KX3 - Travel antennas - outside with rig inside
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KX3 - Travel antennas - outside with rig inside
 
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I am going to re-send this and see if it hits the KX3 group. I didn't put the rig model in the original post yesterday morning so I think it missed the crowd I intended it to go to.
I am out of town this weekend and brought my 28' random wire/counterpoise. I have the random wire and counterpoise going out the window about 5' away. The tip of the random wire goes up in a tree about 15' up. The counterpoise goes out the window the opposite direction weaved through some bushes (to keep off the ground) about 5' up. The antenna seems to perform a ton better in a portable set up outside. There are signals I can hear on 40, but they are much weaker than if I set up outside. Another note is the window frame is wood and cranks open. I pulled the screen out to have clear access through the window. Wire is #26 Silky Wire from The Wireman (my favorite). I am thinking for this kind of set up I need to get the feedpoint OUTSIDE the window. Right now the wires come through the window and attach to the rig with a BNC-binding post adapter. I believe getting the feedpoint outside the window requires a coax cable and external tuner. Does anyone have any ideas on running the tuner inside the rig that may work without coax? Balanced feed lines will still detune through the window frame too, they need to be clear. Maybe it would perform better than the wires I have now though. What have some of you done that works? Steve, KC8QVO |
Re: KX3 - Travel antennas - outside with rig inside
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Steve
Been there done that! The counterpoise will radiate and that RF will mostly be absorbed into the building or ground. So potentially you could lose half the radiated signal. EZNEC models of that type of antenna usually give RF going mostly straight up in the air... Perhaps OK on 80 or 40 to work locals but generally not much use on the higher bands. On trips to my YLs parents place in Spain, I originally had a wire going vertically up to a fishing rod on a balcony, then horizontal for about 40 feet, overall length about 70 feet. That was fed against 4 radials, one for each band. The radio was outside on a patio table. More recently I use a ground plane made from a fishing pole with the base about 20 or so feet above ground and 2 radials per band, it works far better. Also a doublet fed with 300 Ohm ribbon works better than the end fed wire. Radios are either a K1 or K2 (10W version). Good luck. Dave, G4AON >What have some of you done that works? > >Steve, KC8QVO ______________________________________________________________ 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 |
Re: KX3 - Travel antennas - outside with rig inside
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Dave,
Have you had the rig inside with the antennas outside before? If so, how do you route your feedline? Slightly off topic but I am running a Buddistick antenna today up in Toledo, OH and getting out FB on 17. I've worked NY and KS (the KS qso was a KX3 to KX3!). I have 15' of RG-174 for my feed line. I forgot this was the cheap stuff. Since I bought this batch I've been getting LMR-100 instead. In any event, its working great. It will just be in use during the day outside though. Steve, KC8QVO |
Re: KX3 - Travel antennas - outside with rig inside
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In reply to this post by Steve KC8QVO
Coax through the window, or ribbon cable through the window.
73 Dave >Have you had the rig inside with the antennas outside before? If so, how do >you route your feedline? ______________________________________________________________ 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 |
Re: KX3 - Travel antennas - outside with rig inside
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In reply to this post by Steve KC8QVO
Steve,
The choices are not "either/or" vis-à-vis the coax. You can have the rig inside, feed coax through the window and attach to the antenna and counterpoise in the clear and tune it with your internal tuner. There will be some loss due to the mismatched coax, but for a 5 or 10 foot cable it will be small, likely less than you lose by transmitting inside your room (I fried an inn's hair dryer doing that <g>). If you are compelled, a pass at EZNEC and TLW can calculate the actual loss, but it won't be much. Regards, Joel Hallas, W1ZR Westport, CT From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Steve KC8QVO Sent: Friday, July 20, 2012 5:55 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: [Elecraft] Travel antennas - outside with rig inside I am out of town this weekend and brought my 28' random wire/counterpoise. I have the random wire and counterpoise going out the window about 5' away. The tip of the random wire goes up in a tree about 15' up. The counterpoise goes out the window the opposite direction weaved through some bushes (to keep off the ground) about 5' up. The antenna seems to perform a ton better in a portable set up outside. There are signals I can hear on 40, but they are much weaker than if I set up outside. Another note is the window frame is wood and cranks open. I pulled the screen out to have clear access through the window. Wire is #26 Silky Wire from The Wireman (my favorite). I am thinking for this kind of set up I need to get the feedpoint OUTSIDE the window. Right now the wires come through the window and attach to the rig with a BNC-binding post adapter. I believe getting the feedpoint outside the window requires a coax cable and external tuner. Does anyone have any ideas on running the tuner inside the rig that may work without coax? Balanced feed lines will still detune through the window frame too, they need to be clear. Maybe it would perform better than the wires I have now though. Steve, KC8QVO ______________________________________________________________ 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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I just received KX3 serial 847 yesterday and I have it connected to my
SteppIR 3 element and am blown away by the receiver. It is super quiet and nice and the roofing filter works extremely well. Made my first QSO with a local ham for the VHF contest. I am so amazed. I did hear some issues with the internal speaker so I will need to investigate that but overall it is amazing. BTW, baby is still in momma. Gotta run! Great job Elecraft!!!! Keith AG6AZ ______________________________________________________________ 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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Quick update. Last night I was on 20m with the KX3. Operating the KX3 with my steppir three element, I worked Marshall islands on CW and Australia on SSB with 10W (2 times). The receiver sensitivity and selectivity are excellent to my ear. I love the roofing filter as it is as good as advertised. I am still getting used to the menu options for NR and NB and could not seem to get those to change settings but that I attribute to learning curve.
The folks at Elecraft are going to sell a bunch more of these bad boys when the word gets out on the street on how great this portable rig works. My 857D didn't even come close to the receive capabilities of the KX3. Btw, i plan to bring this rig to HRO here in San Diego as the guys down there really want to see it. I was also doing A/B testing earlier between my K3 #1391 and the KX3 #845 and I was hearing various stations better on the KX3. Sure setting were not exactly the same but to have something comparable and at that size was blowing my mind. Of course it is a totally different form factor so regardless of performance comparison it is not a substitute but sure is nice having it in my arsenal. Thanks Elecraft!!! Keith AG6AZ Sent from my iPhone please excuse typos On Jul 21, 2012, at 3:23 PM, "Ham Radio " <[hidden email]> wrote: > I just received KX3 serial 847 yesterday and I have it connected to my > SteppIR 3 element and am blown away by the receiver. It is super quiet and > nice and the roofing filter works extremely well. Made my first QSO with a > local ham for the VHF contest. I am so amazed. I did hear some issues with > the internal speaker so I will need to investigate that but overall it is > amazing. > > BTW, baby is still in momma. Gotta run! > > Great job Elecraft!!!! > > Keith > AG6AZ > > ______________________________________________________________ > 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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