Vehicle-supported base camps
Bring it when you are setting up a station for a sustained stay, not trying to travel with the lightest possible pack. The complete HYBRID setup weighs 15 lb 3 oz; the BALUN setup weighs 18 lb 1 oz.
Coming later this yearNow in production. Pricing and ordering will open after final release approval.
Large Wire Tactical Delta Loop · 120 ft portable inverted-delta antenna
Build a vehicle-supported HF base-camp station without hunting for suitable trees. Choose a broadband CHA HYBRID setup or a remotely tuned CHA 4:1 BALUN + URT1 setup.
A larger portable loop for operators with room to use it
Raise 120 feet of wire from one central support station
A good base-camp site does not always come with two conveniently placed trees. The CHA LW-TDL brings its own support concept: two CHA CFM-34 masts spread from a CHA HUB on a heavy-duty surveyor tripod to carry a 120 ft wire loop. Reserve a clear area approximately 60 ft in diameter and allow around 30 minutes for one operator to set up.
Instead of improvising a transformer and tuner combination in the field, choose one complete electrical path before deployment. The HYBRID version connects directly to a CHA HYBRID-MICRO or HYBRID-MINI. The BALUN version connects to a CHA 4:1 BALUN and CHA URT1 for tuning at the antenna.
- Radiator120 ft closed wire loop
- Deployment areaApproximately 60 ft diameter
- SupportTwo CFM-34 masts in a HUB-mounted V
- Two versionsHYBRID or 4:1 BALUN + URT1
See the complete installation
One loop geometry, two documented feed systems
These are the installation figures from the final operator manual—not illustrative substitutes. Open either image at full resolution to inspect the corner attachments and feed connections. Supports and feed equipment are sold separately.
Choose it for the operating site—not only the band list
The LW-TDL earns its space on deliberate field deployments
Preparedness and regional communication
The lower-band normalized references favor high-angle radiation in the documented geometry, making the system relevant to regional and NVIS-oriented planning when propagation supports the path.
Remote-tuned field stations
Use the BALUN + URT1 version when tuning at the antenna and changing frequency from the operating position are part of the station architecture.
Choose another antenna when: the site cannot safely accommodate the loop perimeter, two mast paths, tripod, clear feed area, and the required public and electrical clearances.
Understand the deployment before arriving on site
The wire and supports form one controlled inverted delta
- Plan the siteReserve approximately 60 ft of clear diameter around the central tripod. Stay away from all power lines and keep people outside the RF exposure area.
- Build the support VInstall two CHA CFM-34 masts in the CHA HUB on the specified heavy-duty surveyor-tripod support.
- Route the closed loopUse the two floating isolation rings at the upper corners and keep the two terminal ends together at the lower feed point.
- Connect one feed pathUse either the HYBRID termination or the 4:1 BALUN + URT1 termination exactly as supplied; do not combine the two.
- Raise, inspect, and verifyAlternate between the two masts as you extend them, letting the wire slide freely through the floating rings. Follow the manual’s connection sequence, then verify at low power.
Assembly and recovery: follow pages 9–13 of the manual. The numerical pattern reference uses ideal straight 34 / 52 / 34 ft wire segments and a 4 ft feed height; it does not reproduce the upper-wire sag visible in the installation drawings. The 60 ft working area is not the model’s upper-wire length.
Choose the electrical path first
The terminal style identifies the correct version
Broadband path · 80–10 meters
CHA LW-TDL-HYBRID
Two 3/8 in ring terminals connect the loop to a CHA HYBRID-MICRO or CHA HYBRID-MINI. The final guide specifies 3.5–30.0 MHz with an antenna tuner. Plan for a suitable tuner rather than assuming a tuner-free match.
Choose this when: a passive broadband matching unit and the station’s normal tuning strategy fit the field plan.
Remote-tuned path · 40–10 meters
CHA LW-TDL-BALUN
Two #10 spade terminals connect the loop to a CHA 4:1 BALUN, followed by the CHA URT1 remote tuner. The documented operating scope is 6.5–30.0 MHz.
Choose this when: tuning at the antenna and frequency changes from the operating position matter more than minimizing system components.
Do not create a third path: a convenient adapter or connector fit does not approve another matching unit, terminal type, or direct URT1 connection.
