OOPS! – Wrong ground loop – LMAO!
If you spend enough time digging through YouTube videos on SWL (Short Wave Listening) and amateur radio antennas you will run into Loop On Ground antennas for receiving. The simple fact is that they do work – not a miracle cure-all for all situations – but rather think of them as another tool in the box.
The “stuff” you need? A beverage transformer – I used a Unified Microsystems BT-75 – available HERE from DX Engineering – two main reasons – cost and cost – at 38 bucks the transformer is inexpensive AND it utilizes 75-ohm coax – far less expensive coax.
For the actual antenna wire itself I used Super Antenna SuperWire readily available HERE through Amazonia – really good stuff! The PTFE insulation is just about forever when buried in the ground – and for long term you really want to get it down into the root bed of your grass to prevent snagging it when walking on your lawn or mowing – or in my particular case having it dug up by my three four-legged excavators – dachshunds for their size can move an unbelievable amount of dirt in almost zero time – and 3 of them? – OMG!
The antenna itself is simple – it’s simply a square of wire 15 feet on each side. You terminate at a corner – one end of the wire to one terminal of the transformer – the other end goes to the other terminal – 75ohm coax to a lightning protector and into the house.
Use a sealing product – I use 3M products – specifically this – available HERE from DX Engineering – the idea being that you want to slow down corrosion / water infiltration and keep your connections as dry as you can for as long as possible.
To actually do the install is really easy – your neighbors might look at you sideways – oh well. Take an edger set to as deep as it will go and dig out a square – 15 feet on a side – stuff the wire down in the “slot” – use landscape pins to keep it in place – put grass seed down in the slot and cover with potting soil – and water regularly for a couple of weeks. Other than “public” opinion – and my neighbors are sure that crazy guy with all the antennas is quite “different” – nobody said anything to me directly about running an edger around in my yard and not along the sidewalk.
One person asked about the termination point.
When I told what it is – and that we are standing on a 60foot antenna – nothing was said – however, the look was priceless – LOL!
(impressive – ain’t it!)
I ran the coax cable into a NOOELEC amplifier (available HERE from Amazoia) – kind of sorta needed since the overall signal strength is very weak – but a whole bunch less noise in most cases – basically the signal to noise ratio is better – for a TMI explanation go HERE . . .
(note the ground clamp- better /more proper grounding generally equals less noise)
The bottom line? – Loop On Ground antennas actually do work quite well – Cure All?? – no one single antenna will work the best on all frequencies during all conditions – but – the LOG antenna gives you excellent tool to pull out of the box and apply to a given situation. There are quite a few YouTube videos detailing layout – construction – and comparisons with other antennas. The “Tube” can be your friend sometimes – there are more things on it besides cat videos or Oliver’s favorite – police K9 chase and chomp videos – LOL!
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