[Elecraft] Field antenna tip

[Wayne Burdick]

Hi all,

This weekend I was using the KX2 with a random length of wire tossed in a tree and another random length laid on the ground. Normally the ATU (KXAT2) can handle just about anything, but this particular combination of lengths wasn't working well on 40 m; SWR was still around 3:1 after matching. It probably looked like an end-fed half wave to the tuner.

The wires were connected to a BNC-to-binding post adapter, suggesting a simple workaround. Rather than adjust the length of the wire by cutting or splicing, I simply reeled in a few feet of it and wrapped it around one of the binding posts, forming an inductor of perhaps several uH. 

The ATU was then able to match the antenna on 40 m, as well as the other bands (up through 10 m). 

73,
Wayne
N6KR