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Portable antennas for use in UK

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Dennis L. Haarsager

Portable antennas for use in UK

Just returned from another two weeks in the UK, this time bringing my KX3.
My wife and I visit her mother in the Borders area of southeastern Scotland
four (+/-) times a year. I duplicated Wayne Burdick's kit as closely as
possible, but it's really a nice weather sort of system and, frankly, I've
found there isn't a whole heck of a lot of that in Scotland.

I use a TransWorld antenna here with very good results, and I hear good
things about the Buddipole. I'd like to use something like that over there
and just keep it at my mother-in-law's place so I don't incur extra baggage
charges and stress about lost luggage. Given shipping and potential duty
costs, I'm wondering if there is something portable like the TransWorld or
Buddipole that's made in the UK or perhaps elsewhere in Europe that I could
acquire and store there between trips. Can anyone make any suggestions?
I'm operating mostly 20 and 17 meters these days, but also interested in 30
and 40 meters.

By the say, I had no hassles with security with the KX3 either in leaving
the U.S. at Dulles Airport, or in Paris during two transfers, or in
Edinburgh. I did carry my original license and printouts of CEPT
operations in both English and French in the carrying case, but no one
asked to see them.

73,
Dennis, N7DH/4
Hillsboro, Virginia
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Jon Kåre Hellan

Re: Portable antennas for use in UK

On 09/08/2012 10:06 PM, Dennis L. Haarsager wrote:

> Just returned from another two weeks in the UK, this time bringing my KX3.
> My wife and I visit her mother in the Borders area of southeastern Scotland
> four (+/-) times a year. I duplicated Wayne Burdick's kit as closely as
> possible, but it's really a nice weather sort of system and, frankly, I've
> found there isn't a whole heck of a lot of that in Scotland.
>
> I use a TransWorld antenna here with very good results, and I hear good
> things about the Buddipole. I'd like to use something like that over there
> and just keep it at my mother-in-law's place so I don't incur extra baggage
> charges and stress about lost luggage. Given shipping and potential duty
> costs, I'm wondering if there is something portable like the TransWorld or
> Buddipole that's made in the UK or perhaps elsewhere in Europe that I could
> acquire and store there between trips. Can anyone make any suggestions?
> I'm operating mostly 20 and 17 meters these days, but also interested in 30
> and 40 meters.

You could get a 12m telescopic fiberglass pole from Spiderbeam and use
whatever wire antenna you want with it. Use it as a center support for
an inv vee or for a wire vertical. My own crazy balcony antenna is a
full size vertical for 40m with two radials, can be erected or taken
down in less than a minute. http://www.ha19.no/la4rt/balcony.jpg. The K3
tuner is able to tune it on all bands from 80m to 6m, that's when I'm
lazy. It's also easy to take it down and put up an antenna cut for a
different band, if you worry about loss or want to use an amp. I
understand that the tuner in the KX3 is just as versatile as the one in
the K3.

Used as a support for an inv vee, don't use the top two or three
sections. They're too flimsy.

73
Jon LA4RT

> By the say, I had no hassles with security with the KX3 either in leaving
> the U.S. at Dulles Airport, or in Paris during two transfers, or in
> Edinburgh. I did carry my original license and printouts of CEPT
> operations in both English and French in the carrying case, but no one
> asked to see them.
>
> 73,
> Dennis, N7DH/4
> Hillsboro, Virginia
> ______________________________________________________________
> Elecraft mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft
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>
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Ethan Miller K8GU

Re: Portable antennas for use in UK

Dennis,

Here's another vote for a fiberglass pole and wires. I have a DK9SQ
pole that was imported by N8ET/KangaUS that I have used for many
years. It's very flexible (both mechanically and operationally) and
you can usually sneak them on an airliner as your "personal item." I
believe that there are a number of suppliers in EU for these poles in
addition to DK9SQ and Spiderbeam.

I also have a homebrew aluminum tubing vertical that has sections
sized to fit in my suitcase (the whole thing breaks down to about
20x3x4 inches and works on 40 meters and up). It's similar in concept
to the Buddipole/Buddistick but much less expensive and doesn't use
coils. The disadvantage is that it takes a few minutes to change
bands. The largest sections are 3/4-inch. This withstood 60-mph
gusts (before I took it down) the last time I used it.

73,

--Ethan, K8GU/4.

On Sun, Sep 9, 2012 at 6:27 AM, Jon Kåre Hellan <[hidden email]> wrote:

> On 09/08/2012 10:06 PM, Dennis L. Haarsager wrote:
>> Just returned from another two weeks in the UK, this time bringing my KX3.
>> My wife and I visit her mother in the Borders area of southeastern Scotland
>> four (+/-) times a year. I duplicated Wayne Burdick's kit as closely as
>> possible, but it's really a nice weather sort of system and, frankly, I've
>> found there isn't a whole heck of a lot of that in Scotland.
>>
>> I use a TransWorld antenna here with very good results, and I hear good
>> things about the Buddipole. I'd like to use something like that over there
>> and just keep it at my mother-in-law's place so I don't incur extra baggage
>> charges and stress about lost luggage. Given shipping and potential duty
>> costs, I'm wondering if there is something portable like the TransWorld or
>> Buddipole that's made in the UK or perhaps elsewhere in Europe that I could
>> acquire and store there between trips. Can anyone make any suggestions?
>> I'm operating mostly 20 and 17 meters these days, but also interested in 30
>> and 40 meters.
>
> You could get a 12m telescopic fiberglass pole from Spiderbeam and use
> whatever wire antenna you want with it. Use it as a center support for
> an inv vee or for a wire vertical. My own crazy balcony antenna is a
> full size vertical for 40m with two radials, can be erected or taken
> down in less than a minute. http://www.ha19.no/la4rt/balcony.jpg. The K3
> tuner is able to tune it on all bands from 80m to 6m, that's when I'm
> lazy. It's also easy to take it down and put up an antenna cut for a
> different band, if you worry about loss or want to use an amp. I
> understand that the tuner in the KX3 is just as versatile as the one in
> the K3.
>
> Used as a support for an inv vee, don't use the top two or three
> sections. They're too flimsy.
>
> 73
> Jon LA4RT
>
>> By the say, I had no hassles with security with the KX3 either in leaving
>> the U.S. at Dulles Airport, or in Paris during two transfers, or in
>> Edinburgh. I did carry my original license and printouts of CEPT
>> operations in both English and French in the carrying case, but no one
>> asked to see them.
>>
>> 73,
>> Dennis, N7DH/4
>> Hillsboro, Virginia
>> ______________________________________________________________
>> 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

--
http://www.k8gu.com/
Repair. Re-use. Re-purpose. Recycle.
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David Cutter

Re: Portable antennas for use in UK

In reply to this post by Jon Kåre Hellan

Hi Jon

I tried a Hams4Hams 18m pole and I am not strong enough to push it up
vertically. The Spider pole is even heavier, how do you extend the Spider
pole?

73

David
G3UNA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Kåre Hellan" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2012 10:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Portable antennas for use in UK

>
> You could get a 12m telescopic fiberglass pole from Spiderbeam and use
> whatever wire antenna you want with it. Use it as a center support for
> an inv vee or for a wire vertical. My own crazy balcony antenna is a
> full size vertical for 40m with two radials, can be erected or taken
> down in less than a minute. http://www.ha19.no/la4rt/balcony.jpg. The K3
> tuner is able to tune it on all bands from 80m to 6m, that's when I'm
> lazy. It's also easy to take it down and put up an antenna cut for a
> different band, if you worry about loss or want to use an amp. I
> understand that the tuner in the KX3 is just as versatile as the one in
> the K3.
>
> Used as a support for an inv vee, don't use the top two or three
> sections. They're too flimsy.
>
> 73
> Jon LA4RT
>

Jon Kåre Hellan

Re: Portable antennas for use in UK

On 09/10/2012 04:17 PM, David Cutter wrote:
> Hi Jon
>
> I tried a Hams4Hams 18m pole and I am not strong enough to push it up
> vertically. The Spider pole is even heavier, how do you extend the
> Spider pole?
>
I find it manageble if I stand on a chair. The sections of the 18m pole
are 1.5 m long (5 ft).
So without the chair, the section being lifted is uncomfortably high up.
But the 12m pole is a lot easier to handle.

Jon

> 73
>
> David
> G3UNA
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jon Kåre Hellan" <[hidden email]>
> To: <[hidden email]>
> Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2012 10:27 AM
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Portable antennas for use in UK
>>
>> You could get a 12m telescopic fiberglass pole from Spiderbeam and use
>> whatever wire antenna you want with it. Use it as a center support for
>> an inv vee or for a wire vertical. My own crazy balcony antenna is a
>> full size vertical for 40m with two radials, can be erected or taken
>> down in less than a minute. http://www.ha19.no/la4rt/balcony.jpg. The K3
>> tuner is able to tune it on all bands from 80m to 6m, that's when I'm
>> lazy. It's also easy to take it down and put up an antenna cut for a
>> different band, if you worry about loss or want to use an amp. I
>> understand that the tuner in the KX3 is just as versatile as the one in
>> the K3.
>>
>> Used as a support for an inv vee, don't use the top two or three
>> sections. They're too flimsy.
>>
>> 73
>> Jon LA4RT
>>

Igor Sokolov-2

Re: Portable antennas for use in UK

In reply to this post by David Cutter

David,
I use both 12m and 18m Spider poles. 12m one is pretty easy and could be
pushed up vertically.
18m pole requires different technique, well described by the series of
pictures here
http://www.spiderbeam.com/product_info.php?info=p71_Spiderbeam%2018m%20fiberglass%20pole.html

73, Igor UA9CDC

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Cutter" <[hidden email]>
To: "Jon Kåre Hellan" <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 8:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Portable antennas for use in UK

Hi Jon

I tried a Hams4Hams 18m pole and I am not strong enough to push it up
vertically. The Spider pole is even heavier, how do you extend the Spider
pole?

73

David
G3UNA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Kåre Hellan" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2012 10:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Portable antennas for use in UK

Geoffrey Downs-3

Re: Portable antennas for use in UK

Walking up an 18m Spiderpole is ok as long as you have side guys in place
plus front guys (ie the ones behind you as you walk) plus the facility to
shorten the back guys as you walk. This needs another person - or a pulley
at the bottom of the back guys if you are doing it on your own. Doing it
single handed, I find it much easier to use a 20ft gin pole.

73 to all

Geoff
G3UCK

-----Original Message-----
From: Igor Sokolov
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 3:21 PM
To: David Cutter ; Jon Kåre Hellan ; [hidden email]
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Portable antennas for use in UK

David,
I use both 12m and 18m Spider poles. 12m one is pretty easy and could be
pushed up vertically.
18m pole requires different technique, well described by the series of
pictures here
http://www.spiderbeam.com/product_info.php?info=p71_Spiderbeam%2018m%20fiberglass%20pole.html

73, Igor UA9CDC

----- Original Message -----
From: "David Cutter" <[hidden email]>
To: "Jon Kåre Hellan" <[hidden email]>; <[hidden email]>
Sent: Monday, September 10, 2012 8:17 PM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Portable antennas for use in UK

Hi Jon

I tried a Hams4Hams 18m pole and I am not strong enough to push it up
vertically. The Spider pole is even heavier, how do you extend the Spider
pole?

73

David
G3UNA

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jon Kåre Hellan" <[hidden email]>
To: <[hidden email]>
Sent: Sunday, September 09, 2012 10:27 AM
Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Portable antennas for use in UK

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