The Amazing Delta Loop Antenna

Let's have a play with Delta Loops. Horizontal, Vertical and Sky-Loop style. Fascinating stuff. Callum.
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[@ke4gbe]

I've been running a delta loop on 40 meters for years, feeding it with a 4:1 balun at the bottom. This antenna beats dipoles, OCFs, anything else I have tried. It's mounted between two trees with the the feed point at about 25 feet, the top about 65 feet. I'm on the east coast, and can often work European stations while running 5 just watts. I have worked New Zealand as well as Ireland, and many EU stations while QRP with this simple antenna! Over the years, I have learned of an additional benefit - because the wire can move through the end support insulators , it isn't stressed in the wind like other wire antennas, and can slip a little. I also have a 40 meter vertical as a reference, and under all conditions the loop blows it away. Great to find your video!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Ah! Nice job :) Thanks for the visit!

[@samuelpoindexter5853]

I’m using a 20m, full wave, vertical delta loop, in a perfect equilateral triangle, fed 1/4 wave from the apex with a 4:1 balun. What a great antenna. VERY QUIET, low take off angle, and somewhat manually directional if you turn it. I used a plastic coat hanger and 3 foot wooden dowel to keep the wire straight at the feed point. The antenna bottom is 10 feet off the ground. You can lay it out on the ground and tape the insulators in place prior to hanging, to maintain the triangle.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Nice.

[@anthonycosta1776]

I have an 80 meter horizontal delta loop fed at one corner with 450 ohm ladder line. It's up at 70 feet. On 40 and 20 meters It's a killer antenna. I work from virginia VKs and Zls with 800 watts. I get 59 reports regularly. It's a flame thrower. 🔥 Forget a balun at the feedpoint. Use ladder line with a 1.1 current balun at the shack with a short coax. By far my best wire antenna I ever used. Especially on 40 and 20.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Outboard ATUs and balanced line great.. I found a little difficult when changing bands fast.

[@davidbridge3542]

Spent yesterday playing around with a delta loop with a 4:1 balun. Everything you said rang perfectly true and just reinforced everything I had done. Thanks for the video and the 2m beam sounds interesting. Crack on with it...

[@jeffdyer2393]

I use a vertical delta loop cut for 30 meters feed 2 ft up one side with 300 ohm twin lead to a manual tuner. It works great 40-6 meters will tune 80 with diminished results. Best antenna I have ever used. Great dx.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Sounds great!

[@KB1QYH]

It's not only about gain, but also signal to noise ratio. I've used vertical delta loops for both 20 and 40 meters fed with a balun in the lower corner, and they were by far the best antennas I've ever used, even beating my hexbeam on 20m by 3-5 S-units to multiple European stations. 20 also stayed open more than 45 minutes after it closed up on the hexbeam. Absolutely incredible antenna the Delta Loop is.

[@jamesabc372]

This sounds like a antenna I need to try to hold back the noise! My apex is pointing down and I will use 450 ohm window line and 4:1 balun. So this will be vertical and I want it to be vertically polarized. Where to put the the window line on the V legs if you know thanks!

[@exterC0ffx]

Hi Cal, I ran a vk2abq design for 10,15,20 plus 40,80 with an atu. Yes direct using coat buttons as insulators produced a 1/4 cycle phase shift. Mine was horizontally polarized and what a performer. An interesting build concept so the ABQ design is also a possibility for any band. Great work mate enjoy your presentations!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Ah cool!

[@allenc28]

The advantage of a vertically polarized delta loop (point up, fed at 0.25 wavelengths down a side) over a ground mounted vertical is that you don't need to create a ground plane to get similar performance.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

And that they become more bi-directional

[@robertharden4092]

Thank you my brother from another mother love you my man. Love your content. KC9LRA. Bob Indiana.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

You rock!

