The Pixel magnetic loop antenna RF PRO- 1B
 

I put up this antenna with the intention of getting less noise from my
urban location. After a year of operation, I have found that I consider
this receive antenna a necessity for ham radio in my location.

I suspect that it may not be all that helpful for those lucky hams who
live in a rural noise free locations.

There might still be a reason for those lucky hams to use the Pixel
loop. I use a 75 meter full size horizontal loop for my transmitting and
receiving antenna. It is fed with 600 ohm line. What I discovered is
that there is a very very consistent relationship between the signal
from my full size loop and the Pixel. Up on the higher frequency bands
like 20, 15, 17, and 10 there is often fading. When the signal on my
full size loop fades during a qso, the Pixel signal becomes quite
strong. The reverse is true. This phenomena is true for me about 99
percent of the time. I discovered this characteristic when I installed
an A/B antenna switch for my receiver. Now I can rag chew on these bands
without putting up with loss of readability from fading. When my S meter
begins to drop, I just flip my little toggle and the signal will be
strong again.

This antenna has me spoiled. I would not want to do ham radio without it.

BTW, my 75 meter full size loop is the better receive antenna 90 percent
of the time when operating on 75 meters. The loop becomes much more
useful to me on AM broadcast band, where it is always better and
sometimes useful on 40 meters. The bands above 40 meters are where the
Pixel loop becomes a necessity.