Fwd: re; [Elecraft] New Elecraft product: 80/30 meter module for the KX1 transciever

[Michael Babineau VE3WMB]

Whoops, originally sent from the wrong account so this won't make it
on the Elecraft list the first time.

Michael

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Michael Babineau <michael.babineau at sympatico.ca>
> Date: December 30, 2005 2:01:33 PM EST
> To: wayne burdick <n6kr at elecraft.com>
> Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: re;[Elecraft] New Elecraft product: 80/30 meter module for 
> the 	KX1	transciever
>
> wayne burdick <n6kr at elecraft.com> wrote :
>
>> We're pleased to announce that the KX1 is now a 4-band radio!
>
> This is great news. I can hardly wait !
>
>> One question I'm sure to get is
>> whether the KXAT1 ATU is usable on 80 meters. The answer? Yes, but the
>> KXAT1 wasn't designed to cover this band, so it will only help with
>> specific end-fed wire antenna lengths to be determined.
>
> I would suggest that someone investigate how well a 26.5 meter (ie 
> approx 87 ft)
> long wire matches with the KXAT1.
>
> This is one of the "magic" lengths suggested as a good compromise for 
> matching
> on most of the amateur bands, by Alan Chester, G3CCB (SK) in his RADCOM
> article titled "Taming the End-Fed Wire". This may be your best bet 
> for a wire
> that will easily match on 80m/40m/30m/ and 20m with a tuner, as it 
> avoids multiples
> of half wavelengths (high impedance) on these bands.
>
>  I have used this length in the field with my 4 band K1 and KAT1 with 
> good results.
> Unfortunately I don't think I ever tried it with my KX1 (I'll have to 
> check my notes)
> as a shorter 28 foot wire matches well on 40m through 20m and seems to 
> be fairly efficient.
>
>  I use the #24 AWG Teflon coated wire that N2GO sells and I have found 
> that an 87 foot
>  length  will spool up nicely on to one of those plastic YO-YO sized 
> camping
> clothesline reels that Walmart sells, with some room to spare.
>
> Michael VE3WMB
>
> P.S. Note that this 26.5 m length is very close to the 84 foot length 
> suggested for a W3EDP,
> which was arrived at experimentally by starting with 100 feet of wire 
> and repeatedly
> chopping 4 feet off until the best results were obtained.
>