I've been doing more work on the low frequency tuned loop antenna and
have two problems. One is that I can't find any info on how effective
the antenna will be in relation to the design parameters. That would be
the diameter of the loop, the number of turns and the spacing of the
turns. From the formulas I find for inductance, I would guess that the
spacing of the turns will want to be as small as possible, but I'm not
sure the factors that optimize self inductance are the same as what will
optimize antenna effectiveness.

What equations determine the signal strength from a low frequency tuned
loop antenna?

The other problem is finding an accurate formula for the inductance of
this design. I've found a number of equations for coil inductance, but
most are for coils with length longer than diameter. One I found
doesn't say what it's limitations are and doesn't agree with the others.
In fact, I can't find two formulas that approximate each other over
the range of interest which is 1 to 20 turns or d/l from 4 on up.

I've consulted the Radiotron Designer's Guide, Nagaoka's and Lundin's
papers on inductance of coils as well as a number of web pages. I'm
getting tired of looking... Is there a reasonable formula for
calculating the inductance of a short coil that works for a number of
turns from 1 to 20?

Rick