Ed W-Loops
mike maghakian
Can everyone who has one of the Ed W loops please write a mini review
of the SW version. This sounds too good to be true !
Tad Early
"mike maghakian" <mmagh...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:b4a90ddd.01071...@posting.google.com...
well, I have have one so I guess I qualify as "everyone" but keep in mind
you are hearing from a rank amateur who may mangle a term or two.
The SW loop is well built, looks just like the picture, and can be ordered
in different sizes so as to provide different frequency coverage. I have
the "standard" one--about 3200 to 18300 (I could be a little off--check).
Since I have a 7600G and limited funds, I agonized over whether to go with
Ed or the AN-LP1, and I really wish I could provide you with a comparision.
Maybe some day.
I ultimately opted for Ed's loop because it's passive (although he does have
an amp for extra, I think), and is a piece of individual craftsmanship. The
difference off the whip with the 7600G is not jaw-droppingly dramatic (to
use a technical term) in the mid-Atlantic region, but it *is* effective and
IMO worth the money. For me it provides more in the enhancement of signals
that I could already receive than in the ability to "dig out" stuff that I
could not get previously--the gain is quite noticeable on some broadcasts
(RNZI, for example), and the "tuning" aspect works flawlessly. My sense is
that the benefits would be even greater on a less sensitive radio, and I
have been looking to try it on a RS-398.
Ed is true gentleman as well.
Donald Reeve
>
> Can everyone who has one of the Ed W loops please write a mini review
> of the SW version. This sounds too good to be true !
>
>
"Great Pumpkin" aka Linus did so some time ago--there was a write-up on
the hardcore-dx site. Go here:
http://www.hard-core-dx.com/swb/1446.htm
and scroll down the foreign-language stuff down towards the bottom of
the document and you'll find it.
Russ Johnson
wrote:
>Hi all,
>
>Can everyone who has one of the Ed W loops please write a mini review
>of the SW version. This sounds too good to be true !
Mini Review of Ed-Loop (aka Edek Loop or Torus-Tuner)
The loops made by Edek Electronics (Ed Wawzinski) are excellent
antennas. I have two SW loops, two of the "giant" (27") MW loops and
a VLF loop.
As you can see at the website, the loop is black plastic. A small
capacitor is the tuning device. The SW loops have a sub-mini jack.
He provides a "twisted wire" cable with one end terminated in a
sub-mini plug to connect to the loop. The other cable end terminates
in a 1/8" mini plug to connect to the radio. One of my SW loops is
designed to cover 1.7 - 8.2 MHz. The other covers two frequency
"bands" (3.2-4.2 Mhz and 4.2-18.3 MHz). A switch is mounted near the
tuning capacitor to switch in the desired band. The loop sits in a
nicely finished block of wood. It's a nice looking antenna. The SW
loops are about 15" in diameter.
They work great. They do a fine job on all of the portables I have
(400PE, 909, 818, 7600g, 803A, 2010).
They seem to work exceptionally well on anything Sangean. The change
in gain on the 818 (the radio shown on the website) is nothing short
of spectacular. The ability of the loop to reject domestic noise (no,
not your wife and kids -.but computer hash, other RFI crap generated
around the house) is impressive as well. I can often null out the
offending noise by simply re-orienting the loop.
I have done some A/B comparisons with the Sony AN-LP1 which is also an
impressive antenna. In most tests between 3.5-10 MHz, I find that
Ed's loop outperforms the Sony by a tad. I rarely listen above 10
MHz, so I can't give you an opinion for that. When I go on the road,
I usually take the AN-LP1. For sheer portability and saving space in
a travel bag, it's hard to beat the foldable loop and the 7600g.
That's a lot of SWL'ing in a very compact package. But in the shack,
I use the Ed-Loop exclusively. For starters, the Sony loop is
designed to be hung from curtain rod, or a drape or stuck to a window.
The Sony's greatest attribute (it's flimsy nature that allows you to
fold it up) also has it's downside....it really is difficult, if not
impossible, to orient in different directions. I suppose a stand
could be fabricated for it. Of course, you have to have it connected
to the amp as well.
By the way, Ed does make some neat little amps for his loops. The
loops generally do just fine without an amp, but when I do use it, the
amp-loop combo rivals my 160 mtr inverted vee for SWL.
The giant MW loops are a lot of fun too. Their sheer size (basically
a hula-hoop) make them a challenge at times to manipulate - but do
they ever perform. Definitely a step up from the Select-A-tenna or
the Radio Shack MW Loop. These cover the MW bands in two
chunks,.switchable between low & high end of band. They are
inductively coupled - no direct connect to radio. I DX MW more than
SW, so I really give these big loops high marks. He makes a more
compact MW Loop (16", I think) but I don't have that one.
I am not much on VLF. Have only used that loop a few times, but it
works very well also. Also inductively coupled.
In a word, the loops perform very well and are very easy to use.
Finally, there is Ed himself. As another poster has already
mentioned, he is a real gent. He takes pride in his hand-crafted
antennas and likes to communicate with his customers. He is very
willing to take suggestions and incorporate them into his products.
He built one of my amps basically around design ideas I provided him.
For what it is worth, I am not associated with Ed other than being a
very satisfied customer and user of his products. Hope this helps.
If you would like any additional information, I will be most happy to
provide it....as will Ed, I'm sure.
Russ
Ross Archer
Tad Early wrote:
My experience is that my DX398 (ATS909 actually) benefitted by far
the most of all portables I've tried with the loop, the 2010 the least,
and the 7600G only moderately (but in all cases noise reduction was
noted.)
I have tried both the Sony AN-LP1 and Ed's SW loop, and they
are fairly close in performance, which is to say, very good.
One plus on Ed's loop is that
not only does it use no power, but it provides sharp preselection
which can help prevent overloading out-of-band, and adjustable
input level by off-tuning for very strong signals. Also, I suspect
his loop will outlast the Sony, which has a moded unrepairable plug
on the receiver end that might eventually wear out or tear, vs.
Ed's, where you can just make a new jumper from loop to radio
when/if it wears out.