KX-1 Operation
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Dear folks:
I am using, for the first time, a KX-1. The antenna, as recommended on the Elecraft FAQ page, is a 24 foot wire and a 16 foot radial. They are connected to the KX-1 with a BNC to a double banana plug. I am on the road from time to time and spend a number of evenings in hotel rooms. Earlier this week, I fired up the KX-1 for the first time since purchase. I took the 24-foot antenna and dropped it out the 6th floor window. That gave me about a 2 to 3 foot horizontal run to the window and the remainder straight down. The radial was spread out in the opposite direction along the "dresser" and then dropping down to the floor for the duration. Turning it on, I heard absolutely no signals on 75, 40 or 20. Today, I was outside and spread out the antenna and radial in a horizontal fashion at about a 45 degree angle to each other. Signals were heard on 20, but again, nothing on 40 or 75. What suggestions do the seasoned KX-1 users have? Thank you VERY much Arnie W7BIA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Hotels can be very noisy. I would try to get the antenna wire out a few feet
from the building before letting it drop down. During the day, good chance you would not hear much on 80 meters. Try your experiment outside in the evening. Do you have the built in tuner? Without it, that 24 foot wire is not going to work very well. 73/72 - Mike WA8BXN -------Original Message------- From: arnie lewin Date: 3/12/2011 7:50:31 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: [Elecraft] KX-1 Operation Dear folks: I am using, for the first time, a KX-1. The antenna, as recommended on the Elecraft FAQ page, is a 24 foot wire and a 16 foot radial. They are Connected to the KX-1 with a BNC to a double banana plug. I am on the road from time to time and spend a number of evenings in hotel Rooms. Earlier this week, I fired up the KX-1 for the first time since Purchase. I took the 24-foot antenna and dropped it out the 6th floor window. That Gave me about a 2 to 3 foot horizontal run to the window and the remainder Straight down. The radial was spread out in the opposite direction along the "dresser" and Then dropping down to the floor for the duration. Turning it on, I heard absolutely no signals on 75, 40 or 20. Today, I was outside and spread out the antenna and radial in a horizontal Fashion at about a 45 degree angle to each other. Signals were heard on 20, but again, nothing on 40 or 75. What suggestions do the seasoned KX-1 users have? Thank you VERY much Arnie W7BIA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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And you have to turn on the ATU... plus "tune" the antenna at each
location. The ATU will go through it's paces, and then show you the SWR after you un-key. 73 de Ray K2ULR On Mar 12, 2011, at 8:05 PM, Mike WA8BXN wrote: > Hotels can be very noisy. I would try to get the antenna wire out a > few feet > from the building before letting it drop down. > > During the day, good chance you would not hear much on 80 meters. > Try your > experiment outside in the evening. > > Do you have the built in tuner? Without it, that 24 foot wire is > not going > to work very well. > > 73/72 - Mike WA8BXN > > > > -------Original Message------- > > From: arnie lewin > Date: 3/12/2011 7:50:31 PM > To: [hidden email] > Subject: [Elecraft] KX-1 Operation > > Dear folks: > > I am using, for the first time, a KX-1. The antenna, as recommended > on the > Elecraft FAQ page, is a 24 foot wire and a 16 foot radial. They are > Connected to the KX-1 with a BNC to a double banana plug. > > I am on the road from time to time and spend a number of evenings > in hotel > Rooms. Earlier this week, I fired up the KX-1 for the first time since > Purchase. > > I took the 24-foot antenna and dropped it out the 6th floor window. > That > Gave me about a 2 to 3 foot horizontal run to the window and the > remainder > Straight down. > > The radial was spread out in the opposite direction along the > "dresser" and > Then dropping down to the floor for the duration. > > Turning it on, I heard absolutely no signals on 75, 40 or 20. > > Today, I was outside and spread out the antenna and radial in a > horizontal > Fashion at about a 45 degree angle to each other. > > Signals were heard on 20, but again, nothing on 40 or 75. > > What suggestions do the seasoned KX-1 users have? > > Thank you VERY much > > Arnie > W7BIA > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by Mike WA8BXN
Hi Arnie -
I have a remote station set up at a friend's house in Delaware. Antenna is a somewhat bent inverted V about 100 feet long fed with open line. There are nearby power lines. With several rigs I got about the same feeling you did that there were not any signals on, I was just hearing noise for the most part. Occasionally I would hear a strong signal or two. I recently installed a Kenwood TS-480 there. I know that powerline noise usually is not gotten rid of with a noise blanker, but the blanker on that radio is amazing. With it off noise is at least s9+10 db and its hard to hear much of anything. When I push that noise blanker button, the S meter drops and I hear many signals on bands that should have them. I'm not sure what the real source of the noise is. There are nearby houses and phone/cable lines nearby. I might suggest going to a park, toss the antenna wire up on a tree or bush, tune the tuner and see what you hear on 40 meters. Have you tried listening to 30 M? 73 - Mike WA8BXN -------Original Message------- From: arnie lewin Date: 3/12/2011 8:15:43 PM To: 'Mike WA8BXN' Subject: RE: [Elecraft] KX-1 Operation Mike, Sorry, I forgot to give ALL the info...yes I do have a built in tuner. Funny, however I did not hear a lot of noise...it was just tuning across the Band and hearing a constant low noise level. Currently, I am in Pasadena and one evening, I will go into the center Courtyard around the pool and try there. Problem is that I am surrounded by A 6 story building on 3 and a half sides.... Oh, lastly, this was done at about 8 PM Arnie -----Original Message----- From: Mike WA8BXN [mailto:[hidden email]] Sent: Saturday, March 12, 2011 5:05 PM To: [hidden email]; arnie lewin Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX-1 Operation Hotels can be very noisy. I would try to get the antenna wire out a few feet >From the building before letting it drop down. During the day, good chance you would not hear much on 80 meters. Try your Experiment outside in the evening. Do you have the built in tuner? Without it, that 24 foot wire is not going To work very well. 73/72 - Mike WA8BXN -------Original Message------- From: arnie lewin Date: 3/12/2011 7:50:31 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: [Elecraft] KX-1 Operation Dear folks: I am using, for the first time, a KX-1. The antenna, as recommended on the Elecraft FAQ page, is a 24 foot wire and a 16 foot radial. They are Connected to the KX-1 with a BNC to a double banana plug. I am on the road from time to time and spend a number of evenings in hotel Rooms. Earlier this week, I fired up the KX-1 for the first time since Purchase. I took the 24-foot antenna and dropped it out the 6th floor window. That Gave me about a 2 to 3 foot horizontal run to the window and the remainder Straight down. The radial was spread out in the opposite direction along the "dresser" and Then dropping down to the floor for the duration. Turning it on, I heard absolutely no signals on 75, 40 or 20. Today, I was outside and spread out the antenna and radial in a horizontal Fashion at about a 45 degree angle to each other. Signals were heard on 20, but again, nothing on 40 or 75. What suggestions do the seasoned KX-1 users have? Thank you VERY much Arnie W7BIA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by w7bia
Arnie, I used almost exactly the same setup in the faculty housing at Indian
School of Business in Hyderabad with my KX1. I used longer wires: 50' for the antenna, and 25' for the counterpoise. Signals were few, and noise was high, but with patient tuning I heard about a dozen Asian countries, all on 20M. Nothing on 40 or 80. I couldn't transmit, having no license. I'd suggest adding more wire and sticking to 20 meters. Try it at home with various configurations. The receiver in the KX1 is amazingly sensitive and fun to use. 73, Tony KT0NY ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by w7bia
Arnie,
Do you have the KXAT1 installed? If you do not, you will have to use a resonant dipole. If you do have the KXAT1, did you do a TUNE on each band before trying it? Did the SWR go down to a sufficiently low number (less than 1.7)? If the ATU menu parameter is not set for "tun", the KXAT1 will not do any tuning. As others have said, you just may have local noise that is greater than the signal strength. If your KX1 worked and was aligned after you built it, then it should still be properly aligned unless it was abused in some manner. 73, Don W3FPR On 3/12/2011 7:50 PM, arnie lewin wrote: > Dear folks: > > I am using, for the first time, a KX-1. The antenna, as recommended on the > Elecraft FAQ page, is a 24 foot wire and a 16 foot radial. They are > connected to the KX-1 with a BNC to a double banana plug. > > I am on the road from time to time and spend a number of evenings in hotel > rooms. Earlier this week, I fired up the KX-1 for the first time since > purchase. > > I took the 24-foot antenna and dropped it out the 6th floor window. That > gave me about a 2 to 3 foot horizontal run to the window and the remainder > straight down. > > The radial was spread out in the opposite direction along the "dresser" and > then dropping down to the floor for the duration. > > Turning it on, I heard absolutely no signals on 75, 40 or 20. > > Today, I was outside and spread out the antenna and radial in a horizontal > fashion at about a 45 degree angle to each other. > > Signals were heard on 20, but again, nothing on 40 or 75. > > What suggestions do the seasoned KX-1 users have? > > Thank you VERY much > > Arnie > W7BIA > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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In reply to this post by w7bia
On Sat, 2011-03-12 at 16:50 -0800, arnie lewin wrote:
> Dear folks: > > I am using, for the first time, a KX-1. The antenna, as recommended on the > Elecraft FAQ page, is a 24 foot wire and a 16 foot radial. They are > connected to the KX-1 with a BNC to a double banana plug. > > I am on the road from time to time and spend a number of evenings in hotel > rooms. Earlier this week, I fired up the KX-1 for the first time since > purchase. > > I took the 24-foot antenna and dropped it out the 6th floor window. That > gave me about a 2 to 3 foot horizontal run to the window and the remainder > straight down. you need to get the antenna wire away from the building, the building is full of lossy concrete and rebar, I use a wire on the end on a tennis ball 'secured' with tape and launch this outwards at anything it might catch in, when you are done pull on the wire and the tape lets go, the tennis ball you can collect after you check out ;-) -- 73 Brendan EI6IZ ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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