[Elecraft] OT: Portable Antenna for K2

[Don Wilhelm]

Dave,

I use a 44 foot center fed antenna successfully on all bands.  It is good on
40 thru 10 and will do 80 meters in a pinch.  Mine is constructed of #22
teflon insulated wire, and I have twisted 2 25 foot lengths of the same wire
together to use as a parallel feedline.  I use a 1:1 balun at the end of the
feedline and then a short length of coax to the KAT2.  The entire package is
small and relatively lightweight.  I get my wire from Jim (N2GO) who
frequently has postings about wire availability on QRP-L

I deploy my antenna in a variety of ways - as a dipole if I have 2 supports,
as an inverted VEE if I have only one, or if the inverted VEE is not
practical, I support one end of the antenna up as high as I can get it and
operate it as a vertical with the other side of the antenna strung out
wherever I can get it as a counterpoise.  I usually carry along a 32 foot
telescoping pole that aids me with the various configurations.

I have not done any real comparison tests, nor have I made any EZNEC plots
with the various configurations, but I have fun and I make contacts.  I
figure any attempts to optimize anything would be nullified or compromised
in some way depending on the environment I find I have to deploy the
antenna, so I just use it and go on with life.  I save the optimization for
the permanent home station antennas where I have control over many more
parameters.

73,
Don W3FPR


> -----Original Message-----
>
> I'm looking to take my K2 (10 watt) on holidays where we will be
> staying at
> a 3-story lodge high atop a bluff overlooking the ocean.  The lodge is
> surrounded on 3 sides by some tall trees. The roof of the lodge
> has a table
> that I can operate from. I haven't seen the location first-hand, but I
> assume I can throw some wire from the roof into the trees.  I
> have a 1 to 1
> balun available and some lengths of "disposable" wire (about 50 - 75 ft)
> that I can devote to the project.  My K2 has the KAT2 ATU built
> in.  I don't
> want to spend any money on this, so a commercial antenna system is out.
>
> Any ideas on the best configuration to use? Should it be a simple
> long wire?
> Should I use the balun between the radio and the antenna?  What about a
> ground system?
>
> Thanks
>
> Dave White
> ve6drw at rac.ca
>