[@jimjungle1397]

I've tried a couple of delta loops with a point at the top, but have always gone back to a flat top, where practical. Feeding a quarter wavelength from a point is supposed to have a similar effect as feeding a square loop being fed from the side for vertical polarization, but with a delta loop it may not be perfectly vertically polarized. If the three sides aren't the same length, the gain or directivity won't be as high or as sharp and impedance can change. Think of that as going from an isosceles triangle to a folded dipole and the shapes in between. Fed at the bottom center, regardless of orientation of the triangle and it should be horizontally polarized. Most simple 4:1 baluns are voltage baluns. What is desired for antenna matching is a current balun. It is the current that need balancing, not the voltage. Note that a folded dipole is the same length of wire flattened out. A folded dipole has about a 300 ohm impedance. As it is opened up, into either a triangle or a square, the impedance is reduced. A square loop has about 100 to 150 ohm impedance, while a triangle might not be much different. To get 200 ohms, one of the flats of the triangle might be lengthened, while shortening the other two flats. For an isosceles triangle, I tune as a square loop and use an electrical quarter wavelength of 75 ohm coax at the feed point. For using a 4:1 balun, I would lengthen one side, shortening the others and / or lengthen the whole loop. If all three ides are equal and the loop isn't too big, the impedance should be closer to 120 to 150 ohms, than 200 ohms. If the loop is made on the small side, the impedance can drop to less than 100 ohms, reducing gain, but able to be fed with straight 50 ohm cable.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Very fine analysis!

[@kristiangronberg3150]

I used to have a loop antenna on 80 meters, horizontal, it feeds the rf up so it's great for in country contacts, about 1000 km depending on the height of the antenna. Comparing to a 80m dipole it's much better and quiet on the band, so great for listening, I could hear stations that could not hear me because it's few s units lower on the noise floor. And that's an easy problem to fix with power. So yes I think a loop antenna is great for bands like 160m, 80m and even 40m just because the noise floor is better. For 2m and 70cm the loop feed and reflector on a yagi antenna gives you a couple off extra db even if rest off the elements are stick's Another thing with loops is that if you connect two together on 100 ohm feed point you get 50 ohm so it's easy to do a stack. In Finland we have a lot off this old phone wire laying around, it's parallel cable coming out to around 100 to 110 ohm and you can split the cable and build your whole antenna out off it and the feed line is a part off the antenna. Thanks for the great video and keep up the great work 👍

[@nicolaignazio]

I stumbled upon this channel while searching information about loop antennas, I work on-chip, so totally different wavelengths (100 GHz) and radically different approaches, but it was very fun to watch this video.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Wow.. How amazing! Thanks for the visit.

[@MirlitronOne]

Bear in mind that satellite TV coax is 75 ohm, low loss and dirt cheap ('cos they sell so much of it).

[@seymourcpt]

Built delta loop for 10 meters fed in the corner with 75 ohm coax and this worked awesome 10 meters ff the ground.swr perfect with zero noise.Worked all the corners of the world with ease.ZS1CPT

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Nice work!

[@warrenphillips69]

Hello! In CT myself, I'm making one for SSB CB.

[@DonDegidio]

Hi Cal, Nice to review these older videos to refresh the aging memory. Happy Easter to you and the family and stay safe. 73 WJ3U

[@jesselannigan2300]

Thank you Callum for the great info on delta loops. I am planning on setting one up here in the near future. If I can fit it in my yard, I'm going to try a 40 meter loop. I've heard that these antennas are good for low noise receive. I guess we'll find out. 73, K7AXA

[@paulhastings3109]

One of my favorite antenna

[@cliffyoung5712]

I am building a M0PLK version of the Delta Loop Cal. So I will have to choose from my 135ft OFCD, The Delta and my new 12.4 as soon as I get it built (I ordered the missing bolts on Amazon) dont worry about the cost Cal, go have a couple of pints, you earned it getting the 12.4 designed and tested :)

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Bless you brother!

[@terrybell8805]

Great Video.I have a loop antenna about 250 m long fed with open wire feed line then to a 4:1 balun. It out performs any other antenna I have used on HF.

[@magnusb6311]

Great video Callum. 3rd option of feeding is by using a ladder line instead of coax and then using a tuner. The benefit of this is that you can use any band over the full wavelength loop you made it for (and depending on tuner sometimes other bands too). I once had a point down delta loop for 80m hanging between 2 pine trees. It was working very well on 80, 40 and 20m but on 17m I tended to always end up in Ethiopia with even the band seem to be closed I was getting +40 to +50db reports down there. Had a big laugh about it. Somewhere I learned that Square loops actually is slightly better than Delta loops and the best loop would be one completly round. The reason should be that the bigger the surface area the higher the gain. It would be nice to see you expand on that. 73 de Magnus SM6WET

[@DXCommanderHQ]

OK, I tend to disagree unless you were looking at NVIS. The thing about a triangle is at least you get real gain SOMEWHERE...

