To Tom K4TJD,
My FAVORITE antenna for my KX1 is a 25 ft piece of wire with one or more
radials (17 ft or whatever is available) lying on the ground. This maximizes
my on the air time. If you can get the top up 25 ft this is great, however
even if you need to throw the wire over a lower limb or erect the antenna at
say a 45 degree angle to the ground
you should still have many great qso's. I have often operated QRP over the
last 50 years while backpacking, on canoe and bicycle trips, in campgrounds,
and city parks.
Before the KX1 I mostly used inverted vees. They worked great, but set up is
either difficult or time consuming in most cases. Often I would not even
bother pulling the rig out of the backpack...who wants to spend an hour
erecting an antenna for 30 minutes of on the air time ???. Now I spend less
than 10 minutes on the set up and can operate all 3 bands with SATISFACTORY
results. I just got back from a 3 month trip through the US and Europe. I
carried along a 20 meter dipole fed with 1/2 electrical wavelength of 300 ohm
twinlead feedline, similar to the antenna recommended by K9EW. I am positive
that the dipole would have outperformed the wire, especially if the apex were
above APPROXIMATELY 20 to 25 feet. However I never uncoiled the dipole, but
instead chose to MAXIMIZE my operating time and was able to enjoy dozens of
QSO's on all three bands, some over 2000 miles. If you are going to operate
for an extended period of time, for example in a contest, then it is probably
well worth the time and effort to erect a conventional antenna, but for casual
operating, GIVE ME THE 25 ft piece of wire. One more thought, a 40 or 80 meter
dipole erected even at very low heights (less than 15 feet) can be a very
effective antenna for close in contacts out to several hundred miles.
Please look up feedline losses and be prepared to accept additional
losses from small feedlines such as RG 174 coax on 20 meters or above. If you
are only going to walk short distance it is probably worth carrying the extra
weight of a lower loss feedline.
Dipoles or inverted vees fed with 1/2 electrical wavelength of 300
feedline are probably the most underutilized antenna in ham radio. The
impedance at the rig end of the line will be approximately 50 ohm balanced.
Your rig will probably not care that the line is balanced, however you could
use a 50 ohm to 50 ohm balun at the rig end of the feedline. The 300 ohm
feedline will have lower loss and weight than coax. Do not coil up the 300 ohm
feedline or lay it on the ground or other conductive surface.
Rick, KL7CW, Palmer, Alaska
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