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Active Loop SDR Antenna | Chameleon Antenna
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- Опубліковано 28 гру 2021
- An active loop antenna can be used along with your SDR (software defined radio) to monitor radio spectrum. It can be mounted indoors or outdoors for shortwave radio listening, or even as a spy radio antenna for covertly monitoring radio spectrum. This one is called the RXL from Chameleon Antenna.
Hello Operators.
In this episode of OH8STN ham radio we are testing Chameleon RXL and DX Patrol software defined radio. The Chameleon RXL is a receive loop SDR antenna for shortwave listening LF, MF and HF bands. Yes it does look like a magnetic loop antenna, but this one is different. In fact, the CHA-RXL is a shortwave receive loop antenna covering 137khz to 30Mhz. The RXL and DX Patrol SDR are tested as a stealth multipurpose shortwave receiving system for LF, MF & HF.
Equipment used in on testing
- Chameleon CHA RXL
- DX Patrol SDR
- HDSDR Software
- FLDigi
This setup is used to decode NAVTEX, SITOR, Weather Fax ( HF Fax ), RTTY Marine WX forecasts, monitor WSPR on 2200m and more.
73
Julian #oh8stn
To get 25% off the Chameleon RXL, it must be ordered directly from Chameleon Antenna. Here's the Link: oh8stn.net/3JuaORO
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I would love to see more of this content for these bands! I had no idea these bands had such traffic, and I've been listening to SW stuff for decades. Thank you, Julian! 73!
You are very welcome 👍
73
Julian oh8stn
Always a special moment when OH8STN released a new video. Tnx Julian 🙏
73 sa6ros 📻
This is quite exciting!! I'm intrigued 😁 Keep up the great content!
Have been actively looking at receive loops but hadn't considered the Chameleon (should have since I like my MPAS 2). No experience on 630m but this has peaked my interest. Sounds like the real learning curve isn't setting up the loop but FLDIGI ! Many thanks for the inspiration and Happy New Year ! 73 Don KM6TRZ
Hello Don. I couldn't agree more. The loop was incredibly easy to set up oh, much more so than I thought it would be. Fldigi on the other hand was challenging to say the least.
Hoping you and yours are having a wonderful holiday and happy New Year. Always nice to see comments from you.
73
Julian oh8stn
I bought this antenna and been using it for three weeks now, it out preforms my wire antenna hands down ! I mounted it vertically on a rotor which now gives me some Direction ability for gain and null. I’m so impressed by how the noise level drops when using the Chameleon antenna. I recommend it !
I’m now using this loop antenna for 7 months now and I’m still very happy with it ! I highly recommend it !
Very nice. I'm still using it as well. It's my primary SDR antenna for shortwave listening. I don't think I would change it. Thanks for commenting, very much appreciate it.
Hi mate and a happy new year to you and yours from jan and my self down here in new.south.wales Australia.
Just wanted to touch base and say a very big thankyou to you for all your reviews on different products.your wealth of knowledge just blows me away that you make these vids look very easy....
Anyway keep up the fantastic work and keep safe....rob.73s
Thanks for the kindness. These videos are anything but easy :D The learning adn discovery for each video makes it a ton of fun. The rest of the world is kind of worried about y'all down under. I hope this message finds you well in the new year.
73
Julian oh8stn
Wishing you and yours a very Happy New Year
Thank you Gerry.👍👹
Somehow this qued an idea on how I can support a horizontal loop, without hooks, drilling, or adhesives...if I get it into existance, I'll make a shorty vid. The name of the structure will be shocking a bit, but not curse worded.
A ceiling without electric travelling through is probably a very important lucky factor. It will require de-corroding an old stud finder for secure install.
Great, well flowing video content.
And, so you know, there is a net in the Chicago-Chesterton area that asks peeps to drop channels they reccomend on the YT band, and you have been mentioned for your digital coms and camping/off grid content.
