[Elecraft] Re: KX1/PM (pedestrian mobile) tips: tuning the VFO while walking

[wayne burdick]

On Jul 1, 2004, at 7:02 PM, Bill Johnson wrote:

> Wayne,
>
> Do you use a counterpoise with the whip?
>
> Bill

Yes, 16', although a somewhat shorter length will also work and may be 
preferred over some terrain. Without any counterpoise wire, at 14 MHz, 
received signal loss will be minimal but your transmitted signal will 
be some 8 to 16 dB down. At least this was the case in the tests I 
performed.

The KX1's autotuner helps because the Maldol whip is really cut for the 
high end of the 20 m band. In fact I often clip an extra 12" of thin, 
stiff wire onto the top of the whip, making it a total of 60 inches, 
and this results in a better match in the CW portion of the band. It 
also improves the transmitted signal by a dB or two in range tests (at 
about 50').

I managed four on-the-hoof QSOs during my half-hour walk today, 
including VA3RAC -- not bad for 1.5 W and a short whip  ;)

73,
Wayne
N6KR


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