http://elecraft.85.s1.nabble.com/Is-it-my-KX3-antenna-or-is-it-lousy-band-condx-tp7633243p7633339.html
I think you've hit on the real major issues. I always state an
no one perfect antenna. I suggest that these are just a few areas that a
for a 5BDXCC. All of the rest of it are just a good discussion topics,
meter inverted L and a vertical 20 meter center fed dipole. I use the L
for 80-30 meters and the vertical dipole for all else. I haven't a clue
what the SWR is, but my built in tuner deals with it nicely. All on my
feed line are ladder line connected via a Balun Designs current balun.
80. What I'm saying is I have found it does not take an elaborate
situation. All the rest is seat in the chair time and listen or call CQ.
>There has been a happening in the last 15 or so years. It seems that
>every antenna is "the best we have ever had" this statement is
>directly
>proportional to the number of people who study theory to those who just
>read others comments on the internet. Or as some say, the SWR is 1:1 so
>its a great antenna. BTW I love my dummy load for EXACTLY that reason.
>
>I can clearly say that I have had enough different antenna's over the
>last 35 years that I know what is a good antenna and one that is not..
>plus I even understand most of the theory. Today a new ham dumps
>125-150 bucks in to a 5 dollar pre-manufactured wire antenna, and says,
>this is the best antenna around even if he has never used any other
>antenna. See how good it works I even have an S9 noise floor, no other
>antenna is this sensitive, when all the wile he is running 30db of
>preamp he does not need.
>
>Simply amazes me.. that some think they even have enough education or
>experience to even have a meaning full opinion.. but away they go on
>eham or qrz about how good something is. Lucky most on Elecraft don't
>all into this category.
>
>We do have many good radio related sites out there, examples are those
>who show current band conditions, low power reporting sites to check
>your own propagation etc.. those we should learn to use as they are
>meaningful but don't assume the to be 100% all of the time,
>
>I remember many years ago when I was elmering a new ham, he built a 15
>meter beam, when he decided after one week that the 40/15 dipole I
>built
>for him was just not working, I loaned him a HW16, he complained for
>weeks that the something was wrong, I went over one Saturday to see
>what
>actually was wrong, a spin across the band showed no signals, one CQ
>with 50 watts and from Ohio I was the pileup of European stations, I
>worked about 5 contacts, looked at him, and said, "So what is wrong",
>he says.. "what knob did you turn when I wasn't looking" did you ever
>call CQ "no says he" "I think you need to actually use the radio
>before
>you decide something is wrong" says I.
>
>If the band propagation sites say the band is dead, and your radio is
>not hearing anything, most likely it is not your radio or your antenna.
>If you are hearing S9 noise and unhook the antenna and it goes away, I
>will make you a bet that your radio is not broken..
>
>And yes all of the switching supplies didn't exist 20 years ago, so we
>need to do things we didn't have to do before with toroids and other
>things that we didn't do before, there is even some noise sources we
>can't fix as others are legally generating it. Me thinks the days of a
>usable -127db noise floor are few and far between, thanks mostly to
>what
>our government is allowing to happen...
>
>FWIW/WYP.. regards.. Fred
>
>Fred Moore
>email:
[hidden email]
>
[hidden email]
>phone: 321-217-8699
>
>On 8/13/17 8:43 AM, Bob McGraw K4TAX wrote:
>>Forget about "what you've been told". Do your own research using
>>various publications such as ARRL Antenna Book or other like
>>publications. Personally in the "I've been told" area, it seems hams
>>have more incomplete and inaccurate information than correct and
>>complete information.
>>
>>Bob, K4TAX
>>
>>
>>Sent from my iPhone
>>
>>>On Aug 13, 2017, at 7:31 AM, rich hurd WC3T <
[hidden email]> wrote:
>>>
>>>Hi all, particularly Walter (since he mentioned it):
>>>
>>>I've been bedeviled by a question with multiple possible answers.
>>>
>>>I'm a fan of the idea of using a field antenna as Walter describes by
>>>using
>>>a BNC - to binding post connector directly to the radio.
>>>
>>>I'm leery of that because it flies in the face of what I've been told
>>>about
>>>these antennas: I'm assuming the radio BNC connection is unbalanced
>>>and
>>>the wires form a balanced antenna, more or less. I've seen
>>>deployments
>>>with end-fed 9:1 baluns and without, even documented on YouTube with
>>>great
>>>successes.