Hi Julian what a great video, It sounds like you are very impressed with the Chamaeleon loop. And from what I could tell look like some very strong signals. Just for somebody who wants to do receiving that may be the perfect antenna for them. And I do hope you have a safe and a happy new year. Thank you for sharing the video it was awesome.
73
WD5ENH
Steve
Love seeing something new
great content as usual....Thanks.
Thanks. It isn't my normal cup of tea, but an important video to get out. Thanks for watching for the comment and for the kindness. Much appreciated
Rock and Roll from Italy. 73
Very cool- thanks for sharing. I have shared the video with others. Good products need lots of word of mouth advertising. Cheers and Happy New Year VE3VCG
Nice review, thanks for sharing.
Very welcome
73
Very interesting video, Julian. Additional content on the subjects of hearing marine Broadcast Notice to Mariners, NAVTEX and WEFAX would be appreciated. I use a Wellbrook ALA1530LNP which works very well.
Fantastic thanks for the video! I have the same issue here in my townhome. No antennas allowed.
Yeah it's a bummer. Thankfully there are dome good options.
Thanks for the comment and the kindness. It's very much appreciated.
Eduardo - The loop is back in stock COUPON rxl25
@@Chameleon_Antenna thanks. I want one to transmit in 10 m… price is beyond my budget sadly. 73
I see on the Chameleon web page they also offer a lower cost kit with the pre-amp, bias-T power unit and mounting box.
I also have for transmit/receive the CHA F-LOOP 2.0 with the 36-inch aluminum loop. Works fine. Very rugged.
For an SDR receive only application I have, the receive only loop would be fun to play with, mostly digital transmission monitoring.
I hope the aluminum loop from the CHA F-Loop will connect to the CHA RXL. I'll check with Chameleon.
Thanks for the video
Dave, AA6RE
thanks good video.
Thanks for watching.
73
Julianoh8stn
After all the good advice i got from u over the years as a mastering engineer i have to give u one aswell : use a deesser or sibilance... waves got one for like 15$ other options would be a medium Q cut in 5 to 10k range by a few db :) have a nice day julian 73
Thank you
Good video and very interesting topic. Thank you. If possible he should try some sort of LoG antenna. I do have one in my backyard and nobody knows about it. I used scrap copper cable and using 4 tent pins formed 4.5x4.5m square fed with 75 Ohm TV coax (no amp. only small isolating transformer - 43 binocular, 6 turns). I use it with SDRPlay and for what it is, it works really well.
This could be something we could try when teh ground thaws. How is the LF performance and noise?
73
Julian oh8stn
There are still a few big SW broadcast stations on the planet worth discovering. Best times are after sunset or late in the evening.
Thanks for that. It's been decades since being interested in short wave radio. What I've learned while making this video has been astonishing. Great content from all over the world. Thanks for watching and for the comment, much appreciated.
Nowadays every shortwave band is infested by CRI and it's subsideries compared to the late 70s 80s and 90s. My long wire antenna used to bring in HCJB Quito Equador in Chennai India on 25 meter band in 80s. Those days area gone for ever sadly.
I've never tried it, but I've read in various places that there's little benefit to mounting one of these loops up high on a tower. Some even say about 2 meters high is ideal for them. It will be interesting to see your results. Maybe Chameleon has tested it? BTW, I really enjoy your content; keep up the good work!
Yeah I figure in horizontal configuration, higher is better. Hoping to avoid the use of a rotator, so that's why I'm considering putting it up high in horizontal config. With other Loops mounted download I've had extremely good success. Nice to try various options 👍
Julian, like to see your FLDIGI configurations for this.
I'll do a blog post.
