Magloop vs Buddipole system?

[W5BRM]

Been thinking lately about what I want to do when I purchase my KX3 this spring. I sorta had my mind set on getting the Buddipole system for when I am non mobile in my travels. The plan was to get the BP deluxe with the 18ft fiberglass mast. http://www.buddipole.com/debupa.html Then setup when I park the truck. I was reading up on what it takes setting the BP up and got a bit bothered that the antenna is quite fragile and I dont know if it would take the wear and tear I would give it.

I then ran across a few threads on Magloops and watched a few vids on YT. I ran across this https://amateurradiostore.com/index....roducts_id=197. Its a 15-40m magloop that is a portable design. It looks like easy breakdown and much easier setup then the BP system. Much easier to tune. Needs no Radials, counterpoises etc to operate. The only drawback I can see is that I lose 10 and 12m access with this antenna. I can operate those frequencies with a fiberglass hamstick though. Those frequencies, you can get results with a wet noodle if conditions are right

My conundrum is this. I have never seen or operate a magloop before and I dont know how the performance is versus the BP system or fiberglass hamsticks.

Has anyone here ever used a magloop and can give an idea how it compares to most other portbale type antennas? I know its not something that will compare to a dipole at 50ft or a beam at 150ft. Just wondering how it performs in a portable environment vs other portable antennas.

Anyone have any opinions to offer?

Thanks guys

[NQ6U]

I use a Buddahpole myself:




Seriously, my admittedly limited experience with a Buddipole leads me to believe that you should at least try a magnetic loop antenna first. They can be built cheaply and, judging by what I've heard from people who use them, will probably out-perform a Buddipole.

[NQ6U]

Dupe.

[W5BRM]

I dont know about built cheaply. Most of the threads ive seen and the yahoo group show the right capacitor to be over $200 depending on what freqs u want to build it for. Thats a drawback to me. but then again the BP system is a lot of $$$ as well. No way im gonna get out of it cheap. Plus I dont have the proper tools to build something like that.

[KG4NEL]

Will you have trees available at the places you want to get on the air?

[W5BRM]

Will you have trees available at the places you want to get on the air?

I'm an OTR truck driver so not really. The idea is to have a collapsible fiberglass mast to get the antenna over the truck while parked. then take it down and store it while moving. Not looking for mobile ops, just something I can get on the air with that will work better then hamsticks and is easiy to setup, tune and take down.

[KG4CGC]

I'm an OTR truck driver so not really. The idea is to have a collapsible fiberglass mast to get the antenna over the truck while parked. then take it down and store it while moving. Not looking for mobile ops, just something I can get on the air with that will work better then hamsticks and is easiy to setup, tune and take down.

Can you make something out of aluminum? Copper is easier to work but al lou min nee umm is so much lighter for set up and take down.

Obvious Man has spoken.

[WX7P]

I have a buddipole that I bought about 10 years ago. The thing works great. It's easy to set up and I got all the extra crap at the time.

From what I understand, the newer version is more sturdy, but I never had any issues with mine. It WAS pricey. I think I paid about $450 for the antenna and all the extra stuff.

[KG4NEL]

My only experience with mag loops was at Field Day one year - the guy running 20M PSK had one made out of a strip of aluminum with HV doorknob caps instead of an adjustable matching network.

Worked great, but was extremely narrow-banded - and as much as their literature seems to say otherwise, those SWR plots for the Alpha loop seem to tell the same story. But, if you're parked somewhere and just yakking near a QRP calling frequency, might not be so bad.

[K0RGR]

I had an inexpensive mag loop that I bought from a British ham who was making and selling them, but I don't think he's around now. Mine worked better than expected, but I think that Alexloop looks better. Any resistance in the loop whatsoever is a killer. It will multiply any inefficiency. People who are serious about loops do everything they can to eliminate resistance in the loop. But in a portable, there has to be some compromise unless the loop is small enough to transport in one piece. For the higher bands, that is probably not that difficult - a very small loop will work on 20-10. There are many mag loop designs out on the 'net.

One issue you will have is that with the Alexloop and most designs, you have to be close to the antenna to tune it. On the one I had, this was a problem because my hand coming near the antenna would detune it. The Alexloop looked like didn't have that problem. But, the MFJ loop has a remoteable tuning arrangement, so you could mount your loop on a pole as you suggest. One nice thing about loops, though, is that they actually work pretty well close to the ground.

I'm cheap so I use a Hamstick on a tripod with a truck-style mirror mount and 2-3 radial wires cut to the proper length for the band I want to work.