G4ILO's latest project looks like a bit of fun, the G4ILO Wonder Loop. When he releases a few more details I might just give one a go. It looks like he is following the principle of the Wonder Wand and Miracle Whip to make a small compact tuned loop. The Wonder Loop is an attempt to make a QRP version of the MFJ Loop Tuner. A small coupling loop plugs into an RCA socket which connects it to an N7VE QRP SWR indicator built into the box.
All my friends will know I am super critical of antennas such as the Wonder Wand and Miracle Whip, but loops have some interesting properties. I have a Miracle Whip which came with my FT-817 and I am quite amazed that it receives as well as it does. It it complete garbage for transmission and I have never managed to work anything on it despite hours of tests even down to the end of the street when the other station was picking me up on milli-watts into a rubber duck antenna. The Miracle Whip in my opinion is a dummy load with a telescopic antenna attached and is correctly named because it is a miracle if you work anything on it.
What I am hoping is even if this idea turns out to be a poor performer on TX that on RX it could provided a reasonable signal with a lower noise floor than the main station antenna allowing some borderline stations to be worked who I could not hear normally at a much lower cost than a full size loop. Someone should warn me girls that I have my eye on their hula-hoops.
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