[Elecraft] Info on whip antenna shown in KX3 photo

[Wayne Burdick]

We've had some questions about the whip antenna shown in the KX3 data- 
sheet photo. It's a Maldol AH-C14 20-meter loading coil and AH-R  
telescoping whip. Total length is about 48 inches.

I've made QSOs of up to 3000 miles using this type of whip, handheld,  
while walking with the KX1 and dragging a 13' counterpoise wire. It's  
a very compact emergency antenna, with two parts that disassemble and  
have a max length of just over 7".

That said, I strongly recommend using longer whips for the HF bands  
whenever possible. I found that just increasing the length of this  
whip by about 1' made a noticeable difference in signal strength on  
both RX and TX.

I'm still searching for the "perfect" stealth whip for lightweight  
hand-held use. What I'd like is a nearly invisible antenna that's 6 to  
7 feet long, self-supporting but able to survive collisions with  
trees, and either telescopes or rolls up to less than 8" long. It  
should cover 40-6 meters, preferably with the aid of the internal ATU  
in the radio so there's no need to change taps or elements while  
walking.

73,
Wayne
N6KR