KX1 | KXAT1 ATU questions
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My KX-1 has KXB3080, KXAT1, KXPD1 options. I am having trials and
tribulations with the KXAT1 tuning my KX-1. My configuration was Cobra Senior Ultralight up 60-66’ at one end 45-50’ at the other with center up about 55-60’ | 81 feet of 450 ohm ladder line runs that runs about 1’ foot through a casement window | Balun Designs 4:1 4113t current balun | 3’ coax with 239 – 239 connectors [703+] OR an amphenol 239/BNC adapter [KX-1]. In this config my Icom 703Plus tuned all bands and forward power was a bit diminished. The Elecraft KX-1 would not tune 40M only. KX1 is getting respectable power and swr on 80, 30 and 20 and 40 will throw a high power value and r9.9. Getting some advice from this reflector (Thanks to Dale - WC7S in WY) and the antenna manufacturer I then switched out the 3 foot coax with a 25 foot coax between the balun and transceiver. In this config my Icom 703Plus tunes all bands at near SWR 1.0 and forward power is exactly at what is set. The 703Plus works like a champ and even better in this config. Now the Elecraft KX1 has high SWR r9.9 on 80, 40, 30 and reads between r3-r5?? on 20M with respectable power levels on all bands. I would have thought the KX1 to perform better as well? Now the 703 is perfect and the KX1 is down on all 4 bands? Could someone help me understand why this might now be? I realize the KX1 tuner is smaller capacity than the Icom internal tuner – but this antenna configuration is quite respectable. I read many anecdotes of the sorts of “I threw a wire up in a tree with my KX1 and it tunes and works lots and lots of countries.” This isn’t exactly throwing a wire in a tree but a fairly standard antenna setup. Is there not enough overall power from the KX1? I put a call into Elecraft before/at the holiday and they are getting an answer for me on my previous question as to how to get the KX1 to send a continuous wave when the KXAT1 is in bypass for the external tuner. It appears to me that it sends dits or dahs when ATU is set to external tuner ATU == CAL. I would try to study the situation more with the THP HC200-AT autotuner but I’m unclear at the moment what the theory/design is with the KXAT1 in bypass mode. I thank you for your advice and thoughts in advance. Dan Ad1p ______________________________________________________________ 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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Dan,
Would you please borrow an antenna analyzer from your friend and publish the impedance (both resistive and reactive components) of that antenna measured through both the 3 ft coax and the 25 foot coax. After having that data, perhaps we can give you an intelligent answer instead of mere guesses. I understand that the KX1 works nicely into a dummy load - we need to figure out how to help you with your antenna, but without measurements, that task is not possible. 73, Don W3FPR Daniel Paul Perez wrote: > My KX-1 has KXB3080, KXAT1, KXPD1 options. I am having trials and > tribulations with the KXAT1 tuning my KX-1. > > My configuration was Cobra Senior Ultralight up 60-66’ at one end 45-50’ > at the other with center up about 55-60’ | 81 feet of 450 ohm ladder > line runs that runs about 1’ foot through a casement window | Balun > Designs 4:1 4113t current balun | 3’ coax with 239 – 239 connectors > [703+] OR an amphenol 239/BNC adapter [KX-1]. > > In this config my Icom 703Plus tuned all bands and forward power was a > bit diminished. The Elecraft KX-1 would not tune 40M only. KX1 is > getting respectable power and swr on 80, 30 and 20 and 40 will throw a > high power value and r9.9. > > Getting some advice from this reflector (Thanks to Dale - WC7S in WY) > and the antenna manufacturer I then switched out the 3 foot coax with a > 25 foot coax between the balun and transceiver. > > In this config my Icom 703Plus tunes all bands at near SWR 1.0 and > forward power is exactly at what is set. The 703Plus works like a champ > and even better in this config. Now the Elecraft KX1 has high SWR r9.9 > on 80, 40, 30 and reads between r3-r5?? on 20M with respectable power > levels on all bands. I would have thought the KX1 to perform better as > well? Now the 703 is perfect and the KX1 is down on all 4 bands? > > Could someone help me understand why this might now be? > > I realize the KX1 tuner is smaller capacity than the Icom internal tuner > – but this antenna configuration is quite respectable. I read many > anecdotes of the sorts of “I threw a wire up in a tree with my KX1 and > it tunes and works lots and lots of countries.” This isn’t exactly > throwing a wire in a tree but a fairly standard antenna setup. Is there > not enough overall power from the KX1? > > I put a call into Elecraft before/at the holiday and they are getting an > answer