[@magnusb6311]

@@DXCommanderHQ OK, so what my point is not a NVIS low hanging horizontal loop but a vertical loop or several elements vertical loop. Example a squared 2el quad would give slightly more gain than a 2el Delta loop.

[@grumpyken9151]

thanks for another interesting video. always looking for new antenna designs to experiment with. I'll give this a try on 11 meters in the attic crawlspace

[@joeframo3347]

Hey DX Commander I'm back I've been away from radio for a while and I'm just getting back into good to see you love that antenna my favorite 🙏

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Welcome back!

[@olebuchras]

This summer I have been using a delta loop cut for 20 m band (20.7 m)hanging top 11 m in my flagpole and stretched to East West and basic line is 5 m over ground. I'm feeding it in the low angle/ site with an open wire feeder going to my S-match tuner. I can tune from 40 to 6 meter with perfect 1:1. I guess on 40m not the best effiency but it works. On 20 and 10 m lots of north and south America with FB rprts (CW) and 100W. Its a very quiet antenna so a pleasure to listen on different bands. Setting up a fullsize 40m loop same way feeding, but hanging north/ south. Expect to tune it on 80m. But feeding with open wire feeder giving you less loses. Between tx and tuner I have a CMC for protection current coming ng back to tx/ mic/ keyer!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Ah cool!

[@bigfootape]

You can build a 3:2 autotransformer type balun with an 11:9 turns ratio. I suspect they aren't generally available commercially due to the improvement in power delivery being marginal in most circumstances, although I haven't investigated it heavily.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Clever!

[@revcon2050]

balun is available on ebay from seller in France.

[@AJSTOCKTON]

Thanks, I use a 40m Vertical Rectangular Loop. The bottom wire is only 6.5 ft from the ground. It’s fed 1/2 way down one of the vertical legs. It’s magic on the ears being in the city. The height at the top wire is close to 25ft. Works great on 40/20/15/10/6m. Just need a nudge of the ATU on 30/17/12. -AJ NK4O

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Great tip!

[@Kw1161]

The AARL handbook used to have a section on that so your UK clubs might also. As for the fiberglass poles the two meter set-up looks like just the size of a 1 man tent. They might even have ready made replacements you can buy minus the tent.

[@DonzLockz]

I really appreciate your antenna video's Callum. Just have to save them cause I forget alot. lol

[@fitcher-armchair-sleuth]

I've built a lot of loops over the years and have always made coaxial matching transformers for them from 75 ohm rg-59, or the bigger rg11. I used an 80 meter horizontal-loop for years and loved it, but couldn't keep it up in the Canadian winters. Anyway, high-q baluns "might" be better and cheaper then some long length of 75 ohm cable. I'd go for a 40 meter vertical. Of course that means lots and lots of long radials.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yes, I did that once - and superb for single band vertical delta loops.. Ideally, that's a mono-bander anyway so a 75 ohm matching stub is probably the best way to go.

[@carypeaden4147]

Your videos are excellent. Thank you!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

You are welcome!

[@anthonycosta1776]

My 80m delta up 22 meters is fed with 420 ohm ladderline. I use a 1:1 5kw balun. Tunes perfectly. Wide range not touchy.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Lovely.

[@magnusb6311]

Another funny story about Delta loops..... Me, Tomas SM6XMY, Tim M0URX and another op I cant remember the call of went to Aitutaki, Cook Islands in 2005 on a vacation DX expedition. We set up a Delta loop on 80m, between 2 high palm trees. We tuned it and started hearing 2 stations on 80m SSB. Turns out it was 3 G-stations in England having one of those morning nets. We did a break and someone let us in, we gave our call and told where we were at and then we were yelled out for disturbing their net. hahahaha. 73 de Magnus SM6WET

[@alexdokic5567]

Aitutaki, my idea of Paradise!

[@magnusb6311]

@@alexdokic5567 Mine too, keep going back.

[@alexdokic5567]

If someone called me from The Cook Islands, my Heart would skip a beat!, Callum makes some very interesting videos 73 Alex M0KVA

[@DXCommanderHQ]

HAHAHA! I think Tim told me that story :)

[@py2bnd-sota411]

Ohhhh... That's too cool 🤣🤣😂😂👍👍

[@express3158]

Horizontal delta loop is 100 ohm on resonant frequency and harmonics. You need 2:1 balanced to unbalanced auto transformer wound on 43 material toroid. Works 160 trough 6m very well. 20 ft high dx all over the world. 5 ft high enough for continent wide coverage.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Oh heck.. Been running 4:1 for YEARS on horizontal loops with 4:1. Clearly need a better rig / SWR meter! Now VERTICAL loops.. They are around 100 ohms. Agreed.

