KX1 Tricks
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Greetings,
I'm one of the lurkers who follow this list, but haven't had anything to contribute. I am currently 1/2 way through my one year deployment to Kuwait and put together a KX1 here in my billeting to try to make a DXpedition out of the rest of my time here. I have a big plastic tote to use as my footlocker and spread a towel on it to make a work surface. The kit went together fine: my challenges have been elsewhere. I've got plenty of wire with which to make an antenna, but the tents are only 12' at the peak, there are no trees. Vertical support is an obstacle. I found a PAC 12 vertical second-hand on one of the trader pages. For a guy that enjoys stringing wire, a store-bought antenna is a bitter pill to swallow. I do like the design, though. I'm eager to transmit through it. Reciprocal licensing is a challenge, too. The ministry only accepts the form filled in Arabic, and it has to be hand-carried. I am submitting the application tomorrow, so hopefully that will go smoothly. I am taking 2 weeks of leave soon. My wife and I will meet in Scotland. I am looking forward to operating there where I don't have the licensing hoops to jump through. For people looking for a wallet in which to carry your KX1: a "military" accessory company called Spec.-Ops. makes a Mini Cargo Pocket Organizer that fits the KX1 like a glove. It is a heavy-duty nylon that is very durable. You do have to take the paddle off the radio, though. The organizer is found at: http://www.specopsbrand.com/main.html 73s CPT Drew Neve Battle Captain S3 ASG-Kuwait Eager to Assist _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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Drew,
FB on your new KX1; I carry mine with me most of the time, though not in such circumstances as yours! I don't know your topography, but if the soil conductivity is poor, you might consider the following: The PAC-12 depends on ground coupling and good soil conductivity, so you may want to double up and/or lengthen the stock radials and even consider using symmetric 1/4 wavelength radials if you're really on sand. Or turn necessity into a virtue: If you're on dry sand, you might actually not need much elevation, as the RF ground may be well below you (water table). Others here and on HFPack have much more experience operating from deserts and report this. So, a dipole at tent height (or even on the ground) might perform quite well. Plus you will get serveral dB of gain from your 9K prefix. 73 es GL, Leigh / WA5ZNU > but the tents are only 12' at the peak, there are no trees. _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by drew.neve
Drew, Good luck getting on the air hope to hear you soon. But most of all THANK YOU FOR SERVING OUR COUNTRY! Thanks Again Jim Cessna KB8N -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of [hidden email] Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 6:14 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: [Elecraft] KX1 Tricks Greetings, I'm one of the lurkers who follow this list, but haven't had anything to contribute. I am currently 1/2 way through my one year deployment to Kuwait and put together a KX1 here in my billeting to try to make a DXpedition out of the rest of my time here. I have a big plastic tote to use as my footlocker and spread a towel on it to make a work surface. The kit went together fine: my challenges have been elsewhere. I've got plenty of wire with which to make an antenna, but the tents are only 12' at the peak, there are no trees. Vertical support is an obstacle. I found a PAC 12 vertical second-hand on one of the trader pages. For a guy that enjoys stringing wire, a store-bought antenna is a bitter pill to swallow. I do like the design, though. I'm eager to transmit through it. Reciprocal licensing is a challenge, too. The ministry only accepts the form filled in Arabic, and it has to be hand-carried. I am submitting the application tomorrow, so hopefully that will go smoothly. I am taking 2 weeks of leave soon. My wife and I will meet in Scotland. I am looking forward to operating there where I don't have the licensing hoops to jump through. For people looking for a wallet in which to carry your KX1: a "military" accessory company called Spec.-Ops. makes a Mini Cargo Pocket Organizer that fits the KX1 like a glove. It is a heavy-duty nylon that is very durable. You do have to take the paddle off the radio, though. The organizer is found at: http://www.specopsbrand.com/main.html 73s CPT Drew Neve Battle Captain S3 ASG-Kuwait Eager to Assist _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by drew.neve
Drew,
Setting up a vertical in Tent City can be a real pain because the radials and keeping the troops from tripping over everything. My recommendation would be to setup a large fiberglass pole like the 31' Jackite between the tents (between the tents were they have the A/C units setup) and use a doublet antenna like KQ6XA Bonnie Crystal's Mini-Bac as an Inverted Vee to the tops of the tents, or get two Jackite poles and set it up as a Doublet. I would use Gorilla tape around the sections of the fiberglass poles for a more permanent installation. Finally get an Plano Jumbo Airliner Case to carry and ship the wires and fiberglass poles. With the Plano case you don't have to worry about them putting your stuff on a pallet when you return CONUS, or when you check it as luggage on the airlines. http://tinyurl.com/7587g Bonnie Crystal KQ6XA Mini Bac http://tinyurl.com/phh9m Jackite poles http://tinyurl.com/nx3yv Gorilla Tape http://tinyurl.com/mm4wa Plano Jumbo Airliner Case 73, KI4DGH Chuck Gehring -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]]On Behalf Of [hidden email] Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 5:14 PM To: [hidden email] Subject: [Elecraft] KX1 Tricks Greetings, I'm one of the lurkers who follow this list, but haven't had anything to contribute. I am currently 1/2 way through my one year deployment to Kuwait and put together a KX1 here in my billeting to try to make a DXpedition out of the rest of my time here. I have a big plastic tote to use as my footlocker and spread a towel on it to make a work surface. The kit went together fine: my challenges have been elsewhere. I've got plenty of wire with which to make an antenna, but the tents are only 12' at the peak, there are no trees. Vertical support is an obstacle. I found a PAC 12 vertical second-hand on one of the trader pages. For a guy that enjoys stringing wire, a store-bought antenna is a bitter pill to swallow. I do like the design, though. I'm eager to transmit through it. Reciprocal licensing is a challenge, too. The ministry only accepts the form filled in Arabic, and it has to be hand-carried. I am submitting the application tomorrow, so hopefully that will go smoothly. I am taking 2 weeks of leave soon. My wife and I will meet in Scotland. I am looking forward to operating there where I don't have the licensing hoops to jump through. For people looking for a wallet in which to carry your KX1: a "military" accessory company called Spec.-Ops. makes a Mini Cargo Pocket Organizer that fits the KX1 like a glove. It is a heavy-duty nylon that is very durable. You do have to take the paddle off the radio, though. The organizer is found at: http://www.specopsbrand.com/main.html 73s CPT Drew Neve Battle Captain S3 ASG-Kuwait Eager to Assist _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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In reply to this post by drew.neve
Wow!
I never thought I'd get so many responses to my little submission to this forum. Thank you, I'm afraid I can't respond to them all. Thanks for the encouragement in the dipole at reduced height, Leigh. I hadn't thought of the depth of the water table adding to my antenna height. There is a group of vacant tents that are on the list to come down, they are kind of tucked back in the corner on the camp. That's where I feel the safest doing experiments with wire. Covert is a good thing. The sand (soil?) around here is packed hard. There is a little spike to hold the PAC-12 that is a challenge to get even half way in. One little bit of ingenuity that I am proud of: I did string up a long wire, a little over 100' between tents. I cut the tops off plastic water bottles to make insulators. Seems to work like a charm. CPT Drew Neve Battle Captain S3 ASG-Kuwait Eager to Assist ----- Original Message ----- From: "Leigh L Klotz, Jr." <[hidden email]> Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2006 1:48 am Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX1 Tricks > Drew, > FB on your new KX1; I carry mine with me most of the time, though > not in > such circumstances as yours! > > I don't know your topography, but if the soil conductivity is > poor, you > might consider the following: > > The PAC-12 depends on ground coupling and good soil conductivity, > so you > may want to double up and/or lengthen the stock radials and even > considerusing symmetric 1/4 wavelength radials if you're really on > sand. > Or turn necessity into a virtue: > > If you're on dry sand, you might actually not need much elevation, > as the > RF ground may be well below you (water table). Others here and on > HFPackhave much more experience operating from deserts and report > this. So, a > dipole at tent height (or even on the ground) might perform quite > well. > Plus you will get serveral dB of gain from your 9K prefix. > > 73 es GL, > Leigh / WA5ZNU > > > but the tents are only 12' at the peak, there are no trees. > Elecraft mailing list Post to: [hidden email] You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com |
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