I just got one of these to use as a receive antenna to use with my noise-canceller (MFJ-1026) or as the RX antenna for my FTDX-3000. I must be doing something wrong...not sure what...but I notice no difference in the noise levels on the HF bands with it compared to just listening on my transmit antenna (a fan dipole). I'd like to do more SW listening as well; supposedly these loops are good for that purpose, but I haven't had much time to try that yet. I'm trying to figure out why I see no noise reduction at all. Everything is properly hooked up/configured. ??? 73 - Bob KJ6GEU
Hi, I just listened the podcast with you and Eric! 👍 I do have the MLA-30 with a 30x2mm aluminum flat-bar 2m in length, will definitely try the horizontal way! Another question that often comes up into my mind: is there any way I could run FT8 (or any digital modes) on the CB Bands? I am just an SWL 🙂 73! DE1CTL
Thanks for watching/listening. How do you like the MPA30? Lots of comments mentioning it.
The CB question is a "complex". Modes like JS8Call encourage its use on all bands where it is legal to do so. It is uncertain if FT8 follows the same open philosophy. With that said, take a look at pskreporter.info. Use it to filter only the 11 meters band, then select all modes or a specific mode. This will allow yo to see which modes are active on 11 meters along with frequncies they are being used on. In EU digimodes are ok on 11 meters. You'll just have to find the right modes and frequencies.
73
Julian oh8stn
Hi, great video. How do you handle grounding the antenna when it's used as a stealth antenna indoors?
Excellent question. One of the benefits of loop antennas is they don't require a ground. They're basically balanced antennas.
Great video! Question: I notice the BNC connector on the antenna and on the Bias-T. Will it be okay to use a BNC to PL-259 connector on the antenna and Bias-T so I can just use the same coax on both connectors?
Yes you can without any problem!
@@Chameleon_Antenna Thank you!
I am impressed! What is the diameter of this Loop antenna? And, is there one made that will do both Receive & Transmit on HF & VHF, or is it HF only? I'm an apartment dweller with Balcony-only place for an antenna. That's quite a setup you have! Hope to hear more from you. 73, WA7JR Judi in Idaho
The diameter of the RXL is 1" with HIGH TOLERANCE aluminum connectors. This one is RX only for 135.7 KHz - 30.0 MHz continuous. If you want to transmit on HF then you'll need the CHA F-LOOP 3.0.
How does this compare to a random long wire, or any wire of reasonable length you can fit in your available space?
Great question but perhaps too abstract to give a good honest answer. Naturally if we have space for a long wire or for example a 160/80m skyloop (my preference) those would do quite well. A long wire will still have the locally generated noise but could work if noise is not a factor. When space is a factor, this iwll alsoways outperform a wire designed for the same avaiable space.
Excellent quetiion but wish I could give a better answer
73
Julian oh8stn
Will you be mounting it vertically or horizontally on the tower?
That's an excellent question. I think I'm going to mount it horizontally. It's given great results horizontally from indoors, I can only imagine what it would do outside. On the other hand, a small rotator could easily set the azmyth. I'm just not sure if I want to run more cables for a rotator. I'm sure it's probably horizontally :-)
Which loop do you recommend for a ‘do it all’ loop for portable/travel/temporary use to use with an icom 705?
If I'm not able to build one myself, I would definitely buy the chameleon F-Loop 3.0. I don't have a video on the channel yet but I'm already testing it. At the moment it's the best quality QRP loop available. Hope this helps.
73
Julian oh8stn
@@OH8STN yes, thanks. Was considering the AL 705 or the Alex loop.
It is a loop but not a magnetic loop correct? If so, then how about the noise levels? I was planning to use with my IC-7300 as a receive antenna, then use the main antenna for TX. Thanks. 73
That's right, it's a loop but not the magnetic loop. Using it as a receiver antenna for the 7300 is a brilliant idea. Take a look at the link in the description. It'll take you to the documentation on the website. Great question and thanks for watching.
@@OH8STN I would say, great video, better than store or seller details. Thanks a lot for what you do. It helps a lot on decision making.
Is the Chameleon better than the MLA-30+, or are they similar? Cheers!