[@stevegordon2869]

I’ve got 100ft of rg6 to 4:1 balun to 80m delta loop. Do need tuner on 80m all other bands just hit tune button. Works good. S w r is out of range of internal tuner on 80m

[@stevegordon2869]

Is resonant at 3.4 mhz s w r good on 40m 20m 17m 15m 12m 10m

[@DXCommanderHQ]

SO if it's resonant on 3.4MHz.. You could shorten it a whisker and pull it up to about 3.6Mhz then it SHOULD be resonant on all bands. But it will tune very easily with a tuner with very little loss.

[@mewrongway]

Awesome info Callum! Thanks!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

You bet!

[@k1gmmgreenmountainmaniac251]

Hi Callum, my delta's be them single or parasitic are all horizontally polarized. I did run a 2 element delta array on 75 meters and was absolutely lethal. Just like the 40 meter array which my wife promised she would bury me with it in my coffin. Not even coiled neatly. I found they take on a totally different characteristic when going to 2 elements. Monobander always! One last thing, 2-4 s units quieter over a dipole and smokes the vertical as well in quietness. Not as good long haul dx system though. Not as low angle as a well set up 75 meter 2 elly vertical array. The 80m delta I've had up for a long time is useless for 3k mi+ dx but 2k and closer is wicked. Quiet! Humiliates a dipole in every way! I put up a dipole for diversity and realized how much of a load of crap a dipole is. I was swamped with noise I couldn't even hear on the delta. No contest! Lastly, a delta configured apex down fed from the bottom apex naturally decouples from the ground allowing you to run them lower. My feed points are around 6 feet off the ground except for the 20 meter loops. Tops are at around 65 ft. The only antenna that beat the 2 element 75 meter delta was 75 meter moxon at 60 feet. That was amazing. Just real world data for your viewership. I do live in a very unique qth. Diploes suck and would never ever run one after experiencing the " loop life."

[@k1gmmgreenmountainmaniac251]

Gee wizzer, I meant to add that the 80 meter mono delta I have up now is a dragon on 30 meters. Workin' the planet on zombie with power a mosquito could sip on. Thing is nuts! it is matched with a 1/4WL of RG11x.85 VF. Spankedeli-icous from 3.5 to 4 meg. Tuner required either side of killbox (3.7 to 3.880 MHZ).

[@DXCommanderHQ]

"Humiliates a dipole in every way" - Love that description Steve!!

[@on4vrt]

It is the perfect opportunity to work remote from next door. I would leave the radio shack where it is right now.

[@revcon2050]

Please note that delta loops have almost no receive noise when compared to other antennas. My noise level is 3 s-units lower than my home brew 2 element 20 meter yagi. I use 300 ohm balanced line from the loop to outside wall of shack, then from 300 ohm into a 4:1 balun to my tuner with RG8X (50 ohm Should be 75 ohm) to my antenna tuner. My 20 meter loop is polarized vertical because I like working dx. My loop works on all bands from 20 meters to 6 meters with 1:1 swr. I could just go strait into my tuner with the 300 ohm balanced line, but I don't because there are times where the 300 ohm line may (Almost never) radiate a little in the shack. I won't take any chances. I get plenty of radiation from my doctor and dentist .. thank you! My 300 ohm balanced line is connected 1/4 wave from the apex of the 20 meter loop. There is a better way to match the line, but it involves making an unun with a ratio of 1.25:!. I've constructed one of these unun, but haven't made an enclosure for it yet. When put in service, the unun will match the 300 ohm balanced line to the ~120 ohm loop tap point. I think the delta loop is by far the best antenna I've used in 60 years. It's simple and costs very little. 73 .... Lee/W7OSS

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Ah good for you..!

[@meggalavk3ktt]

my delta loop is 43.7 m long fed with a 4 to 1 balun in a bottom corner i added a 20m parasitic element and it also work on 80m.this antenna also works on 20m and other bands i have worked over 200 dxcc on 40m with this antenna more than 100 in ssb or cw.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Nice

[@garryhammond3117]

So... ...Callum... I'm considering a random length (300-400 feet long) delta loop using 3 trees plus a 50 foot tower as anchor points (a quad, I guess). It will be anywhere from 30 to 50 feet off the ground, depending on which tree your are at. Each "leg" will be a different length. I will feed it with open wire ladder line at the tower support (~ 75 feet from the transmitter). What kind of performance would I expect from this arrangement? - I'm planning on using a tuner for all freq. - Thanks! - Cheers!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

It'll be fine! Ladder line too. Easy! I have a video already in stock about to be released about this. Hang on!

