Loop Design (EHam)
• K4TR Full Wave Loop
  • eHam review of the K4TR Full Wave Loop (80m)
• Loop Antennas (wikipedia)
• MFJ Loop Tuners
• N4KC's Skywire Horizontal Loop
• Palomar Engineers
• RadioWorks - Loop Antennas
• RTL-SDR.com YouLoop
• The Amazing Delta Loop Antenna (YouTube)

Mailing Lists and Facebook

Groups.io reflectors

• Cross Country Wireless
• Loop Antennas

Facebook groups

• Active Loop Antennas
• Loop on the Ground
• Magnetic Loop Antennas
• Magnetic Loop 2.0
• MLA30 User's Group
• 2e0ero Magnetic Loop antennas

YouTube

SDRPlay Reviews

• SDRPlay Comparing the MLA30+ with the Wellbrook
• SDRPlay Comparison of 4 Popular Magnetic Loop Antennas
• SDRPlay Comparing GA-450 to MLA-30 Plus Indoors

Other Reviews

• Comparing the Wellbrook ALA1530 with the Bonito Megaloop FX using the SDRPlay SDR Duo
• Comparing 4 Magnetic Loops for HF
• MLA30 Mods
• Search - Magnetic Loop Antennas
• Types of Magnetic Loop Antennas

• Return to Antennas
• Return to HF Military Communications
• Return to Shortwave Radiogram Gateway