RF Systems WFL
Dipole Antenna
1.8-30 MHz 200 Watts

Discontinued!

Thanks to a grant from the Dutch Government, RF Systems was able to develop the WFL antenna for Governmental and military applications. The WFL antenna is now also available for commercial and amateur purposes.The Wideband Folded Loop (WFL) antenna is no "miracle antenna" but a loop antenna with a circumference of 105 feet (32 meters), folded in such a way that a compact rectangular loop of only 25 x 4 feet (7.5 x 1 meters) is obtained. With these small dimensions, the WFL antenna acts as a magnetic loop antenna in the lower HF bands. Matching and phase compensation elements, located in the central tubular part, ensure an impedance of 50 Ohms with a VSWR between 1.3 : 1 and 1.7 : 1 over the whole frequency range of 1.8-30 MHz, thereby avoiding the need for tuning as required in other magnetic loop antennas. Power capacity is 200 watts.

The WFL antenna is designed for the use in polar and tropical marine environments with wind speeds of up to 125 MPH (200 km/h). Only stainless-steel metal parts and plastics resistant to UV light and air pollution are used. The antenna wire is made of pre-stretched, oxygen-free (OFC) copper litze wire with 50 x 0.25 mm strands, with a transparent poly-urethane cover. The advantage of oxygen-free copper is that it does not oxidize, and therefore it will retain its low resistance. The antenna can be spanned with a force up to 100 kg, so sagging in the middle is minimal.

The WFL antenna is recommended for situations where it is impossible to hang a full-size antenna. All small antennas have a lower efficiency compared to full-size antennas and this principle also applies to the WFL antenna. The WFL is not a 'DX antenna' but thanks to the magnetic loop principle, the WFL is a truly low-noise antenna. Despite the somewhat lower signal strength, the signal-to-noise ratio of the received stations is often better compared to dipoles or end-fed wire antennas. With the WFL the old amateur saying holds true:   If you can hear them, you can work them.

The WFL antenna is protected from static discharges. The special high power matching transformer in the center part ensures that there is no conducting connection between the antenna itself and the transceiver. All RF signals are transferred by means of a low-loss (< 0.3 dB) magnetic field. The antenna has a built-in current choke so the coaxial antenna cable does not radiate. This reduces Broadcast and TV interference (BCI and TVI).