Wellbrook LF RX Loop

http://www.wellbrook.uk.com/antennashop/image/cache/looponfence-250x250.jpg

A Wellbrook ALA1530 loop antenna for VLF-HF reception is now in my plans for the new QTH. This is not a low cost antenna - currently around £200 in the UK - but its performance is excellent judging by reports from people I know and reviews. It looks like the very best choice of RX antennas for the 136kHz and 472kHz bands where local noise can be a real issue. It does not need to be mounted high, just about 5m from the house. The photo above (linked from the Wellbrook site) shows the antenna mounted on a fence.

The technical specification speaks for itself: truly excellent OIP2 (+90dBm) and OIP3 (+49dBm) figures and a 1dB compression point of +28dBm in the Medium Wave band. It can stand a local field strength as high as 400V/m. As a loop, this antenna has a figure of eight pattern, so local noise sources can be nulled in many cases. It covers from 20kHz to 30MHz.

This looks like a good investment before the LF DX season.