The New England Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society will meet on-line and in-person on December 19, 2023 at 7 PM and feature: “Factors Affecting Small Transmitting Loop Antenna Performance” by Augie “Gus” Hansen, KBØYH.
This presentation is an updated version of one given in the first QSO Today Academy in September 2023. A Small Transmitting Loop Antenna (STL) of diminutive size can perform very well on both transmission and reception if care is taken in the design, material selection, and construction phases. The program STLcalc is used to reveal the performance impacts of main loop conductor material, size, shape, and length, as well as the type and quality of the tuning capacitor. Performance is gauged by efficiency, which is maximized by increasing radiation resistance while reducing loss resistance. In addition, some suggestions are provided on ways to obtain good coupling to the transmission line over a wide tuning range.
Augie “Gus” Hansen, KB0YH, is a semi-retired electrical engineer, computer programmer, author, and technical trainer. Although he has deployed numerous types of antennas for broadcast and ham radio use, he has worked on STL (a.k.a., magnetic loop) antenna design, construction, and operation for three decades, primarily to help those who are prevented from using visible antennas. This latest project, STLcalc, started as a Python language programming exercise. A forced march to produce something useful is a great way to quickly learn a new language!