Radio Communication

Transmission of signals between various locations.

Antenna Systems

Devices used to propagate signals between transmitters and receivers.

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Folks that are smart enough to be prepared.

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The Carpet Loop
-- A High Performance Indoor SW Antenna Designed by David Moisan, N1KGH

Introduction

There are many shortwave listeners who can't, because of location, infirmity or a unyielding landlord, put up an outside antenna. Such people are given two choices--random wire or active antenna. Yet, for the serious listener, neither choice is completely adequate.

Active antennas are expensive, apt to generate as much noise as signal, and are prone to overload. Random wires are cheap (cheapest, in fact) and easy to put up, but are unpredictable performers. Both subject the receiver to intermod, spurious signals and other trash.

The Carpet Loop II is an ideal step upward for the listener who wants something better than a random wire but doesn't want the expensive dice roll of an active antenna.

The Carpet Loop is made up of two components: A tuner, and the antenna cable itself; the cable can be either 5-conductor rotator cable or 4-conductor flat phone cable, both readily available from Radio Shack and elsewhere. The tuner couples the antenna to the radio, forming a (giant!) L-network. To tune the antenna, you turn a switch for best reception.

While NO antenna can give a cheap receiver the sensitivity, selectivity, or dynamic range it never had, the Carpet Loop will help you get the last ounce of performance out of your radio.

Several years ago, I was using a random wire. I had severe problems with a local AM station (2 miles away) on 1230 Khz. I was hearing intermod from it all over the 9 to 12 Mhz range.

With the Carpet Loop (which was then just the cable), the interference was almost completely gone. Also, the signals I was receiving seemed to be just a little bit stronger. A year later, I built the tuner, with much better results. I'm convinced I have the best possible antenna for my location.

If you're stuck in an apartment, if you have a portable like the Sony 2010, the Sangean 803A or the Radio Shack DX400 or 440, if you have a tabletop receiver, the Carpet Loop may be for you. It's cheap--around $25 in parts from Radio Shack, *much* less if you shop around, and an excellent first project for the technically minded.

 

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