Roger Adam wrote:

a bunch of good info snipped

Thanks for all that Roger.

The icing on the cake would be if we establish contact via the loops on 20
metres!!

That would be great, Roger! I'm in the middle of Pennsylvania, and I
take it you're in Great Britain. The path should be good in my
afternoon/your evening.

I'm taking Reg's suggestion and skipping the Farady loop, and going to
plain wire. My coax just keeps getting shorter... and shorter, so I'll
switch before I have to buy new!

- Mike KB3EIA -

Mike,

I sure you're right in thinking that the coupling system is the cause of
your problems.

As far as the ability to "null" out any unwanted sigs, I have fitted a Yaesu
rotator (which when bought was fully rusted up inside!) to the vertical
drainpipe support of the loop, but haven't yet tried it out. Thanks to TAM
WB2TT for help on the Yaesu.

Friends have said why don't I position the loop horizontal and do away with
the rotator. I may post a request asking for REG's advice on that!

I was working on the principal that with the long wire being horizontal,
then the loop should be vertical to give me a different polorisation.

However, after looking through the books and 'net, It appears that the
initial polorisation becomes changed within a short distance of being
launched and that there is little point in spending a lot of time on this
aspect.

As far as a possible future QSO is concerned, I'll be monitoring around
14.325MHz from 20.00hrs UTC most evenings.

That will most probably put you under pressure to get the loop up and
running!

By the way, my QTH is Surrey, 10 miles south of London.

Good luck,

Roger G7JAQ