[Elecraft] (OT) - portable radial idea?

Fri Mar 10 22:50:13 EST 2017

I have a Chinese version of a Budipole type vertical that uses exactly that... ribbon cable cut to various resonate  lengths for the elevated radials.  Four as I remember.  Works very well and quick to deploy and stow. 

Dr. William J. Schmidt - K9HZ J68HZ 8P6HK ZF2HZ PJ4/K9HZ VP5/K9HZ PJ2/K9HZ

Owner - Operator
Big Signal Ranch – K9ZC
Staunton, Illinois

Owner – Operator
Villa Grand Piton - J68HZ
Soufriere, St. Lucia W.I.
Rent it: www.VillaGrandPiton.com

email:  bill at wjschmidt.com

> On Mar 10, 2017, at 9:24 PM, stan levandowski <sjl219 at optonline.net> wrote:
> 
> Hi Don and thanks for the suggestions. Yes, I already have a 67 foot doublet fed with window line as well as  simple wires and counterpoises in line with page 10 of the KXAT1 manual.  They work just fine.  No argument there.
> 
> 
> But I stumbled upon this "linear loaded" vertical antenna and thought I might try it. It's is a 20 foot piece of 300 ohm TV line with the conductors twisted and soldered together at the top and taped to a twenty foot crappie pole.  At the bottom, for working 20 and 30 meters, both of the conductors are connected to the red BNC terminal on the KX1 making the the radiator just a "fat" 20 foot wire.  For working 40 meters the bottom conductors are separated and one goes to the red BNC terminal and the other just hangs loose making it a 40 foot antenna.  The write-up I found states, "On 40m the folded wire creates a linear loading effect due to the capacitive coupling between the two wires (note that currents are not equal and opposite so there is no cancellation of signal as you might initially think). This added capacitance allows the wire to be resonated on 40m by the internal tuner in  the K1, KX1 or also by the Elecraft T1." The fellow who offered this antenna idea said that he had been using it successfully for quite awhile.
> 
> 
> Adding the BL2 is my idea because it will be part of the solution for making the bottom connections.  My intent is to come up with a "decent" portable antenna that I can erect anywhere in just one minute.  I want to come up with some creative way to make all the pieces work together effortlessly, rapidly and reliably, including dealing with the crappie pole.   My dream is to drop the crappie pole into a homemade holder on my camp chair, push up the pole with the antenna following, walk the roll of ribbon cable out in a straight line, go back to the chair, sit down, turn on the KX1 and start operating!  It's my springtime project....
> 
> 
> I ordered a 100 foot role of ribbon cable so I can do a little experimenting with opening up the ends.
> 
> 
>> On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 09:44 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
>> 
>> Stan,
>> 
>> It can be made to work, but will be a real "bear" to adjust to resonance unless you separate the ends.
>> 
>> If you are feeding with 300 ohm twinlead, why Hi Don and thanks for the suggestions. Yes, I already have a 67 foot 
> doublet fed with window line as well as  simple wires and counterpoises in line with page 10 of the KXAT1 manual.  They work just fine.  No argument there.
> 
> 
> But I stumbled upon this "linear loaded" vertical antenna and thought I might try it. It's is a 20 foot piece of 300 ohm TV line with the conductors twisted and soldered together at the top and taped to a twenty foot crappie pole.  At the bottom, for working 20 and 30 meters, both of the conductors are connected to the red BNC terminal on the KX1 making the the radiator just a "fat" 20 foot wire.  For working 40 meters the bottom conductors are separated and one goes to the red BNC terminal and the other just hangs loose making it a 40 foot antenna.  The write-up I found states, "On 40m the folded wire creates a linear loading effect due to the capacitive coupling between the two wires (note that currents are not equal and opposite so there is no cancellation of signal as you might initially think). This added capacitance allows the wire to be resonated on 40m by the internal tuner in  the K1, KX1 or also by the Elecraft T1." The fellow who offered this antenna idea said that he had been using it successfully for quite awhile.
> 
> 
> Adding the BL2 is my idea because it will be part of the solution for making the bottom connections.  My intent is to come up with a "decent" portable antenna that I can erect anywhere in just one minute.  I want to come up with some creative way to make all the pieces work together effortlessly, rapidly and reliably, including dealing with the crappie pole.   My dream is to drop the crappie pole into a homemade holder on my camp chair, push up the pole with the antenna following, walk the roll of ribbon cable out in a straight line, go back to the chair, sit down, turn on the KX1 and start operating!  It's my springtime project....
> 
> 
> I ordered a 100 foot role of ribbon cable so I can do a little experimenting with opening up the ends.
> 
> 
>> On Fri, Mar 10, 2017 at 09:44 PM, Don Wilhelm wrote:
>> 
>> Stan,
>> 
>> It can be made to work, but will be a real "bear" to adjust to resonance unless you separate the ends.
>> 
>> If you are feeding with 300 ohm twinlead, why not make a 66 foot long center fed dipole out of it.
>> 
>> Alternately if this is for portable work, us no feedline at all - just a BNC to binding post adapter at the KX1. Use 2 lengths of wire as is shown on page 10 of the KXAT1 manual.
>> 
>> 73,
>> Don W3FPR
>> 
>>> On 3/10/2017 7:14 PM, stan levandowski wrote:
>>> I found the plans (June 2010 Elecraft Reflector) to build a 40/30/20
>>> meter "linear loaded" portable antenna for my KX1 (using a crappie rod,
>>> 300 ohm twinlead for the radiator, a BL2 balun, and ribbon cable radials
>>> cut to 1/4 wavelength for each of the bands (16, 25 and 33 feet).
>>> 
>>> My question is how terrible would it be to use a piece of that thin
>>> computer ribbon cable cut to the three lengths but NOT separated? This
>>> would make it easier to deploy and roll back up.
>>> 
>>> Has anyone ever tried using unseparated ribbon cable counterpoises? The
>>> materials are on order and I'm sort of anxious to know.
>> 
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