[Elecraft] Antenna info for KX1

Sat Jan 24 12:31:01 2004

Hey Mike - Sorry for the too brief description of the antenna, I was just
too excited about the answer to the CQ and posted the first words that came
to mind.  The multi conductor wire came from radio shack and was originally
5 conductor.

1.  Cut a length of 33 ft 3 inches (234/7.04) of the 5 conductor wire.
2.  Strip of two of the wires  (these can be made 26 feet and 16 feet as per
Elecrafts original suggestion.)
3.  Measure and cut an outside wire of the remaining 3 conductor wire to  16
feet 8 inches (234/14.06)
4.  Cut the center conductor of the 3 conductor wire to 23 feet 2 inches
(234/10.106)
5.  Solder the three even ends together with an alligator clip (or the
attachement of your choice)
6.  Solder an alligator clip to the ends of the 26 ft wire and 16 foot wire
as counterpoises.

The wires are then attached directly to the rig without feedline:  The
adapter attached to the rig was a solderless BNC for RG-58 coax (radioshack
number 278-185).  The ribbed cable attachement part was hacksawed carefully
off leaving the center pin exposed.  Then I soldered a couple of inches of
wire to the center pin and another to the exposed sawed brass of the cable
attachement part for the ground attachement.

Deploying the antenna was by attaching the 33 foot end of the 3 conductor
wire to a 20 foot Sunny Day fishing pole that was bungy corded to the
railing of my backyard deck.  The 3 conductor cable was then brought in
under the patio door to my armchair and alligator clipped to the BNC
adaptor.  A 16 foot counterpoise was then alligator clipped to the ground
wire of the adaptor and laid out on the edge of the room on the floor.  I
don't think the length of the counterpoise, or any of the measurements in
fact up to a point, is that critical with the autotuner.

It tunes up using the KX1 tuner (KXAT1) with SWR on 40, 30, and 20 meters
as: 1.1, 1.2 and 1.7 to one.  After some snow fell the 20 meter band nicely
went to 1.0 to 1 as the ground improved.  Of course your milage may vary.
Good Luck!

73, Sandy, KB3EOF

----- Original Message -----
From: <[email protected]>
To: <[email protected]>
Sent: Saturday, January 24, 2004 10:44 AM
Subject: Antenna info

>
> Hi Sandy,
>
> I'm interested in your posting about the multi conductor wire for the tri
band antenna.  I'm just
> starting in QRP and am having trouble making a temporary antenna for my
new K1.

<snip>

> Anyway I gleaned from your post that your three conductors are 16, 26 and
?? feet.  Is this just
> connected to your kx1 and supported by the fishing pole at the far end?
Is the length of the
> counterpoise critical?
>
> 73 - Thanks for your assistance.
>
> mike daly  kc2kbr
> on escape from frozen Rochester NY in Florida
>