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Going to put together my first full loop antennas soon. 👀 #AmateurRadio #HamRadio
in reply to Neil E. Hodges

Only a matter of time after my physically large (but actually small for the band) magloop and the halo sitting in my window. :P
in reply to Neil E. Hodges

Halo antennas are funky:

Although some writers consider the gap in the halo antenna's loop to distinguish it from a small loop antenna – since there is no DC connection between the two ends – that distinction is lost at RF: The close-bent high-voltage ends are connected capacitively, with a RF electrical connection completed through displacement current. Despite the abrupt reversal in voltage across the gap, the RF current bridging the gap is continuous (although possibly momentarily zero).


The gap in the halo is electrically equivalent to the tuning capacitor on a small loop, although its stray capacitance is not nearly as large as needed for a tuned loop: Capacitance is not needed since the halo antenna is already resonant, but since some small capacitive coupling is present anyway, the arms of the dipole are trimmed back from 97% of a quarter-wave each to restore resonance. Moreover, the halo ends are often pressed even closer together, to increase their mutual capacitance and the ends then cut even shorter to compensate, in order to make the radiation pattern even more nearly omnidirectional, and to produce even less wasteful vertical radiation (for a horizontally mounted halo).

in reply to Neil E. Hodges

If you want weird antennas, look for Japanese "hentenna" (ヘンテンナ)...
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