My favorite is the "bush sloper". To launch it, I use an E-Z Hang (slingshot / fishing reel).
The scrub on SoCal mountains is usable to support an end-fed wire, facing downhill. I recommend a counterpoise facing uphill. The end-fed can be 50 to 200 feet long (145 feet seems best all-around match using the ATU). I use a throway fishing weight to be the E-Z Hang projectile, tugging the #24 wire along until it bashes into a plant or the ground. The weight is attached to the wire via a short piece of thin monofilament, so it can break away without stretching the wire. I attach the radiator and counterpoise directly to the KX3 via a BNC - Banana adapter. When done, I just spool up the #24, usually losing the fishing weight in the process. If it's a multiple hilltop day, I have half a dozen of these in my pack. Being a sloper, it has some forward gain but a fairly high angle because of proximity to the ground. SoCal mountain "ground" is a rather vague concept though and I've made a few dozen DX contacts running 2-3W, CW. I have WAS done this way, minus RI and VT. I've had some luck using a "tilt up" telescoping aluminum 33 foot vertical on 40 and 15m, but the dern thing is unwieldy and heavy to pack around, and at 5.5 feet long (collapsed) only fits on my large hunting pack. I'd sure like to see a portable multi-band vertical that's easier to lug around than this, maybe one that collapses to less than four feet and weighs less than three pounds. The 33 footer weighs almost ten pounds.... I've stopped punishing myself, and don't use it much any more. No fish stories today, sorry. 73, matt W6NIA On Sun, 19 Jul 2015 09:45:47 -0700, you wrote: >Hi all, > >Have you found the "perfect" above-the-treeline backpacking antenna for use >with your KX3 or other small rig? I've used everything from a 10-meter coat >hanger whip, to a yagi that breaks down into two dozen pieces, to a dipole >held up at the center by a willing (and tall) campmate. The variety (and price >range) of such antennas is staggering. > >I've had pretty amazing results using short, base-loaded antennas on the >higher bands--especially when conditions were good. My personal best is JA >from W6 on 15-meter SSB, running 3 watts to a Maldol 48" whip. These antennas >collapse and break down into just two pieces, taking very little space in my >lightweight go-bag. This leaves room for a couple of 25' wires, adapters, and >weights for times when there are trees available. > >But the search for the ideal miniature HF antenna continues: something both >very compact *and* highly efficient. Ideally it would break down to a length >of 8" or less, do an excellent job on 20 meters and up, and earn a passing >grade on 30 and/or 40 meters. > >One other key factor, at least with the KX3/KX1/K1 genre, is to take maximal >advantage of the rig's internal ATU. A wide-range ATU (such as the KXAT3) can >turn a narrow-banded antenna into one that covers a full band or even multiple >bands, within limits. One general approach is to coarse-tune the antenna's own >inductance, then let the ATU do cleanup. > >Is the best antenna for backpacking a very small magnetic loop? A cleverly >designed, center-loaded telescoping whip? A length of #30 wire lofted by a >small helium balloon? (Or, more intriguingly, some combination of these?) > >I'd be interested in hearing about your antenna theories and field >experiences, backed up by entertaining fish stories, if they aren't >embellished to an embarrassing degree. If your supporting documentation is too >voluminous for the forum (attached photos, etc.), feel free to email me >directly. > >If anything substantive or surprising emerges, I'll do a followup posting. > >73, >Wayne >N6KR > >______________________________________________________________ >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 mzil...@roadrunner.com Matt Zilmer, W6NIA -- "Always store beer in a dark place." -R. Heinlein ______________________________________________________________ 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
