Is a loop antenna for a SWL the best solution?

PE1PFO

If you dont have a place on the roof or a backyard for a long wire antenne a loop antenna can help you to listen LW, MW and SW.

You loop antenna can be indoor or outdor.

Price start from 40 us Dollars to very expensive prices but when prices are high its because these antennas can be use to transmit on SW bands for amateur radio opérators.

Antenna Supermarket	Eavesdropper Dipoles Wire Antennas
Antenna Supermarket	Eavesdropper SWL Sloper Wire Antenna
AOR	LA-320 Loop Antenna
	LA-350 Loop Antenna
	LA-380 Loop Antenna
	LA-390 Loop Antenna
	LA-800 Loop Antenna
	WL-500 Window Loop Antenna
Apex	303WA Vertical Antenna
Apex	700DTA Active Antenna 0.5-30 MHz
B&W	ASW-5 SWL Window Antenna
B&W	ASW60L/60C/100 SWL Dipole Antenna
Dressler	ARA-40/60/100HDX Active Antennas
Kaito	KA31 Indoor Active Loop Antenna
	KA33 Indoor Active Loop Antenna
	KA35 Indoor Active Loop Antenna
Kiwa	Pocket Loop Loop Antenna
McKay Dymek	DA-100, DA-100D/DM, DA-100E/EM Active Antennas 0.5-30 MHz
Miracle Antenna	MMD End-Fed Dipole Antennas
NTi	ML052 Wideband Active Antenna 9 kHz - 30 MHz
Palomar	LA1 Loop Antenna System
Palstar	AA30 Indoor Active Antenna 0.3-30 MHz
RF Systems	DX-One Pro MkII Professional Active Antenna .02-60 MHz.
	DX-10 Outdoor Active Antenna
	DX-10 Pro Active Antenna .03-35 MHz.
	EMF Wire Antenna 0.1-30 MHz
	EMF-P Wire Antenna 0.1-30 MHz
	Mini-Windom Wire Antenna 0.5-30 MHz
	MLB Balun Receive Balun
	MLB Marine Balun Kit Receive Balun for Sailboats
	MLBA-MK1 & MLBA-MK2 Wire Antennas
	MLBA-MK3 & MLBA-MK4 Stainless Wire Antennas
	MTA, GMDSS & GMDSS-2 Vertical Antennas
	T2FD Wire Antenna 3-35 MHz
RadioMaster	P-30 Wire Antenna 0.5-30 MHz
Sony	AN- 1 Indoor-Outoor Active Antenna LW/MW/SW
	AN-102 Indoor Active Antenna LW/MW/SW
	AN-LP1 Indoor Loop Active Antenna SW
Vectronics	AT-100 Indoor Active Antenna

You can make your loop antenna " homemade "

https://www.mtmscientific.com/AM%20Loop%20Booklet.pdf

https://pa0fri.home.xs4all.nl/Ant/Active%20antenna/Active%20receiving%20%20loop%20antenna%20eng.htm

https://www.dxzone.com/catalog/Antennas/Magnetic_Loop/

Page 312 on this book

http://www.ok1mjo.com/all/ostatni/HAM/Practical_Antenna_Handbook.pdf

https://www.dxing.com/tnotes/tnote08.pdf

http://www.in3eci.it/bbb/file_content/fl320.pdf

For LW and MW they are indoor antennas, in the past it was possible to find many brands but now only few.

Please reade my articles on this link

https://icomjapan.blogspot.com/2023/06/antennas-for-listening-to-medium-wave.html

https://icomjapan.blogspot.com/2023/10/antenna-is-most-important-for-listener.html

For the shortwave bands 3 to 30 MHz they are a lot of choice.

You can use the loop antenna to listen LW, MW and SW and keep indoor or outdoor.

The MLA 30 is very popular for listeners because of the cheap price around 30 US Dollars

You must visit my articles ( from my 3 blogs )

https://chinaradiosswl.blogspot.com/2023/06/loop-shortwave-antennas-for-swl-not-to.html

https://icomjapan.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-best-swl-antenna-indoor-or-outdoor.html

Also a good link

https://hamsignal.com/blog/mla-30-magnetic-loop-antenna-review-and-comparison

You can buy the MLA-30 on internet like aliexpres, ebay, amazon, etc

"So, what is the verdict on the MLA-30?

Even though the claim is that the antenna is broadband, I believe this antenna has been response optimized for the casual AM broadcast listener. That is not to say it does not work outside of the AM band. It will certainly work for receiving signals up to 15 MHz (the point where I stopped the study), but the signals will not be as easy to hear because of the high noise floor and sometimes signals will not be at all intelligible due to intermodular distortion. Below the AM band, the MLA-30 simply does not work unless the signal is from a very strong station as was the case with my airport beacon test.

If you are just looking for an antenna to listen to local AM broadcasts, at $43, the MLA-30 is hard to beat from the perspective of price. The antenna's ability to null out local noise sources is also a positive for those interested in AM listening. However, if pulling weak signals out of a noisy RF band is what you are looking for, the MLA-30 falls a bit short of the mark. In that case, the more expensive antennas like the Wellbrook and are the way to go."

https://hamsignal.com/blog/mla-30-magnetic-loop-antenna-review-and-comparison

They are lot of loop antennas for listeners but also for amateur radio opérators. Price can be very expensive

Price can be near 2000 US Dollars !!!

https://www.wimo.com/en/antennas/hf-antennas/magnetic-loop-antennas

https://www.wimo.com/en/antennas/hf-antennas/magnetic-loop-antennas#magloop-page-bottom

Look expensive LOOP antenna for SWL

https://www.wimo.com/en/chameleon-rx-loop-pro

For Amateur radio

A nice antenna for amateur radio ( QRP ) or listener

Magnetic Loop Antenna is one of the best solution for all HAM's or listeners (SWL's) who don't have an access to the large space for the dipole or a long wire antenna, also for those of you who wants to operate indoors of the house, hotel or from the beach on vacation. This Loop doesn't need any grounding or counterpoise and work properly also from a very low hights. The main advantages of my Magloops are: lightweight body, small size, quick and easy setup and possibility to use this antenna also in an indoor conditions.

With a TESCUN PL-330

https://www.youtube.com/@OM0ET

Paul was a nice sponsor for the SWL contest 2023, he his in Europe. You can visit is web site and maybe ask questions about this loop antenna to use for listening only.

https://www.om0et.com/ultralight-mla-mc-20.html

LOOP antenna from Austalia

https://www.amradioantennas.com/catalogue.htm

https://www.amradioantennas.com/longwave_antennas.htm

In The Netherlands

https://www.vandijkenelektronica.nl/product/de-al1-bouwpakket-loopantenne-voor-ontvangst-van-10-khz-30-mhz-3/?lang=en