Great question, RXL 137Khz-30Mhz, MLA-30+ 500Khz-30Mhz. RXL 12 volt RF quiet supply, MLA-30+ noisy USB powered. MLA-30+ is made in China, RXL is made in the United States. RXL is supported through Chameleons distributor network. MLA-30+ unknown.
I love your review. Can you tell me the discount code for this antenna. Thanks
NEW COUPON RXL20
The loop is back in stock: COUPON rxl25
Any chance to compare it with MegaLoop FX?
Happy new year!
I hadn't read about that loop previously. It has insane specifications. Let's see if I can get one here.
I’m wondering about 10m cause that’s normally where these antennas fall of.
Actually I'll do some tests when I published a blog post for this antenna. It's easy enough to see you where is works as well as where it doesn't.
Is this loop an aluminum pipe or PVC with multiple loops inside?
Solid aluminum 👍
How about LOWFER band DX?
That's something we can try for sure
What about 2200m band?
Fair question. To be honest with you I have so little experience on the band, I didn't know what to receive. I'll come back to it in the next video on the RXL.
Great job on all the research! Very interesting. Will look into it!
I’m very disappointed, the Coupon Code has already expired ! I wanted to buy the Chameleon loop antenna hoping to get a discount but has expired. 😢
Why not send them an email telling them you saw the video and ask if you can get the discount?
@@OH8STN ok, I’ll try that, thanks
@@Mr07008 NEW COUPON RXL20
@@carllavoie3804 yes it worked ! I just saved 25% ! I just bought a Chameleon loop and saved 25% using the coupon code ! Thank you ! 😃
Back in stock: COUPON: rxl25
now that they don't sell that model anymore (Discontinued) it will be nice if they extend the coupon code to the replacement (RXL PRO), I just tried and doesn't work. Quite of a stiff price $525 to swallow without a discount code. Check with them if they can, my credit card is jumping on my pocket!
Coupon code was for a limited time. There is a workaround. Order the new one from GigaParts and use my call sign as a discount code. Otherwise, send Chameleon an email to ask. support@chameleonantenna.com if they say no, order something else.
73
Julian oh8stn
@@OH8STN Hi Julian, I saw them in Gigaparts but is the old model and I wonder if the new “PRO” model it worth the extra money. Thanks for your quick response. 73.
It's a good question but I honestly don't have an answer.
@@OH8STN FYI , your call sign (OH8STN) in Gigaparts is not working either. I'm trying to place the order but it says "The coupon code "OH8STN" is not valid."
Sorry man. My discount code works for many products at Giga Parts but apparently not that. It still works for the Powerfilm solar panels at least. Kind of frustrating. I'll reach out to them. Thanks for the heads up.
Out of stock, unfortunately.
Wow, that was fast. Hopefully there will be more incoming.
73
Julian oh8stn
Stock is back on! COUPON: rxl25
Try an MLA 30 loop for much less $
Thanks for the tip. I would much rather have good customer service and support over the lifetime of the product, than save a couple of bucks up front.
@@OH8STN You would save Hundreds. ;)
@@OH8STN OK I am just one of those guys that have to see for themselves. I have been testing the MLA-30 Loop ($50) and the Chameleon CHA F-Loop 3.0 ($500). The CHA comes with three confirmations Rigid Loop(60-10M), Single coax Loop(60-10M) and Double coax Loop (for 80-30M). I live in an apartment so I have to have the antennas inside. After 2 months testing I have decided that there is really no difference between the two except for some extra band noise generated by the active portion of the MLA-30. If I change my mind I will let you know.
Requirement was 2200m & 630m coverage. MLA-30 500khz - 30mhz vs 137khz - 30mhz RXL.
The FLOOP is not a receiving antenna. Its RX/TX 80-30mhz.
@caltech007 Give it a try for sure. I'm just one of those guys who focuses on my requirements before looking at the price. If something meets the requirements, a good price is the gravy on top. The MLA30 doesn't cover 2200m and requires USB. I needed 2200m and a quiet 12v supply.