Certainly true, and it's great for that, but a lot of the posts here
have been about people using it for more than that ... like camping and
restrictive locations. I'm just saying those folks could get more out
of it by treating it differently, and it would serve a very useful
purpose in that function if they did.
73,
Dave AB7E
On 8/26/2019 10:38 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote:
It’s designed for /PM and stealth ops. In many other situations, of
course, a longer/higher antenna will be more efficient.
73,
Wayne
N6KR
----
elecraft.com <http://elecraft.com>
On Aug 26, 2019, at 9:26 PM, David Gilbert <[email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote:
I think users of the AX1 would be better off thinking of IT as the
counterpoise, and making the most out of what they normally consider
to be the counterpoise wire.
Look at it this way. Unless you have a lot of current on the shield
of the coax (in which case IT is doing a lot of radiating), roughly
equal currents are going to try to go both ways from the feedpoint
... into the AX1 and into the "counterpoise" wire. The AX1 is
typically physically shorter and it certainly has more loss, and
since the radiated field is a function of net current and length, in
most cases the counterpoise wire is at least trying to do the most
radiating. I say "in most cases" because the typical position of the
counterpoise wire puts it along the ground or near some other
RF-sucking structure.
In my opinion, probably the best way to use the AX1 is to put the
counterpoise wire as straight, high, and in the clear as possible and
let the AX1 act like the shortened other half of the circuit (i.e.,
the counterpoise). If that isn't possible, make the counterpoise
wire as straight and vertical as possible ... climb a tree and let
the wire hang down. ;)
If I had a good EZNEC model of the AX1 I'm pretty sure I could prove
that assertion, but for those who have an AX1 I'd bet some field
strength experiments would bear me out.
I'm not saying that the AX1 isn't a worthwhile investment, and I'm
not saying it doesn't radiate. I just think there are some
misconceptions on what it's actually doing and how to best make use
of it.
73,
Dave AB7E
On 8/26/2019 3:51 PM, MaverickNH wrote:
I brought along a NanoVNA this trip and used it to array the two
counterpoise
attached to my AX1 antenna - adjustments of counterpoise brought SWR
down
from 9+ to <2. SNRs in the low ‘teens with a 200mW WSPRlite vs upper
20s -
*inside* a hotel room with sealed windows.
As Wayne said, the AX1 is particular wrt configuration. When it’s
good, it’s
very, very good, but when it’s bad, it’s terrible. The NanoVNA is pretty
cheap/light kit to add if you’re not bringing an ATU-enabled rig.
Bret/N4SRN
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