[@garryhammond3117]

@@DXCommanderHQ Sweet! - Thanks - I'll be looking for it. - Cheers!

[@blsemetan7232]

Delta Loop has less ground noise vs a dipole... that makes it worth the extra wire. ; )

[@brianfields4479]

Great video. Loops make good rx ants. If you haven't got much space, a half grounded loop works great for long haul dx. Happy Easter cal. Zl3xdj

[@petersmith5199]

Wow! So much info. Thanks!

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Our pleasure!

[@itsonlyme9938]

Hi Callum I used my 40 m delta loop with 4 to 1 balun at first on the bottom section the problem I had that the 100 ohm impedance of the loop into the 200 ohm balloon due to the mismatch it dissipated a lot of heat when 400watts passed through it. I then tried open wire transmission fed at the top and made myself a home brew balance matcher called a link coupled matcher no balloon was used worked stateside like shelling peas fed at the top is halfway between vertical and horizontal polarization which also I could work inter G.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Ah OK.. Yes depends on the orientation. Horizontal will give you higher impedance.

[@itsonlyme9938]

@@DXCommanderHQ Feeding at the apex or at the bottom and I have measured it 100 ohm.

[@jimzellmer5789]

Been watching oncein a while, 2 or 3 years. You are a bit of a character, although your Mohawk is a bit subdued. Good work the the antenna software. Wire antennas are fun.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Haha yes, the haircut is gradually coming into line!

[@kevinkc3onohelijeepworld953]

Working on a 40m delta atm plan to feed with 600ohm and at the top hopefully at 80’ high strung between my two maple trees.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Nice

[@jessemazo4791]

ah another project for the garage, can utilize the peak of the south side to hand the top of the V since im receive only!? couldnt i just terminate right at a corner?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Could do. Sure.

[@richarde735]

DX Commander Delta Loop with Multiple Bands

[@williamsteele5729]

What if you made one of the legs on the vertically polarized loop vertical? Then put the point on a fiberglass pole. It would then be like a side-ways loop. Would love to see the analysis of that.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Oh yes, I see.. I'll add it to the list.

[@bamabeesqueens]

I have not found very many videos on bobtail curtain antenna. Have you looked at this type antenna.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

OK, so I have not (yet) built one myself sorry!

[@sdmay1980]

I'm running somewhere around 280ft Horizonal loop with 2:5:1 balun. Right now, it's in the shape of a triangle as myself and an old high school classmate/ham buddy helped me get it up, but we ran out of daylight. When the foliage falls off the trees again then we are going to stretch it where it will be more in the shape of a rectangle. I was wondering if it will bring down the resonance. I know it will have more ground inside of it but I don't know what will change. I have been licensed for 6 months and already gotten every continent but Africa. On 40 meters I have gotten Japan which was at night which I'm really not much on the air then. On 80 meters its more NVIS as its maybe 45-50ft in the air at its highest point. Thank You Callum for your videos and any information. Stephen KI5VUH

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Resonance on shape.. Not much. Frankly I prefer triangles.. But try it!

[@Lee_Adamson_OCF]

This is very apropos, as I've been looking into making a vertical delta loop. But what if I tried to multiband it by feeling it straight with 450 ohm window line, straight off a balanced tuner, no baluns (other than what's inside the tuner)?

[@ke4gbe]

Using 450 ohm ladder line is supposed to be the best feed method, because it does let you tune the entire line. In practice, the hard part is keeping it away from metal objects that don't detune it... and for me, the connection point was easy to break.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Yes, that will work. WHat is the definition of "work"? Sounds like a video.

[@sallyscott9923]

Hi Callum, I've got a question for you. Does a 3 element Delta loop radiate the same way as a single element Delta loop. Or does the single element have to be turned 90 degrees and radiate off the side of the element? I'm unclear as to how the antenna radiates whether it's off of the sides or face-on :)

[@DXCommanderHQ]

OK.. big topic.. If it's vertically polarised (feedpoint at 1/4 wavelength from top of the triangle, assuming pointy end up) then radiation is through middle.. Like a yagi, if you add a reflector, at around 5% larger, you will have more gain in one direction.. Similar if you add a director.. I THINK this is what I am understandding by your question.

