[Elecraft] KX1: requesting recommended wire antenna lengths advice

[Paul and Sue Huff]

Hi Don,

I have had very good success with my KX1 on 20, 30 and 40 meters with WA3WSJ’s “Bead-wire antenna” - http://wa3wsj.homestead.com/WA3WSJ_Bead-Wire_Antenna.pdf <http://wa3wsj.homestead.com/WA3WSJ_Bead-Wire_Antenna.pdf>.

It’s a 40-ft radiator with three 16-ft counterpoise wires.  Depending on the circumstances and available supports I’ve deployed the radiator completely horizontally, as an inverted-L, inverted-V, inverted-U, a true vertical, and even in some indescribable shapes.  I usually try to spread the counterpoise wires around the compass but they have also been hung from a balcony or even twisted together and wrapped around the base of the room walls as a single wire.  The KX1’s internal ATU can usually give me a good match - better than 1.4:1 - on all three bands but there can be some situations where the match on one of the bands is worse.  (Conditions found in portable setups can be very different from what you had during testing in the back yard!)

The antenna is very small, lightweight, and strong.  It’s easy to deploy using a slingshot or throwing bag.  The only significant change that I have made from the original design is the use of 10-pound fishing line for the leader instead of the 30-pound line that WA3WSJ suggested.  That way if it does get snagged in a tree the fishing line will break long before the steel antenna wire so I can always get my antenna back down.  (I’ve only had snags like that three or four times over the years but I still feel bad about leaving some fishing line up in a tree.  Does anyone have a suggestion for a good biodegradable line?)  I’ve often wondered if it would be better with copper wire instead of the steel wire but I’ve never tried it.

This antenna is not perfect - no antenna is!  But I make contacts and have fun so that works for me.

Good luck and 73,
Paul - N8XMS

President of the NAQCC
NAQCC #675