[Elecraft] {KX1} Antenna Matching Question

[stan levandowski]

Skip, thanks for your suggestion.  It's another option I can try.  The 
KX1 works just fine with a resonant dipole, vertical with radials, mag 
loops, doublet with the BL2, etc.  But all these other antennas require 
more effort.  


The beauty of "just wire" means I can stuff it into my pocket, load the 
KX1 up with 8 AA batteries, stick earphones in the other pocket and let 
the magic begin!


I have a KX2 for more "Serious" operating!!  The (now discontinued) KX1 
is just for pure SIMPLE FUN.


Thanks for contributing another idea I can try.


73, Stan WB2LQF





On Fri, Jun 09, 2017 at 06:15 PM, Fred Jensen wrote:

> I no longer have my KX1 but it got a lot of use when I did.  I had the 
> 40/30/20 and KXAT1 options, the 30/80 hadn't been invented when I 
> bought mine and life is too short for 2.5 watts on 80 anyway.  I made 
> an end-fed wire out of 23 ft [7 m] of RG-58 by:
>
> 1.  Putting a male BNC on the end
>
> 2.  Stripping the outer black covering off to within 2 in [~5 cm] of 
> the BNC
>
> 3.  Pulling the center conductor [still insulated] through the shield 
> braid at the BNC.  This is easily done if you push the braid down to 
> loosen it and then spread it, kink the center conductor, and push it 
> through.
>
> When pulled tight without the center conductor, the braid 
> [counterpoise] will become somewhat longer than the center conductor 
> ... maybe 5-10%.  Wire goes into tree or telescoping mast, braid lays 
> out on the ground.  Tuned SWR on my 3 bands ran around 1.3:1, 20 was 
> often 1:1.  The tuned SWR on 40 was a bit dependent on how I ran the 
> counterpoise in relation to the antenna, but the effect was small.  I 
> seemed to get better on-air results with the wire sloping from a tree 
> or pole rather than nearly vertical, but that too was a small effect 
> and probably subjective.  I kept this antenna rolled up on a camp 
> clothesline reel in my KX1 bag.  It went with the KX1 when I sold it.
>
> I used a Buddipole for several years in places where I didn't have to 
> carry it very far [heavy], but it was touchy to set up and my 
> "recipes" that worked in the pasture at home never worked at my field 
> sites so set-up took 30-45 min.  I finally switched to a mag loop 
> [Alexloop] on a sprinkler tripod which works super with my K2.
>
> 2:1 isn't terrible considering that you don't have any transmission 
> line loss.  Space limitations in the KX1 dictate that the KXAT1 can 
> have only a limited number of L-C combos [64?], your match may be in 
> between two of them.
>
> 73,
>
> Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
> Sparks NV DM09dn
> Washoe County
>
> On 6/9/17 1:55 PM, stan levandowski wrote:
>> When following the instruction in the KXAT1 manual and using a wire 
>> between 24-28 feet and a 16' counterpoise for 40 and an 8' 
>> counterpoise for 20, the best I can ever get is a 1.6 SWR on 20 and 
>> 2.8 SWR on 40.
>>
>> I've spent lots of time shortening and lengthening wires and writing 
>> down results and I can't hit the magic combination.
>>
>> The manual also makes it clear on page 8 that a 1:1 SWR is NOT 
>> necessary for good performance.  I believe this because the little 
>> KX1 makes me plenty of contacts with this setup, including DX.
>>
>> I suppose I could just be happy....
>>
>> However, it bothers me that these SWRs are the best I can do. I don't 
>> like seeing these high ratios on the display.   I built this KX1 but 
>> had Don Wilhelm build and install the 30/80 module for me.  As part 
>> of his service, he went over my KX1 and told me that it was up to 
>> spec.
>>
>> So my question is:  Has any KX1 user out there figured out a wire 
>> length, length and number of counterpoises, etc. that gives a better 
>> match with the KXAT1's capabilities??
>>
>> When I say I use a wire, I mean I throw it up into a tree and get it 
>> as vertical and possible, then I lay out the counterpoise wires and 
>> it all attaches directly to the KX1 with a dual binding post.  Just 
>> real simple!
>>
>> Thanks for any words of advice and 73,
>> Stan WB2LQF
>
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