Traveling
Loop
The
challenge on the traveling loop was develop a foldable
magnetic loop antenna that should be easily assembled
and disassembled for QRP HF pack.
This antenna
was constructed after the flight confirmation of a seven
days vacation trip to the paradisiacal Bahia beaches.
I could not
lose the opportunity to test my FT 817 on some of the
most beautiful and desert beaches of the world.
The antenna
is made with coaxial cable shorting the inner conductor
to the braid.
On the extremes
of the loop are the PL 259 male connectors to be attached
to the short circuited females connectors soldered to
a 50 Pico farads split capacitor fixed on the extreme
of the wood boom.
On this antenna
I have mechanically made contacts instead of soldering
the loop extremes to the capacitor, so I optimize the
best possible connections.
On
August 27, 2004 on 14:30 local time I receive a 5 by 9
report from VR2 XMT Charles in Hong Kong, the band was
17 meters and I was running the FT 817 on a DR36 Duracell
battery.
I was carrying
on my pocket a ceramic capacitor soldered to alligator
clips to lower the antenna coverage to 40 meters band,
and I have made many interesting contacts.
I
have the idea to make a excited loop and cable complete
set, that stays on the right place between the acrylic
stick guide and pressed by the coaxial cable middle marked
with a red tape.
Front
and side view on the traveling magnetic loop main structure.
30
CMS Coaxial rolled cable |
18
CMS excited loop |
Shorted
PL259 female connectors |
PL 259 shorted on
the coaxial |
Hand
made press holder |
Excited loop engaged |
Excited
loop in place |
Main
loop pressed by the guide |
Stick guide and
excited loop holder |
Red
marked main loop middle |
Assembled
traveling magnetic loop
PY1
AHD ALEX (Alexandre Grimberg).