Re: kx1 antenna

[Rick Dwight]

 

 

From: Rick & Carolyn Dwight [mailto:[hidden email]]
Sent: Saturday, May 05, 2012 10:32 AM
To: '[hidden email]'
Subject: kx1 antenna

 

Mike,

     I have used a kx1 portable for many years in many locations with
approximately a 25 ft wire, more or less vertical  and one or two
counterpoise wires approximately 17 ft.  If the "counterpoise" wire(s) are
laying directly on the ground nearly 100% of the time the rig tunes < 2:1 on
40 meters and typically lower on 20 and 30 meters.  If the counterpoise
wires are elevated (even laying on bushes) the rig may not tune on 40
meters.  It is usually OK if you sit at a table and drape the counterpoise
wires down to the ground.  I have found it very useful to always carry
approximately a 6 or 8 foot wire with a medium size car battery charger clip
on one end.  Often clipping onto a metal picnic table, guard rail, car body,
chain link fence, or whatever is all I need for a workable
ground/counterpoise.  Or in your example, just try lengthening one of the
radials with the clipped on wire, or for 40 meters only try lengthening the
24 ft radiator with the clip lead.  There is a good chance that the rig will
then tune on 40 meters.  

    It is possible but not likely that something is wrong with the antenna
tuner, you can step through the L and C combinations manually as outlined in
the manual.  

    The 25 ft wire and 17 ft counterpoise/radial is not proposed as a high
performance antenna, but as a very workable, light weight antenna which is
easy to set up and will yield many happy QSO's ..some well over a thousand
miles on all 3 bands.   This is my usual travel and backpacking antenna,
however, if I am operating in a contest and can set up a more elaborate
antenna, it may be worth the effort.  It is probable that this very simple
antenna "counterpoise" combo will actually work better than many of the
compact, expensive, cute, loaded antennas that you see advertised).  For 40
meters a longer radiator(closer to 33 ft) and a more extensive counterpoise
or radial system will perform better, but radiators much longer than
approximately 26 or 27 feet will not tune on 20 meters.  If your radials are
laying on the ground, a larger number of radials are more important than
radials longer than about 17 ft.  If your counterpoise is elevated above
ground, for example on a deck, one or two resonant (quarter wave) radials
will be probably be better, although I have found rather unlikely
combinations that actually worked just fine.  

            Rick  KL7CW   KX1 # 798

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