Hi Rick:

Thanks for your detailed response - sorry your experience with the Super SAT was not a positive one. I wonder if the design has been improved since that time, since mine operates and performs very well. I picked mine up for $150, which I thought was a very fair price.

The physical stability and hand capacitance issues on the Super SAT are definitely a consideration. While I detailed how I worked around them so that they are not an issue, they are something to keep in mind. I also wish I could get inside the Super SAT to see what is in there, but you're right - it's sealed up like a tomb.

I own two versions of Gerry Thomas' Quantum QX Loops. They are definitely fine pieces of gear (even though I had to repair one due to a bad layout/shorting of the components on the circuit board), but I simply hear more DX on the Super SAT because of the larger capture area and ease of fine-tuning, as well as the fact that it is easily coupled to an Ultralight without the need for a coupler. I don't doubt that the Quantum Loop has a superior regen amplifier circuit, but I haven't heard any meaningful difference after weeks of comparisons. We'll see how the Super SAT holds up quality-wise over the coming months, though: other than the circuit board issue, the Quantum Loops have held up great.

I based my comparison with the Kiwa Loop based on how the Kiwa has been compared to the Quantum QX loop in other reviews (I saw the same performance differences WRT the Super SAT) and the physical similarity of the main coil. You're right, the azimuth control of the Kiwa is a definite plus. That said, after putting my Super SAT in an azimuth cradle and solving the hand capacitance issue, and having operated a Kiwa a couple years ago, I would offer that the precision and performance are quite close to the Kiwa, though certainly not as elegant. It would be nice to do a side-by-side comparison, but $500-$700+ for a Kiwa is a bit steep for me at this time :-)

In the end, it likely comes down to what you plan to use it for and personal preferences? If I mostly used a desktop receiver, the Quantum Loop would be a good choice because of the flexibility and ease of use, even though the signal-to-noise isn't as good. With Ultralights, though, I hear more with the Super SAT.

Thanks - Kevin

--- In ultralightdx@..., Rick Robinson <w4dst@...> wrote: