by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A lady asked:

Why would I want a double wire loop for my induction system? I don’t understand. What is the benefit?

You don’t need to make a double wire loop if you don’t want to. A single wire loop works just fine if that is the wire you already have. The advantages of a double wire loop are:

  1. It makes a stronger signal. This may not be all that important for a small loop, but if you are running the maximum sized loop for the power output of your loop amplifier, the extra signal strength certainly helps give a better signal.
  2. Because the electrical path in a double wire loop is twice as long as in a single wire loop, it has twice the resistance in the wire. This is a good thing because it helps the loop amplifier to run cooler since the signal is dissipated in the wire–not in the amplifier.
  3. I typically buy standard “lamp cord” for my loops. Since lamp cord has two parallel wires, it is a waste not to use both wires when you can do so very easily. (Note–Never use both wires by twisting the wires at each end together. This creates a parallel circuit and reduces the resistance. This is a bad thing.) Click here to learn how to hook up a double wire loop properly.
  4. It is very important to have the proper resistance in your wire loop if you are using a standard PA amplifier (voltage amplier). These amplifiers require adequate resistance (technically impedence) or the current will increase and burn out your amplifier. This is not a problem with proper loop amplifiers (current amplifiers) such as the Univox2A. You can read about these wonderful devices in my article, “Loop Systems–The Best Kept Secret In Town!“