Finished Backpack Loop 2.0 and accessories assembled together
Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, TomL, who shares the following update about his homebrew Backpack Shack 2.0 portable loop antenna:
Quick Field update
by TomL
This is just a quick Field Update for my Backpack Shack 2.0 antenna. It is not the most powerful antenna but in the right location it can be useful, especially with using an SDR. It was used during February in two Forest Preserve (County Park) locations outdoors and once from my usual Grocery Store parking lot!
Field Recordings
Please excuse some of the computer generated noises (caused by a slow CPU) as well as some audio connector problems on a couple of recordings.
Each Time is in UTC and Frequency in kHz. Where can you hear unique programming like these samples except Shortwave Radio??? Enjoy!
VOA, @03:00 on 6080 kHz in English from Sao Tome towards Africa (backside of their antenna, opposite of my location)
China Radio Int’l, @23:00 on 9415 kHz in Vietnamese from Beijing (not sure if this traveled around Antarctica to get to me or a backside of their antenna over the North Pole?)
WHR, @15:59 on 9965 kHz in Korean from T8WH Palau
Mighty KBC, @01:48 on 6150 kHz in English from Nauen Germany (announcer sound effects included!)
Voice of Greece, @20:34 on 9420 kHz in Greek from Avlis (unique stylized Greek music, INTERESTING artistic expression)
Vatican Radio, @20:27 on 9660 kHz in English from Vatican City to Africa
WINB, @21:30 on 9610 kHz in English from Red Lion, PA USA (a FUN song about promoting Radio listening!)
I will be working on a larger version of this antenna to transport in my car as well as a small VHF loop antenna for the outside deck for Air/Police/Weather scanning.
Hope to report sometime this Spring.
Thank you so much for the update, Tom! It looks to me like you’re having an amazing time with you homebrew loop in the field!
As always, keep us in the loop! (Yeah…bad pun, I know!)
You always impress me with this antenna. I’ve been meaning to update my antenna which is a simple loop of wire using a differential long tail amplifier. I’ve been thinking of trying to build one of those crossed co-planar loops that LZ1AQ has described on his site to see if that would improve my amplifier’s reception.