[Elecraft] Using a MP-1 antenna... a few tips :-)

[JEAN-FRANCOIS MENARD]

Hi,

I recently ordered and received the MP-1 antenna from W6MMA.

I read a lot about this antenna before ordering.. Some people do not 
like it, some people do... And the good result depends on how people 
experiment and use this antenna.

A few points that make me choose this antenna:

- I have a Buddipole, and they use the same threading, so parts of one 
antenna can fit on the other and vice versa.

===) The combination of those two antenna makes an excellent 
experimental kit like LEGO blocks!!! (==

- MP-1 is a very small kit. For a backpacker like me, weight, space 
requirement, etc...

- The quality of construction of this antenna is almost as good as the 
Buddipole.

One thing that is very important, if you use 80M coil option on the 
MP-1..... don't even think to use the radial kit that normally comes 
with the antenna.....

You must build another radial kit. I built one using cheap #18 AWG twin 
speaker wires. Do 2 wires of 33 feet each, splice the two wires to 
separate each wire. So you will have a total of 4 wires of 33 feet 
each. Using a cable terminator, attach the 4 wires to the radial 
terminal on the base on the MP-1 like before. Deploy the radial in a 
star pattern... like a big X. Note that the use of a MFJ antenna 
analyzer is really recommended to fine tune the antenna and to save a 
lot of "AAARRRGHHH" time!!!

The transmit and receive gain is greatly improved !!! 33 feet is 
approximatively 1/4 wave lenght of a 80M antenna based on frequency 
3.750 Mhz....

So the kit is enough compact to fit in your K2 case.

73


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Jean-François Ménard / VA2VYZ / FN45aj
va2vyz at arrl.net
Elecraft K2 #4130

Site Internet: http://homepage.mac.com/jfmenard
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