[Elecraft] KX3 Portable Antennas suggestions ?

[Erik Basilier]

When I got my KX3 I dug up the tiny Maldol antennas that I had gotten in a
trade years ago, and that are similar to the MFJ units you mention. I never
used them before, because antennas so short have very low radiation
efficiency. The good news is the KX3 tuner can tune them (but you must use a
counterpoise), and contacts can be made easily on the higher bands such as
15, where the inefficiency is not as bad as on the low bands, and where the
band noise is low. However, you must have the antenna outdoors, and I don't
expect useful results on the lower bands very often. If you are inside a
hotel room, forget it. Maybe a small, heavy-gauge high-q tuned loop might
work there. If you can open a window, get a wire outside and use some kind
of counterpoise inside. In any case, do get the KX3 tuner or use a T1 or
other wide-range tuner.

 

I do my portable operations in the outdoors, and generally not near salt
water, but over dry, rocky ground. For years my favorite antennas there were
horizontal resonant dipoles, implemented as jumpered wires or the BuddiPole.
This worked well with the KX1. The KX3 invites a lot of hopping between
bands as conditions unfold, and I found the lowering and reconfiguring of
the dipoles to be a pain. Now I am using a non-resonant dipole patterned
after the NorCal doublet, but with 300 ohm twinlead as feeder. The dipole is
2x22 ft and the feeder 28 ft. I avoided the thick and heavy twinlead from
Radio Shack and found some of the lighter, translucent stuff. I hoist the
center to about 24 ft on a fishing pole and keep the ends about 8 ft above
ground with string. 6 ft of RG58 runs from the KX3 to a 4:1 balun connected
to the twinlead. The KX3 tunes this well on 80 through 10. (I haven't tried
on 160 or 6.) Operating results so far are good, but I haven't had time to
try operating 40 or 80, and don't expect good results on 80. This antenna is
much lighter than my older ones, and requires much less effort and care in
avoiding kinks etc. Rather than careful winding of the wire on a spool, I
get by with winding everything except the balun and coax on a piece of
cardboard, with slots to hold the ends. 

 

73,

Erik K7TV

 

>Since I may be restricted at times to operating from a hotel room, I 

have been looking at a collapsible antenna such as the MFJ-1840T, etc 

for each of the bands I may want to work.  Since I hope to be able to 

purchase the auto-tuner option by the time my number comes up, I figured 

on throwing in a roll of wire for when I can operate outside.  Would 

like to see what other options those of you who already have KX3's have 

had good luck with.  Depending on conditions/where I will be operating 

from, I might switch antennas because I can if for no other reason.