C2,
Can't say about the different shapes of a full wave loop can produce different amounts of gain. But, since the amount of area inside the loop does determine the antenna's efficiency, I would think that there could also be a difference in gains. Of the three basic types, circular, rectangular, and triangular, their efficiency is also in just that order, circular = highest, rectangular = middle, and triangular = lowest. The thing to remember is that while the difference in efficiency can make a difference in gain, it usually isn't very noticable (if at all) since that difference in efficiency just ain't all that much.
About the polarization of signals. They usually start out as the same polarization as that of the antenna. That signal's polarization can be chnaged by reflection (change in direction) from the ionosphere. Can also be changed by reflection from almost any reason, to some extent. But since a signals poalarization is determined by it's most characteristic 'direction' as a 'whole', not from some very slight 'chunk' which happens to be reflected from some object, the polarization of a 'skywave' tends to stay the same until the signal as a whole is reflected by something. (Geez! I'm glad I didn't have to say that instead of typing it, I'd'a run out of breath - lol)
- 'Doc
PS - What the "Ceeb" (Mr. Cebik) says has to be taken IN context. Sometimes, what he says doesn't mean exactly what it seems like it means on just the 'face' of it. Ask him, he'll tell you the same thing - lol. We used to argue about things quite a lot on the newsgroups and had a lot of fun at it. He still does as far as I know. I quit, got tired of it. Especially when my ISP started charging for the newsgroups! Oh well...