[@sallyscott9923]

Thank you Callum, I've since learnt that with a horizontal polarisation configuration (bottom fed "V" triangle) if the wire is pointing north to south then is the antenna radiating east to west? (i.e. face on)?

[@goobercrow198]

Any chance of you showing the radiation plot of the horizontal loop? I know you mentioned it was a bit directive off each side but also interested in take-off angle?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Ah.. OK, soon..

[@paulhastings3109]

What do you think about Balun designs 2.5:1

[@DXCommanderHQ]

I think it's a 2.5:1 balun! Sorry Paul! Actually I don't know..

[@thormusique]

Great video, Callum! I know you've experimented with the 'loop on ground' approach fairly recently. I can't help but wonder how the delta loop would work (if it even would) in a LoG configuration. Is that something you've tried? Is it worth even trying? Would it not work? Would it propagate only towards those alien civilisations at the centre of the earth? Does the earth not even have a centre because it's flat? Those poor aliens. What if the earth is flat *and* vertical? I know, I should probably seek help, cheers! ;-)

[@DXCommanderHQ]

It would work fine. Low noise and enough signal to hear.. I was using the "square" today on 20m. Worked pretty well..

[@RosssRoyce]

Look at a light source slowly inhaling through nose to sneeze! No balun needed!!

[@antennafarmer7380]

That's quite a thumbnail you've got there.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Lovely tree!

[@TheLightningStalker]

@@DXCommanderHQ It's flattering!

[@californiakayaker]

Yes. Excellent , I've tried to do (McMana Gal or something like that) some antenna software. The one your using looks good. . I've read about others. Which one are you using ? At this point I have a horizontal 160m skywave loop which works very well.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

OK, so this is MMANA-GAL

[@californiakayaker]

@@DXCommanderHQ I've even gotten messages to people in the UK using that loop and JS8CALL I guess I should try again for MMANA-GAL

[@warrenphillips69]

Is the loop connected or is it a length of wire in a triangle shape?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Connected to a 4:1 balun.. Effectively the centre of the coax goes one way around thew loop and the braid of the coax goes the other way.

[@onewolf3750]

Callum, thanks for your videos. on the 2M with the reflector, how far apart are the loops?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Try q/wave. Reflector 3% bigger.

[@MacroPassion]

have a question how much influence does a metal mast have on a horizontal polarized delta loop best regards PE2NAN. Henk.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

I would not have thought a lot. Bottom line is that if you are getting a proper tune out the thing, it'll work..

[@MacroPassion]

@@DXCommanderHQ I'm going to try it out thank you 73 Henk.

[@gam67]

Would you recommend a Delta Loop as an upgrade to the EFHW ?

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Try it. You will be hooked!

[@forddude1976]

Hi I bought a delta loop for 11m as it's a lighter and I won't panic every time they is a bit off wind but it fell down and it's setting went off so now the swr is really high. Does anyone know what length the legs should be thank you

[@DXCommanderHQ]

For ABOUT 27.3MHz centre of band, if it's a whole delta loop, it should be between 10.5 and 10.8m depending on the wire used.

[@forddude1976]

@@DXCommanderHQ thank you for your help. Does it matter the size of each section?.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

(sorry for late reply on this) If it's a loop that goes all the way around, slight changes to dimensions don't matter, no.

[@forddude1976]

@@DXCommanderHQ oh great thanks for your help I'm trying today to get it up and running finger crossed

[@kd8opi]

Question - if I built a 20 m, vertically polarized, delta loop, and then added either a director or reflector to it to get gain in the desired direction, will I still receive the same gain on the harmonics?

[@ke4gbe]

No, the spacing would be wrong for multiple bands. But it should work well on 20m with either a reflector or director. With a reflector, you can have useful nulls.

[@kd8opi]

@@ke4gbe but can’t you adjust the spacing, lose some swr, some ftb, on close bands… like 20 and 15?