for me on my previous question as to how to get the KX1 to send a > continuous wave when the KXAT1 is in bypass for the external tuner. It > appears to me that it sends dits or dahs when ATU is set to external > tuner ATU == CAL. I would try to study the situation more with the THP > HC200-AT autotuner but I’m unclear at the moment what the theory/design > is with the KXAT1 in bypass mode. > > I thank you for your advice and thoughts in advance. > > Dan > Ad1p > > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > No virus found in this incoming message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 9.0.725 / Virus Database: 270.14.124/2598 - Release Date: 01/03/10 04:41:00 > > 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 Daniel Paul Perez
Daniel,
A half wave end fed at 40 meters will have extraordinarily high impedance. Shorten it and you find the KX1 will tune. The suggestion to use an antenna analyzer may be a very good option as well. Then you will know. There isn't enough tuning range in the tiny KX1 auto tuner. If you look through the archives, you will find some good suggestions from Wayne. 73, Bill K9YEQ -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Daniel Paul Perez Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 8:53 PM To: [hidden email] Cc: [hidden email] Subject: [Elecraft] [KX1] KX1 | KXAT1 ATU questions My KX-1 has KXB3080, KXAT1, KXPD1 options. I am having trials and tribulations with the KXAT1 tuning my KX-1. My configuration was Cobra Senior Ultralight up 60-66' at one end 45-50' at the other with center up about 55-60' | 81 feet of 450 ohm ladder line runs that runs about 1' foot through a casement window | Balun Designs 4:1 4113t current balun | 3' coax with 239 - 239 connectors [703+] OR an amphenol 239/BNC adapter [KX-1]. In this config my Icom 703Plus tuned all bands and forward power was a bit diminished. The Elecraft KX-1 would not tune 40M only. KX1 is getting respectable power and swr on 80, 30 and 20 and 40 will throw a high power value and r9.9. Getting some advice from this reflector (Thanks to Dale - WC7S in WY) and the antenna manufacturer I then switched out the 3 foot coax with a 25 foot coax between the balun and transceiver. In this config my Icom 703Plus tunes all bands at near SWR 1.0 and forward power is exactly at what is set. The 703Plus works like a champ and even better in this config. Now the Elecraft KX1 has high SWR r9.9 on 80, 40, 30 and reads between r3-r5?? on 20M with respectable power levels on all bands. I would have thought the KX1 to perform better as well? Now the 703 is perfect and the KX1 is down on all 4 bands? Could someone help me understand why this might now be? I realize the KX1 tuner is smaller capacity than the Icom internal tuner - but this antenna configuration is quite respectable. I read many anecdotes of the sorts of "I threw a wire up in a tree with my KX1 and it tunes and works lots and lots of countries." This isn't exactly throwing a wire in a tree but a fairly standard antenna setup. Is there not enough overall power from the KX1? I put a call into Elecraft before/at the holiday and they are getting an answer for me on my previous question as to how to get the KX1 to send a continuous wave when the KXAT1 is in bypass for the external tuner. It appears to me that it sends dits or dahs when ATU is set to external tuner ATU == CAL. I would try to study the situation more with the THP HC200-AT autotuner but I'm unclear at the moment what the theory/design is with the KXAT1 in bypass mode. I thank you for your advice and thoughts in advance. Dan Ad1p ______________________________________________________________ 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 Daniel Paul Perez
Dan - I have the same antenna and the same balun. It is a great combination from 160m to 10m. Before I used the balun, however, I used a balanced Johnson Matchbox. I found that I had to add some length to the original ladder line (about 18 feet) to get all bands to match (including all of the WARC bands). 30m was my toughest band, but once I got 30m to match nicely then all the other bands matched too. So you might try adding some ladder line to the original feedline. (Subtracting may also be effective but I added).
I love QSYing from band to band now with the K3 or K2. The K2 and K3 tuners remember the settings so I am instantly matched without having to generate RF. Good luck. 73, John W2XS <quote author="Daniel Paul Perez"> My configuration was Cobra Senior Ultralight up 60-66’ at one end 45-50’ at the other with center up about 55-60’ | 81 feet of 450 ohm ladder line runs that runs about 1’ foot through a casement window | Balun Designs 4:1 4113t current balun | 3’ coax with 239 – 239 connectors [703+] OR an amphenol 239/BNC adapter [KX-1]. |
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