I have the KH -1. I have always had an interest in: how small one can make a radio relative to good performance? Before the KH-1 I considered the KX-1 that I own as an ideal, small, competent, self-contained 2-band radio, with tuner. I have built others, as kits, or one band units on my own---just for fun. I have so far worked the following stations while seated on my couch using KH-1. All of them relatively strong of course. Wb0rlj, NEAi0y, MNK7RI, UTWC7C, WA Like the KX-1, this little radio hears well. I was surprised to hear EU stations coming through, very weak but q5 on 20m, one evening while walking up and down my drive way. Is it possible to build a smaller radio, plus fit a battery and tuner inside of it? I don't see how! 73, Will, wj9bMiddleton, ID
CWops #1085 CWA Advisor levels II and III http://cwops.org/ On Thursday, September 26, 2024 at 06:32:53 PM MDT, MIKE ZANE via Elecraft <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> wrote: QRP is a fun way to do ham radio. 1992 WPX contest from Aruba as P40Z was amazing, I couldn't work all those that called me as wife shut me down to go on some or another excursion. Mike n6zw > On 09/26/2024 2:10 PM PDT Bill Johnson <k9...@live.com> wrote: > > > Dan, nice to know someone else is active like me at 79. I have also used 174 > and 316 with no ill effect for shorter lengths and low power. Working QRP is > a learning experience and is enjoyable. The rewards are great! > > > Bill > K9YEQ > ________________________________ > From: Dan Presley <n7...@arrl.net> > Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 10:54:09 PM > To: Bill Johnson <k9...@live.com> > Cc: Mike Fatchett W0MU <w...@w0mu.com>; elecraft@mailman.qth.net > <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] AX1 Disappointing Performance > > Also don’t sweat using RG 316 or 174 for reasonably short runs. I use 316 > from the KX2 to the tripod mounting the AX1 and 174 for my linked 40/20/15 > dipole. The loss is negligible at short distances at HF. And at 5W in the > field there’s no need for any baluns or chokes unless you’re using a high > impedance end fed. If all goes well next week I’ll be taking the KH1 and the > MC-750 for a SOTA activation on Mary’s Peak in the Oregon coast range. 4100 > feet and a nice little hike. I’m just glad I can still pull this off at age > 73… > Dan Presley 503-701-3871 > @me. com > n7...@arrl.net > > > > laOn Sep 25, 2024, at 21:53, Bill Johnson <k9...@live.com> wrote: > > > > Use your analyzer to lengthen/shorten the radial and calculate the > > appropriate counterpoise. Know that the AX1 antenna design was for direct > > connection. The operator adds capacitance that would lower effective > > frequency. The tuner will let you load anything. Shut off tuner and work > > for lowest reflective power. > > > > Bill > > K9YEQ > > ________________________________ > > From: elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net <elecraft-boun...@mailman.qth.net> > > on behalf of Mike Fatchett W0MU <w...@w0mu.com> > > Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 7:19:18 PM > > To: elecraft@mailman.qth.net <elecraft@mailman.qth.net> > > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] AX1 Disappointing Performance > > > > You have a small compromised sized antenna and QRP. Maybe your > > expectations are a bit off. Many people seem to do quite well with > > mobile setups using hustler/hamsticks. If you are going camping how > > about a dipole or similar? Toss a dipole in a tree for 20m is easy. > > You are wasting your time on 40m in Idaho and probably 30m. > > > > W0MU > > > >> On 9/25/2024 4:57 PM, Dave (NK7Z) wrote: > >> Hi, > >> > >> If possible raise the antenna higher. Add more radials... > >> > >> A friend of mine has one of these and we took it out at a portable > >> station using a KX radio. It was 6 feet above the ground, and had 6 > >> radials on it, each around 20 or 30 feet long, sloped heading to the > >> ground. We used WSPR on it during the big eclipse a few years back, > >> and it worked really well, hits all over the world on 20... Radials > >> are the key to making it work better. Being a shortened antenna it > >> will never work as well as say a 6BTV, but it will work well with a > >> decent set of radials. > >> > >> 73, and thanks, > >> Dave (NK7Z) > >> https://www.nk7z.net > >> ARRL Volunteer Examiner > >> ARRL Technical Specialist, RFI > >> ARRL Asst. Director, NW Division, Technical Resources > >> > >> My favorite definition of an intellectual: 'Someone who has been > >> educated beyond his/her intelligence'. Arthur C Clarke > >> > >>> On 9/25/24 15:17, James Bennett via Elecraft wrote: > >>> Several months ago I started building up a POTA station, including a > >>> KX3 (with internal tuner), the AX1 Dual Band Antenna, the AXE1 40 > >>> Meter Extender, and the AXT1 Tripod Adapter. This afternoon I finally > >>> got the time to see how this antenna plays. I was a bit disappointed. > >>> Here is the setup: > >>> > >>> KX3 (with internal tuner), 25 feet of RG-316 with ferrites on the > >>> radio end, five foot tall carbon fiber tripod sitting in the middle > >>> of my back yard; no other resonant antennas on the property. > >>> > >>> The KX3 / ATU WAS able to find a match to the antenna on all the > >>> bands. At first I thought that was great. But being a bit curious, I > >>> disconnected the coax and hooked up my Rig Expert AA-55 Zoom. Ughhh. > >>> On 40 meters, with the long radial attached and suspended 4-5 feet > >>> above the yard, the antennas was resonant at 7.574 MHz - that’s a tad > >>> more then the +- 200 KHz stated in the specs. And quite ugly for > >>> where I wanted to operate: 7.052 KHz. So, I added the shorter radial, > >>> also up above the ground, going a different direction. NO CHANGE to > >>> the resonant frequency. Yes, I did have the AXE1 installed, and yes I > >>> had the switch set to the “20m” position. > >>> > >>> OK, let’s give 30 meters a try. I set the switch to “17m”, and the > >>> Rig Expert to 10.116 +- 5 MHz. Yikes - the thing was resonant at > >>> 8.070 MHz - very long way from 10.116. Adding the short radial > >>> changed the SWR at that frequency from 1.46:1 down to 1.33:1 but no > >>> change to resonant frequency. > >>> > >>> 20 meters didn’t fare much better. I set the switch to “20m”, removed > >>> the AXE1, and connected only the short radial. Minimum SWR of 1.34:1 > >>> was seen at 15.330 MHz. At my desired operating frequency of 14.052, > >>> the SWR was 6.9:1. Not a very good SWR but one that the ATU can > >>> easily handle. > >>> > >>> 17 meters was just as bad. With the short radial it was resonant at > >>> 19.780 with an SWR of 1.15:1; at 18.116 it showed 6.83:1 SWR. Again, > >>> something the ATU can deal with, but….. > >>> > >>> While I understand that this is a compromise antenna and it isn’t > >>> going to be spot on on every band, I’m a bit frustrated in what I’m > >>> seeing here. With five watts output into those kind of SWRs, I’m sure > >>> I’m loosing quite a bit of my power in heating the coax and the > >>> modules in the ATU. I hesitate to go out on a maiden POTA activation > >>> with an antenna showing close to 7:1 SWR at my operating frequencies, > >>> even though the ATU “corrects” that. > >>> > >>> Any suggestions here? Is this “normal” for the AX1 and AXE1? > >>> > >>> Jim Bennett / K7TXA > >>> Eagle, ID > >>> > >>> SKCC #10447T > >>> B.U.G. #301 > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> > >>> ______________________________________________________________ > >>> Elecraft mailing list > >>> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > >>> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > >>> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > >>> > >>> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > >>> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > >>> Message delivered to d...@nk7z.net > >> ______________________________________________________________ > >> Elecraft mailing list > >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > >> Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > >> > >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > >> Message delivered to w...@w0mu.com > > ______________________________________________________________ > > Elecraft mailing list > > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > Message delivered to k9...@live.com > > ______________________________________________________________ > > Elecraft mailing list > > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > Message delivered to danpres...@me.com > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to n...@comcast.net ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to wlba...@bellsouth.net ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:Elecraft@mailman.qth.net This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to arch...@mail-archive.com
