Many thanks to Jon Hudson who shared the following on the SDRplay Facebook page:
In this new video, Mike Harwood compares 4 different active mag loop antenna at various frequencies up to 52MHz using two SDRplay RSPduos which allowed simultaneous spectrum snapshots of the 4 loops in action with real signals.
These are loops from Bonito, Cross Country Wireless, LZ1AQ and Wellbrook.
This is the second of Mike’s antenna comparison videos. He welcomes comments which will help shape the content for future antenna experiments:
Sorry I double posted, thought the first one didn’t go through.
I have a Bonito Megaloop FX and Megadipol and I love them, the loop is better for NVIS and the Megadipol for DX but the antenna that impresses me the most is the Bonito MA305 whip, the performance for it’s size is asthonishing.
Here’s my Kiwi with the Megaloop FX
http://emeraldsdr1.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/
And my Kiwi with MegaDipol
http://emeraldsdr.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/
People can listen to my SDR’s here with Bonito Megaloop FX and Megadipol.
This one uses the Bonito MegaLoop FX ( 15 meter long loop version )
http://emeraldsdr1.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/
This one uses the MeaDipol
http://emeraldsdr.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/
I’ve always been very happy with them. Another one to check out is the Bonito MA305 Whip, it’s performance for it’s size just blows me away every time I use it, I don’t have it connected to any Kiwi as I use it mostly for SWL on my portable radios but it’s simply an amazing antenna for it’s size.
whatever, I’d go for the LZ1AQ forever, imVHo it’s the best of the bunch and offers FAR more config flexibilty than the others, then by the way and as usual YMMV as they used to say
They aren’t reviewing any American loops. I wrote to SDRPlay who said they are reviewing loops basically for consideration of mentioning SDRPlay on their website. That’s their right, of course, but it gives the American market the cold shoulder even tho the SDRPlay units are sold here too. Lots of folks were asking about reviewing the MLA30 series – I doubt they ever will.
Heck it took them this long to even acknowledge that Wellbrook (which has even been given a WRTH award) was practically in their back yard. There was a time when they were recommending Bonito antennas. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.
I doubt they’ll recommend the MLA, not only it’s almost a clone (and I think they saw enough clones of the RSP1), but sincerely I don’t think it may be up to par with other active loop antennas, sure, the performance/price ratio is good, but then, to correct some of the issues the antenna shows, one will need to put his hands at the soldering iron, and at that point, the antenna won’t be original anymore
As for US products, the NooElec balun and LanA HF could allow anyone to put together a much better antenna than the MLA at a fraction of the price of other commercial ones 😉
The LanA amp looks interesting. I am very satisfied the the Wellbrook Medium Apature amp but if I need a second amp I will consider this. https://www.amazon.com/Lana-HF-Barebones-50kHz-150MHz-Capability/dp/B08LP2WD5C
BTW, I put a comment on their youtube page complaining they did not stress test at night or do much true long distance DX weak signal comparisons. I’ll stick with my loop-on-ground which fits in a small backpack. Oh well….
That one is for 50MHz and up, for lower ftequencies there’s this one
https://www.nooelec.com/store/lana-hf-barebones.html
oops, discard it, the one you posted is ok !
Another good preamp, but not cheap, is this one
https://www.dxengineering.com/parts/dxe-rpa-2
The DX Engineering RPA2 you mention below shorted out on me twice. It does NOT have a simple protective circuit to protect from static build up. Won’t be using that one ever again.