[Elecraft] re: KX1 antenna wire

[Bruce Prior]

Think about it.  The main reason (besides its trail-friendly features) that 
you're carrying a KX1 in your backpack is that it is very light weight.  Why 
add the weight of a thingy that weighs more for antenna launching?  Replace 
that weight with a little skill.  You're carrying some sort of cord in your 
backpack for other purposes, right?  Now, before you leave on your trip, 
learn to tie a scaffold knot or a multiple scaffold knot.  See Clifford W. 
Ashley: The Ashley Book of Knots or Geoffrey Budworth, The Ultimate 
Encyclopedia of Knots & Ropeworks or some similar source.  In the field, 
select a fairly hefty rock.  Tie your cord around it with the scaffold knot. 
  Don't throw the rock.  Swing it around in vertical circles -- just fast 
enough to get it all the way around, and lob it over a tree branch.  The key 
to accuracy and safety is avoid swinging it too fast.  Heavier rocks are 
less likely to get tangled and will carry your cord all the way back to the 
ground.  Tie your antenna wire to the other end of your cord and pull it up. 
  To tie the antenna to the cord, I use a Hunter's Bend, although a 
fisherman's knot will also do.
72, Bruce Prior N7RR

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