We've had some questions about the whip antenna shown in the KX3 data- sheet photo. It's a Maldol AH-C14 20-meter loading coil and AH-R telescoping whip. Total length is about 48 inches.
I've made QSOs of up to 3000 miles using this type of whip, handheld, while walking with the KX1 and dragging a 13' counterpoise wire. It's a very compact emergency antenna, with two parts that disassemble and have a max length of just over 7". That said, I strongly recommend using longer whips for the HF bands whenever possible. I found that just increasing the length of this whip by about 1' made a noticeable difference in signal strength on both RX and TX. I'm still searching for the "perfect" stealth whip for lightweight hand-held use. What I'd like is a nearly invisible antenna that's 6 to 7 feet long, self-supporting but able to survive collisions with trees, and either telescopes or rolls up to less than 8" long. It should cover 40-6 meters, preferably with the aid of the internal ATU in the radio so there's no need to change taps or elements while walking. 73, Wayne N6KR ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
