[Elecraft] Getting ready to buy a K2. Request your input

[Ron D'Eau Claire]

Heh, heh, I can see Frank there in the white suit holding a CO2 extinguisher
at the ready now...

I also found balanced antennas superior in apartments for indoor antennas. I
did occasionally use an end fed wire and never had any trouble, but I was
careful to isolate the rig from the mains (a ferrite choke or two over the
power lead does that) and use a 1/4 wave 'radial' or 'counterpoise' that
held the rig at ground. Not only is that important to avoid RFI, it's
critical for efficiency too. I was and remain convinced that when limited to
a small antenna (a *physical* half wave or less) a balanced antenna is
easier to make efficient. I say "physical" because while a short wire can be
loaded to "look" longer electrically, it still suffers all the limitations
of any physically-small antenna: very low feed impedances and relatively
high currents.  

I used a small purpose-built link-coupled balanced ATU for my indoor
doublets and they worked very well indeed. I managed to be on the top
(second or third) floor in the buildings where I lived and that helped a
lot! (We start counting floors with the first floor at ground level here in
the USA). 

I don't know from experience about potential RFI problems with unbalanced
antennas, but I am convinced that it's easier for me to keep RF under
control with a balanced system, and easier to build a more efficient
antenna. 

My love affair with doublets isn't just for apartments either. At my present
QTH I have an outdoor doublet fed with true open wire line (two #12
conductors separated 3 inches by a limited number of high-quality
insulators) that connects directly to a purpose built QRO balanced tuner
sitting above my K2, runs through a header at the window directly behind the
tuner and up the mast holding the center of the antenna. This tuner will
handle a kilowatt under most conditions. There's a picture of my shack on
QRZ.com with the tuner above the K2. The relative sizes of the units shows
why more compact single-ended tuners are so popular, but in half a century
of using doublet antennas I've not seen a singled-ended tuner/balun
combination work efficiently with doublet across the HF spectrum.

(Okay, give me some room, Frank. I'm putting my asbestos suit on. Got a
spare extinguisher?)

Ron AC7AC