NEW CHA F-LOOP 2.0 from Chameleon Antenna is NOW AVAILABLE!

CHA F-LOOP 2.0

3.5-29.7 MHz

The CHA F-LOOP 2.0 was designed with portability, ease of use simplicity, ruggedness and high performance in mind. Unlike any other similar antennas on the market, the CHA F-LOOP 2.0 is made with premium materials that are precisely manufactured and assembled in the USA!


This is an exciting new product from Chameleon Antenna. Easily deployable HF magnetic loop antennas, also called small transmitting loops, have been routinely used for many years in military, diplomatic, and shipboard HF communication links, where robust and reliable general coverage radio communication is a necessity.

These antennas have only recently become commercially available for amateur radio. The real practical advantage of the small loop, compared to a short vertical whip tuned against earth or a full sized vertical antenna, is the loop’s freedom from dependence on a ground plane and earth for achieving efficient operation; this unique characteristic has profound significance for portable or restricted space antennas.

In comparison, the bottom of a vertically oriented loop does not need to be more than a loop diameter above ground, making it very easy to install in a restricted space location. There is no significant improvement in sky wave propagation performance when a small loop is installed high; all that matters is the loop is substantially clear of objects in the immediate area and oriented towards the desired direction of radiation.

Field trials of the CHA F-LOOP 2.0 demonstrated that an indoor magnetic loop antenna was only around one to two S-units lower, on both transmit and receive, than an outdoor full size quarter wave vertical antenna. Remarkable for an antenna that is only less than three foot in diameter and covers 3.5 MHz to 29.7 MHz (80 – 10 meter ham bands)!

The magnetic loop is different from typical antennas because it emphasizes the magnetic part of the radio wave (H field) rather than the electric part (E field) of the radio wave. It also has a high Q resonance of around 17 KHz on 40 meters, providing immunity from interference outside the bandpass.

The CHA F-LOOP 2.0 Antenna was designed with weight, portability, versatility and cost in mind and is ideal for RV/camping, hotels, apartments, condominiums, homeowner’s associations, deed restrictions and CCRs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions), Shortwave Listening (SWL) and other places where it is not feasible to erect a multi-band wire or vertical antenna. We’re sure you will be amazed by the performance and agree that the CHA F-LOOP 2.0 is the most advanced portable magnetic loop antenna available today.

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Specifications:

• 3.5 MHz to 29.7 MHz (80 - 10 meter ham bands)
• Power handling: 10W CW or 25W SSB
• Proprietary solderless aluminum coupling loop. This coupling loop design can be used with any types of coax cable feed-lines. Because of its rigidity, the antenna tuning will remain stable, consistent and will prevent SWR fluctuations due to usual coupling loop deformation.
• The three sections collapsible portable mast allows easy storage, fast deployment and ease of use in all conditions. No need to play with multiple tubular PVC sections to assemble the antenna.
• The bottom of the telescopic mast is equipped with a stainless steel 3/8-24 threaded hole for easy tripod installation on the tuning box 3/8-24 screw.
• The 12’ RG-58 with integrated RFI choke feed-line decouples the Faraday coupling loop from the radio which is essential to prevent SWR fluctuation while rotating the antenna or moving the coax cable around.
• Our custom made capacitors which are equipped with a 6:1 reducer, offer a smooth and consistent tuning while providing the highest efficient performance on the market.
• The Condor Mole military bag offers easy storage, transportation and protection for the unit.
• The unit is now equipped with a NEW larger Delrin tuning knob for smoother tuning and operation.
• A 48" diameter Booster Kit Loop for 15M to 40M can be purchased separately.
• The base of the tuning unit is equipped with an aluminum anodized base plate. That base plate can be placed directly on a flat surface or can be mounted on a tripod (14-20 thread or 3/8 through hole for CHA JAWMOUNT installation).
• The CHA F-LOOP Plus 2.0 comes with everything included with the CHA F-LOOP 2.0 + 36” diameter collapsible loop radiator made of two sections of 1” 6061-T6 aluminum alloys pipe + 7" diameter aluminum coupling loop.

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The antenna system consists of:

1 X CHA F-LOOP 2.0 tuning box
2 X LMR-400 coax cable radiator
1 X Dual Female connector
1 X 12’ with integrated RFI choke feed-line
1 X Condor Molle Military Bag
1 X Proprietary coupling loop
1 X Telescopic Mast
1 X User guide

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FOR MORE INFO:
http://chameleonantenna.com/CHA F-LOOP 2.0/CHA F-LOOP 2.0.html

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- C

 

3.5mhz? Really? Didn't see that coming.

