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Re: Loop Wire Spreaders

Gary DeBock
 

Hi Tony, Russ and Farmerik,
 
These are very interesting comments, especially Tony's Afro-comb suggestion :-)
 
I've had good DXing results with 3/8" spacing on the PVC loops up to about the 4' (side) size, but since it's easy to use wider spacing when there aren't so many coil turns, 3/5" spacing was used for most of the larger loops here. With only 4 coil turns on the 9' PVC loop, it was easy to cut 1" spacing, which still made the pipe length only about 6".
 
The problem with wide spacing on the smaller loops is that your loop spreads out excessively, working against the compact design objective. If you really want better DXing performance from a tuned passive loop, it's probably better to move up to a larger loop, rather than trying to increase the spacing between the coil turns.
 
73, Gary  
 
In a message dated 2/15/2010 1:46:51 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, farmerik@... writes:

 

Great idea! 3/8th inch might be good up to a 2 foot loop or so. That is just a guess, not certain. I have thought of using peg board for one inch spacing. - FARMERIK

--- In ultralightdx@yahoogroups.com, "Tony King" wrote:
>
> In making spreaders for Loops I've found a great answer. Those Afro hair
> combs - you know with the long tines -about 8 of them with a flat handle. $2
> shop stuff. Cut the tines (carefully) with pliers to about 1 inch. Screw the
> handle to your loop arm, wire it up and then hotmelt glue the wire to the
> spreader. Taught forever. The spacing of the tines makes the wire spacing
> about 3/8th of an inch - ideal I have read.
>
> Tony King
> Greytown NZ
>
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