[Elecraft] As good as it gets...for now?

[Don Wilhelm]

Rod,

With the current situation - in the sunspot cycle low point, that may be 
as good as it gets.
Your PW-1 antenna may perform OK on 30 meters and above, but on the 
lower bands it simply does not have adequate capture area to be 
effective (the same is true of most any small antenna).

The most active bands right now are 40, 80 and 160 although there is 
usually some activity on 20 during the daylight hours.  Wait a year or 
two and you will begin to find more stations on the higher bands.  
During the current period, unless you are willing to do something like 
add a wire extension to the top of your PW-1 antenna, you are not likely 
to hear (and work) very much on the lower bands.  That is just the way 
of things - the low bands require larger antennas to be effective.

73,
Don W3FPR

rcerkon at gmail.com wrote:
> Folks,
>
>
> Set up here is QRP K2, and a Superantennas PW-1. Now before everybody
> jumps on the PW-1--NO PW-1/ANY OTHER ANTENNA  BASHING!!! I mean it!
> :-) I had a PW-1 in CO and it worked great! ( see
> <http://www.elecraft.com/PictureGallery/NewPics/n0rc_vw_foxhound_front.jpg>
> for one example)
>
> Do I have a problem with my K2--I'm thinking not. With an XG-1 signal
> generator set to 1uV I can hear it fine on 40, and the harmonics on 20
> and 15m.
>
> Is it my QTH? I have a city lot, the back yard is only 9m x 6m (30' X
> 20'), surrounded by one story houses on each side. The PW-1 in placed
> in the center. Further, I live in a river valley abt 275m (900Ft) ASL.
> The valley is surrounded by low mountains 900-1200m (3-4k Ft) AL abt
> 10 miles away.
>
> I have no other radio equipment, (or access to) to try A/B
> comparisons. I can not and will not change my antenna setup, I want
> nothing permanent outside. I have no room to set up take down
> temporary wire antennas. I WILL NOT MOVE TO A DIFFERENT QTH. I WILL
> NOT SPEND ANYMORE MONEY ON RADIO EQUIPMENT--I am at an
> economic/financial sweet spot all things [radio/non-radio] considered.
>
> So given my circumstances and the current lull in solar activity...
>
> Is this as good as it gets?
> --
> 73 Rod, Ai7NN  ~*~*~Happy Holidays~*~*~
>
>