Testing the W2LI QRP Loop Antenna
Successfully tested my new W2LI QRP mag loop antenna had made by the folks at Tri Country Radio Association . The TCRA will operate a Special Event Station celebrating its 90 year history of Amateur Radio service over the weekend of October 19-20, 2024. The W2LI antenna is easy to assemble. Push together a few sections of PVC pipe, connect the ends of the LMR-400 coax to the control box and your done. Supply your own feedline from the transceiver to the transmit loop. I added a BNC adapter to the transmit loop since most of my QRP rigs use BNC connectors. I tested the loop in the garage with the antenna mounted on a small camera tripod. The SWR is easy to match: turn the capacitor knob on the tuning box till you hear maximum noise, then hit the tune button on the radio. Fine tune the SWR by slightly adjusting the knob till you get the desired match on the radio- in my case 1.4:1 on the KX3 within a few seconds. I was able to make a 20M QSO using 10W right off the bat with N0