 

Anyone have any real world experience with this antenna? Just curious as I would love try it out!!!

 

All for just $399 (or $529 if you want to take it to go)!

 

You just need to see the manufacturing quality!

 

The numbers on the tune scale show 5.3 MHz as the lower frequency range. That would indicate it's good for 60 - 10 meters. Not 80 - 10 meters as the text says. Which is it?

 

The first photo shows the loop made of coax. The other photos show it made of aluminum tubing. Which is it?

 

The last line of the specs says....

• The CHA F-LOOP Plus 2.0 comes with everything included with the CHA F-LOOP 2.0 + 36” diameter collapsible loop radiator made of two sections of 1” 6061-T6 aluminum alloys pipe + 7" diameter aluminum coupling loop.

 

To operate 80M you must create a double loop with the two sections of LM-400.
http://chameleonantenna.com/resources/CHA-F-LOOP-2.0.pdf

The following is an older YouTube video explaining how to do it. All the parts are included with the unit.

 

Small loop antennas work pretty well for what they are. People just need to realize what they are buying, with the smaller voltage rated tuning capacitor you get smaller RF power handling capability. If you want big power you need a big capacitor. All loops have pretty darn narrow usable bandwidth which means if you spin the dial on your rig very far at all you will need to tweek the tuning on the loop. The smaller you go in loop diameter and the diameter of material the loop is made of means less efficiency. These are good antennas, I have one that I use when out RV camping. Small and easy to take along, I also have a Hustler mobile antenna mounted on the rig, most of the time the loop performs better than the Hustler, but it is more fiddly to keep it tuned. Just my two cents worth coming from someone who has been building and experimenting with loops for awhile.

 

I have the new CHA P Loop 2.0 and really like it. I have nothing to do with this company but I will say that I had the Alpha loop first and there is a night and day difference in the quality between the two. What sold me on switching was the better quality design and materials along with the power compensator that allows you to do either 60 or 65 watts SSB, can't remember the exact number. I've only had it a few weeks and haven't tried the power compensator yet.

I've made a bunch of QRP contacts with it, mainly stateside being that the bands have been so so lately but the funny thing is that I've never told people that I'm working QRP. A couple of times I had to repeat my call but for the most part the exchanges have been no different than using the radio in the shack. In the shack I can usually work any station that I can hear but the loop isn't quite that way. You'll make a lot of contacts but not every one that you can hear.

I've found that it's almost a necessity to run the antenna into a splitter and then send one side of the splitter to the radio and the other side to an antenna analyzer. It takes a little while to get used to how touchy the tuning knob is, even with the reduction drive. A fairly small movement can make the difference between 12:1 SWR and 1.2:1 but you get used to it and can quickly dial up a good SWR.

I've only had one time that I set it up and didn't make a contact. I went in the house and turned the radio on and realized that the noise level was pretty high so is suspect that was probably the issue being that 5 watts doesn't cut through the noise very well. The sharp null in tuning seems to make the loop antenna a lot quieter than my long wire.

Are these worth the money? That's still very debatable. It works very well but I could have built something for less but I also feel there is something to be said for the engineering time and getting something that's probably constructed a little better that I would have done delivered right to my door ready to use. I'm not sorry that I spent the money.

 

The new B.C. antenna.

A true case of form over function....

 

These antennas operate best within a certain range of frequencies. With the size of this one being on the small size, I wouldn't expect much in terms of antenna efficiency on the lower bands, 40 meters and below. Also, I have heard that some of these antennas (not sure about this one) have problems with -- when you bring your hand up to make a knob adjustment -- it will throw the SWR off -- like it's "touchy" !

 

As mentioned above it can be touchy but you get used to it. Depending on where and how you set it up it can work as you have described it. Some days I can pull my hand away and the SWR stays rock solid, other days pulling your hand away may change the SWR a little. When that happens I just very slightly raise the SWR on either side of the null and then pull my hand away and watch the analyzer. You can pretty easily find a point that when you pull your hand away the SWR drops to a prefect level. Many times I can get in the 1.1x:1 or 1.2x:1. Not a big deal.

It seems like with the loops that use LMR400, how you deploy the antenna really makes a difference in how low you can get the SWR. I think with the model shown above with the aluminum loop, that probably makes things a lot more stable. With mine having LMR400 I've found that you need to have it as close to a perfect circle as possible. I also look at it from the side to make sure that the LMR400 is even with the side of the capacitor and that one side of the loop isn't forwards or backwards in relation to the capacitor box. Once you have it setup, it's stays fine. Probably the most important thing is that you have to have the coupling loop at the top connected very tightly and lined up very well below the main loop.