[@ke4gbe]

@@kd8opi Well, there would be some interaction between the elements on 20 and 15, but unpredictable. If you have the optimum spacing for a 20m loop and a reflector, just spitballing it at 10 feet apart, but on 15m it needs to be only 6 feet apart to have effective gain. You'll get a little coupling, but a weird pattern. You could build it with a separate 15m element inside of the 20m ones, though. I have thought about trying that, say a 30m inside a 40m delta loop. However, it would probably be a bad match on both bands! I have read where you can take a 40m delta loop and put a tuning stub of balanced line in the center of the top tuned for 20m, that will then give you either a full loop on 40 or two end-fed full wave verticals on 20. A neat trick!

[@kd8opi]

@@ke4gbe yeah, I thought of doing a multiple triangle approach, it wouldn’t be that hard really. Spacing isn’t as much as you think, it’s only 6 - 7 ft or so; but you can move it around. The rule of thumb is that you can get a really sharp front back, at the expense of some bandwidth and SWR, but if you’re OK with a front back of let’s say 10 dB instead of 15 dB, you can get away with spacing the elements a little closer. I’m convinced that a 20 m loop with a reflector would really be great, if I could add 17 and 15 It would be even better. I’ve already got the parts in order from Wireman, I’ll just have to build it and find out. The good thing is I have such tall trees, I can raise this loop so that the bottom will be 25 feet off the ground.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

NO, you will get clover leafs etc.

[@AA2SD]

Thanks Callum for the overview on Delta Loops, it's my first time being testing this type of antenna. After watching your videos and learning, I built a 10 meter version on my POTA activation, and the antenna did very well. I also duplicated the same antenna at home, it's very quiet and great for 10 Mtrs. Here is my 10 meter version I used a week ago in Salem River NJ kzbin.info/www/bejne/aJ3Kk4xnl8l8aNk

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Great work!

[@marklowe7431]

Oh so quiet. This is why i like quads over beams.

[@abrahamnorthhampton3327]

Callum, when you looked at the inverted loop (vertex at the bottom, base at the top) you said you didn't see the point since the performance is not markedly better than a dipole. Isn't the answer that the delta loop would be a "quieter" antenna in a noisy environment? For instance, in a suburb, where there are all sorts of spurious noise generators. I am relatively new to this craft and am learning a lot from your videos! Thank you!

[@ke4gbe]

That's been my experience, a quieter antenna, at least against a ground mounted vertical. Feeding it at the bottom should give you the shortest possible feedline too.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Ah - good point. But I have receive loops and dedicated RX stuff these days. You are right though!

[@abrahamnorthhampton3327]

@@DXCommanderHQAs a suburbanite, I am so jealous of the diversity of antennas you have at your disposal!

[@Bob814u]

Woo Hoo got it 14 seconds after posting!!! LOL!!

[@DonzLockz]

RG59 or RG6 = 75 ohm

[@4X4-RADIO]

Callum, You are clearly "MAD" Master Antenna Designer... Given you appear to be a Whiz with MMA... Can I give you a mission Mr Callum.?? The Delta Loop appear to have an impedance/Z of @ 100~120 What happens if you "nest" 2 on the same axis, i.e inside each other..?? Say 1 on 50.200MHz and 1 on 70.200, they are not harmonically related, so what happens..?? This post will "not" self-destruct in 5 secs (Start theme tune to well known TV Show)

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Same principles (I think) as a fan dipole (if not harmonics).

[@cliffyoung5712]

1/4 wave 75 ohm stub Cal

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Thats it!

[@antenaseinterfacescb]

Hello Callum, I´m a CB enthusiastic, I´m running my delta loop upside, fer 11 meters, feedding in the bottom with a tradicional monoband 75 ohms with 1,86 meter of coax, supported in two 4 meters rod fish. Have 1: 1:1 SWR from 26,980 to 27,750 with great results, a directional antenna, you could see a QRP QSO to Qatar with 10 watts kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKanhWiLg5eIasU. Tks fer fantastic explanation, now i´m thinking put another in the Farm like a vertical Delta Loop. 7351 and good contacts Callum Paulo.

[@DXCommanderHQ]

Don't be too concerned about SWR... There's a fundamental myth with CB (not you I am sure) that SWR is everything.. But sounds like a great job!

[@antenaseinterfacescb]

@@DXCommanderHQ tks Callum, yes that's true I have a T2LT fer 27Mhz that works with 1 1:4, that's normal for that type of antenna. Tks again fer nice explanation you are doing a great job. 73 and good contacts

[@paulhastings3109]

Made it 12 minutes

[@paulhastings3109]

I asked for 4:1 and was told #25113

[@ncphotos]

Great video! de W2CSI