This design does require an external antenna tuner to provide some preselection gain and uses your transceiver’s preamp. This all changed when I came across a website that described an easy-to-build receiving loop that does not need a preamp. I have often wondered whether a loop receiving antenna would be a good solution to my need for better reception but was hesitant to get involved with the typical preamplifiers and monstrous dimensions most of the designs I have seen require.
This is true for both weak-signal DX as well as regional chats with friends in the Southwestern US. Although my transceiver has good selectivity and excellent filters, I suffer from high noise conditions that at times make receiving a chore. Receiving HF signals at my location is a compromise situation due to the antennas I use and the high noise environment in the city.
