Hi Tom, The Buddipole is a great product with Elecraft-like support. I have both the Buddipole and the KX-1 and as a portable system, it works fine. Since you are going to be a newly minted ham, I would not recommend a Buddipole right now. I would take the suggestion of the others and build a 44 or 66 foot doublet and feed it with twin lead or build a resonant dipole. Any of these simple antennas will out perform a Buddipole and will give you some basic antenna knowledge. Using QRP can be very frustrating for a new ham and with the poor band conditions you will need all the help you can get.
So much for the practical! If you are hell-bent on a Buddipole or portable use is all you intend to do then order it with a four or five section shock-corded whip. I find those telescoping whips too easy to bend or break and the dipole arrangement almost useless unless you have loads of time to put up a taller guyed mast. I use it only as a vertical. In the park I usually just bungi the mast section to a fence post for support and use one elevated radial. Above the mast section go an extension arm, the coil, another extension arm and then the shock–corded whip. I then connect the antenna to the KX-1 and run the shorting wire up and down the loading coil for the best signal. That’s it. It takes just a few minutes to set up. In the car I drive down by the Atlantic Ocean (oceans are your DX friend), attach the same arrangement to a ball mount, leave out the radial and I’m on the air. To me, the time taken for setup and teardown is very important since it promotes spontaneity and on many occasions, like a lunch break, time is important. Tom, AK2B -- View this message in context: http://www.nabble.com/Buddipoles-and-KX1-tp16665031p16678812.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Post to: Elecraft@mailman.qth.net You must be a subscriber to post to the list. Subscriber Info (Addr. Change, sub, unsub etc.): http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/subscribers.htm Elecraft web page: http://www.elecraft.com
