"Richard Fry"
Lacking ~equal h-pol & v-pol gain at the same time, such a loop is not
circularly polarized -- even though the physical configuration
of the loop is a circle.
_______________

After some thought and NEC studies to confirm, I need to modify my statement
above--I'm used to thinking in terms of a broadcast antenna. In many
directions this loop does have v-pol and h-pol gain at the same time,
although not often equal gains.

For example, a small, balanced, open loop oriented in the horizontal plane
has a v-pol response along an elevation cut through the feedpoint and the
opposite side of the loop that is zero in the horizontal plane, and max at
the zenith and nadir. The h-pol azimuth field goes to zero for those
conditions, and peaks at azimuths of +/-90 degrees from that.

Other azimuths and elevations produce various combinations of h-pol and
v-pol gain (rarely equal). Still, it would be a stretch to consider this
antenna to be circularly polarized, in the classic sense.

RF