HF Magnetic Loop for Chasing SOTA – Part 2

Chasing SOTA with a HF Magnetic Loop antenna 3 November 2013

Loads of SOTA activity this morning on 40m 7.085, 7.090 and 7.095 MHz.  In preparation for today’s activations I moved the magnetic loop to the front garden and set up the FT857D on the out-door table.

Stations worked on the loop before and after UTC change were:

02/11/13 23:25  Marshall VK3MRG/P on VK3/VN-009 S5-7 R5-6
02/11/13 23:45  Peter VK3PF/2 on VK2/SM-059 S5-8 R5-8
02/11/13 23:59  Allen VK3HRA/P on VK3/VT-001 S5-8 R5-5
03/11/13 00:12  Marshall VK3MRG/P on VK3/VN-009 S5-1 R5-5
03/11/13 00:15  Allen VK3HRA/P on VK3/VT-001 S5-5 R5-8
03/11/13 00:18  Peter VK3PF/2 on VK2/SM-059 S5-7 R5-8
03/11/13 00:38  Ed VK2JI/p on VK2/HU-090 S5-1 R5-8

The 40 band conditions varied from minute to minute.

Fig 1:

Fig 1: Home-brew 1 metre HF Magnetic Loop Antenna

1 metre copper loop with a 200 mm inner loop.  The inner loop is fed with a short length of RG-213.  The inner loop is soldered directly to the coax inner conductor and outer braid.  To tune the antenna adjust the variable capacitor for a low SWR.

For further details of the loop see:

HF Magnetic Loop for Chasing SOTA – Part 1

HF Magnetic Loop for Chasing SOTA – Part 3

Fig 2:

Fig 2: FT-857D and Magnetic Loop

Fig 3:

Fig 3: camera focus on the radio and external meter