Complete product reference
Key specifications
- Product type
- Portable 120 ft closed-wire inverted delta loop
- Conductor
- 20-gauge yellow insulated wire
- Nominal loop geometry
- Two sides approximately 34 ft each; upper span approximately 52 ft
- Reference feed-point height
- Approximately 4 ft above ground
- Reference upper-corner height
- Approximately 25.9 ft in the ideal 34 / 52 / 34 ft geometry
- Deployment area
- Approximately 60 ft diameter, with appropriate safety clearance
- HYBRID frequency scope
- 3.5–30.0 MHz (80–10 m) with an antenna tuner
- BALUN + URT1 frequency scope
- 6.5–30.0 MHz (40–10 m)
- HYBRID-MINI maximum
- 500 W SSB phone; 50 W all other modes, ICAS
- HYBRID-MICRO maximum
- 100 W SSB; 25 W all other modes
- BALUN + URT1 maximum
- 120 W SSB/CW; 30 W digital modes
- HYBRID terminals
- Two 3/8 in ring terminals; 15 in and 6 in terminal leads
- BALUN terminals
- Two 16–14 AWG #10 spade terminals; 6 in terminal leads
- Corner and endpoint hardware
- Four isolation rings and four aluminum carabiners
- Support architecture
- Two CHA CFM-34 masts in one CHA HUB V on a heavy-duty surveyor tripod
- Tripod adapter
- CHA SURVEYOR-A; required, sold separately
- Complete HYBRID setup weight
- 15 lb 3 oz; all components, not wire-kit shipping weight
- Complete BALUN setup weight
- 18 lb 1 oz; all components, not wire-kit shipping weight
- Setup
- One operator; around 30 minutes
- Pattern reference bands
- HYBRID: 80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, and 10 m; BALUN + URT1: 40 through 10 m
Frequency and mode-specific power values are product limits, not a promise that every radio will accept the installed impedance without tuning. Always verify the completed station.
Know what arrives and what completes the station
Included equipment and required companion components
Included with either LW-TDL version
- One completed 120 ft loop-wire assembly with the selected terminal style, isolation rings, and carabiners
- One line winder
Required for either version
- Two CHA CFM-34 carbon-fiber masts
- One CHA HUB
- One CHA SURVEYOR-A adapter
- One customer-supplied heavy-duty surveyor tripod
- Key-ring shackle and compatible station coax
- A safe site with the required footprint and clearances
Complete the HYBRID version with
- One CHA HYBRID-MICRO or CHA HYBRID-MINI and its key-ring shackle
- A suitable antenna tuner for the specified operating range
Complete the BALUN version with
- One CHA 4:1 BALUN
- One CHA URT1 remote tuner and coupler
- A short coaxial jumper with PL-259 connectors at both ends
- 12 V DC for the URT1 coupler and the connections specified in the URT1 manual
Already own some of the hardware? Check your inventory against the selected version before ordering later this year. The final guide explicitly uses CHA SURVEYOR-A and the same CHA HUB used by CHA TDL. It does not make the two antennas’ radiators interchangeable.
Measured evidence from the operator manual
The SWR sweep supports the architecture—not a universal match promise
Figure 6 in the final guide shows a measured HYBRID SWR sweep. The guide identifies 15 ft of RG-316 and an RFI choke near the analyzer as the test arrangement. The trace varies with frequency; treat it as evidence from that setup, not a promise of under-2:1 SWR everywhere.
Your installed result depends on the frequency, configuration, and location. Follow the tuner guidance for your version. A good SWR reading does not establish efficiency, gain, range, or a guaranteed contact.
Coverage & Pattern
See the reviewed 2D and interactive 3D patterns
Nine native NEC-4.2 references cover the documented 120 ft inverted-delta geometry from 80 through 10 meters. Use them to understand normalized pattern shape by band—not to predict installed SWR, efficiency, realized gain, or range.
Before choosing the system
Common CHA LW-TDL questions
Is the LW-TDL the same antenna as the CHA TDL?
No. The LW-TDL is a 120 ft wire loop supported by two CFM-34 masts. The CHA TDL uses a different radiator set, loop length, support geometry, and packaged configuration.
Does the HYBRID version need a tuner?
Plan for one. The final guide specifies 3.5–30.0 MHz with an antenna tuner. A favorable SWR on one frequency or at one site does not make the entire range tuner-free.
Why are there two wire versions?
The terminal assemblies match two different electrical systems. Ring terminals serve the HYBRID-MICRO/MINI path; spade terminals serve the 4:1 BALUN + URT1 path.
Are the masts, adapter, and tripod included?
No. The kit is the loop-wire assembly and line winder. Two CFM-34 masts, CHA HUB, CHA SURVEYOR-A, a heavy-duty surveyor tripod, and the selected feed equipment complete the station separately.
Can the BALUN version cover 80 meters?
Not under the documented product scope. The BALUN + URT1 version begins at 6.5 MHz and is presented as a 40–10 meter system. The HYBRID version carries the 80–10 meter scope.
Do the NEC patterns predict my exact station?
No. They show normalized shape for the controlled reference geometry. Your feed line, matching unit, ground, nearby objects, support materials, losses, and exact erection will affect the installed antenna.