>>>
>>>I can tell you that the 9:1 balun setup doesn't seem to be working
>>>for my
>>>current field deployment but I'd sure like to understand why a balun
>>>isn't
>>>recommended in this setup. I'd love to just take the wire and put it
>>>on my
>>>WonderPole and go for it, but I'd like the understanding first.
>>>Why does
>>>this work? :)
>>>
>>>Thanks.
>>>
>>>On Fri, Aug 11, 2017 at 13:19 Walter Underwood
>>><
[hidden email]>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>You can get a quick look at band conditions at
>>>>
http://bandconditions.com <
>>>>
http://bandconditions.com/>
>>>>
>>>>Using Buddistick on 40 m is a real challenge. I would not be
>>>>surprised if
>>>>that was an S-unit or more below a full-size dipole.
>>>>
>>>>Try the simplest field antenna for the KX3, two wires connected
>>>>directly
>>>>to the rig. Get a BNC to double binding post adaptor. Get a wire 26
>>>>to 29
>>>>feet long, throw it in a tree and hook one end to the red post. Get
>>>>a 16
>>>>foot wire, lay it on the ground and connect it to the black post.
>>>>Let the
>>>>ATU tune it and see you can hear.
>>>>
>>>>wunder
>>>>K6WRU
>>>>Walter Underwood
>>>>CM87wj
>>>>
http://observer.wunderwood.org/ (my blog)
>>>>
>>>>>On Aug 11, 2017, at 9:54 AM, Tommy <
[hidden email]> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>The band has been really crappy lately. Keep tuning around and
>>>>>listening.
>>>>>
>>>>>73!
>>>>>
>>>>>Tom - KB2SMS
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>On 08/11/2017 12:33 PM, Mike Parkes wrote:
>>>>>>Okay I am reaching our to the Elecraft enthusiasts here for some
>>>>feedback
>>>>>>if anyone cares to chime in.
>>>>>>I am just getting back on the air after years away from the hobby,
>>>>>>so I
>>>>am
>>>>>>not that familiar with band conditions in general. It looks like
>>>>>>the
>>>>>>sunspot cycle is heading for the cellar (if it isn't already
>>>>>>there).
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Recently bought a KX3 and a Buddistick vertical (like, 2 weeks
>>>>>>ago).
>>>>Love
>>>>>>the KX3 it is a great radio... however... so far my efforts to
>>>>>>hear
>>>>much of
>>>>>>anything, much less make a contact with someone, has been
>>>>>>frustrating to
>>>>>>say the least. I live in an apartment and am surrounded by power
>>>>>>lines
>>>>for
>>>>>>one thing. The background noise level on 40 is pretty bad varies
>>>>>>but is
>>>>>>s7-9 mostly. I took my setup to a nearby park and the bands were
>>>>>>definitely quieter. So the local manmade noise level is an issue
>>>>>>(and
>>>>one
>>>>>>reason I chose the KX3 was the hope that its rcvr and filtering
>>>>>>could
>>>>help
>>>>>>with that.)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Have yet to make a single contact, so I am just wondering if I
>>>>>>just
>>>>>>happened to choose a really lousy period of solar conditions for
>>>>>>HF? Or
>>>>is
>>>>>>the base loaded vertical a joke?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I would love to be able to find another ham even close by just to
>>>>>>try
>>>>and
>>>>>>get some sort of an HF QSO even if it is with someone down the
>>>>>>block.
>>>>>>...I can tune down to the AM broadcast band and was able to hear
>>>>>>some
>>>>local
>>>>>>AM stations. :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Mike AB7RU
>>>>>>
>>>>>>(On a side note the tuner in the KX3 is great!. That thing was
>>>>>>able to
>>>>get
>>>>>>a match for 80 meters on the Buddistick which was showing
>>>>>>something like
>>>>>>25:1 swr. The KX3 tuner clicked and rattled for a while and found
>>>>>>a
>>>>match
>>>>>>to <2:1. Not sure how much actual RF is going out, probably not
>>>>>>much...
>>>>but
>>>>>>I was amazed it could tune to that high an SWR.)
>>>>>>______________________________________________________________
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>>>--
>>>73 (or 72 for the QRP folks),
>>>Rich Hurd / WC3T
>>>DMR ID: 3142737
>>>Northampton County RACES
>>>EPA-ARRL Public Information Officer for Scouting
>>>Latitude: 40.761621 Longitude: -75.288988 (40°45.68' N 75°17.33' W)
>>>Grid:
>>>*FN20is*
>>>______________________________________________________________
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