[Elecraft] KPA/KAT100 longwire terminal box

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Wow, Leo! You ought to get out FB from there!=20

If you do go for a "terminal box" use really good insulator. Nylon and a =
lot
of cheap plastics aren't very good at RF. Indeed, I melted a nylon =
binding
post on my MFJ antenna tuner some years back running only 15 watts =
output. I
happened to hook on a wire that was very close to 1/2 wavelength long so =
it
had a voltage loop at the ATU and the nylon melted!  Even if the power =
had
been lower binding post insulation had not melted, it would have used up =
a
lot of RF making heat instead of radio waves, Hi!=20

One way to handle a lot of counterpoise wires going to the E1 terminal =
is to
make up a "pig tail" that goes to the ground jack at one end and with
several banana jacks connected to it at the other end. I prefer banana =
plugs
on my ATUs for wire antennas. They make a good, snug fit into the SO-239
"UHF" connectors and, if someone or something tugs on the antenna wire, =
the
banana plug will pop out of the connector rather than drag the rig off =
of
the operating table.=20

If both the counterpoise wires and the antenna use banana plugs, you can =
use
them in different ways, depending upon the situation. For example, a 20
meter long counterpoise for the 80 meter band would make an excellent =
long
wire antenna for 40 meters and up, or a decent 1/4 wave antenna on 80!  =
So
if you make up a several wires with plugs with lengths of 20 meters, 10
meters, 5 meters and 2.5 meters, you are all set with a lot of variety =
of
antenna options and counterpoise wires for everything from the 80 =
through 10
meter bands=20

NieuweWaterweg? Is there a "new water way" from Rotterdam to the North =
Sea?=20

When will you be doing this? What bands?=20

Ron AC7AC
K2 # 1289

-----Original Message-----
Hi Ron,

didn't even think about using a bananaplug, I have a couple of very nice
spring-clamp ones, and will give them a try. The number of counterpoise
terminals/wire-ends will be limited on the E1 terminal, will try this =
out
too.

The place of venue is a waterfront restaurant on the NieuweWaterweg, the
stretch of saltwater between the port of Rotterdam and the Northsea.

It's a friendly cw-interrest group, but a lot of the hams are old =
Merchant
Navy radio officers and I want to be as prepared as I can (!)

73'Leo PA5LS.