New Antenna: Elecraft announces the AX3 compact vertical antenna

Check out the following announcement posted to the QRP-L discussion group by Wayne (N6KR) at Elecraft:

We’re pleased to announce the AX3 whip antenna.

This highly integrated antenna covers six HF bands, handles up to 30 W, and has many features to facilitate quick-deployment POTA/SOTA and general QRP field operation:

- Coverage of 30/20/17/15/12/10 meters (+ 40 meters with AXE1 adapter)
- Right-angle BNC connector for direct coax attachment
- Unique low-loss, plug-in contact block simplifies band switching
- Built-in tabletop tripod
- Housing, whip and removable tripod legs quickly disassemble into 6″ (15 cm) pieces
- 1/4-20 threaded mount in base for use with taller tripods and hiking poles
- Two counterpoise attachment points (mini-banana jack and binding post)
- Supplied with waterproof nylon bag and counterpoise wire

Please click on the link below for details:

https://elecraft.com/collections/antennas/products/ax3_ax3-30-10-meter-whip-antenna

Note that the link name incorrectly refers to the AX1. We were in a hurry This will be corrected tomorrow.

We’ll have a few dozen of these at the DX convention in Visalia, California tomorrow. If you’re at the show, please drop by for a demo.

73,
Wayne
N6KR

Those who own radios like the Xiegu G90 will appreciate the 30 watt power handling of the AX3.

Of course, regulars here will know I’m a big fan of the Elecraft AX1 and AX2 antennas, so I will certainly test the AX3 as well!

7 thoughts on “New Antenna: Elecraft announces the AX3 compact vertical antenna”

The AX3 looks like a very nice antenna system. Once again, Elecraft is tempting me to part with my money…

Awesome. Glad I held off on the AXE1 as was wanting the 30m band with my AX1. Order made, cant wait to try out the new AX3. .

Looks like a nice upgrade for the AX1 which I could never get close to a resonant frequency. When I reached out to Elecraft they told me I need a tuner lol (what do I know) Maybe this one will be resonant without a tuner. I’m not a fan of carrying tuners for POTA/SOTA.

Thomas Witherspoon says:

April 11, 2025 at 12:12 pm

When using small loaded verticals like the AX1, AX2, or (yes) the AX3, achieving a low SWR can be tricky. These antennas are often close to resonant but have a high Q factor, resulting in a narrow bandwidth. Factors like terrain, height above ground, and ground conductivity can influence resonance.
To ensure a good SWR, you typically need an ATU or a matching device, such as a capacity hat.
While you might find acceptable SWR in one location (without any matching) conditions can be completely different at another site. Building a capacity hat can be an effective, low-cost solution, but it requires some experimentation and tweaking to find the right placement. I did an activation once where I used the AX1 on the IC-705 and employed a capacity hate: https://youtu.be/XWcPXrdoVBs?si=t7PW-jFPBY0ArhzP
I can;t remember, but I probably speak about this in the video, too.
Hope this helps!
Cheers,
Thomas

Reply
1. Goran-KD9HBU says:
  
  April 11, 2025 at 2:24 pm
  
  Hi Thomas
  
  Thanks for sharing your experience. My problem with the AX1 was not the high SWR, but not even getting close to the resonant freq on 20 and 40m (with the coil) . From the first time using it I noticed the antenna was resonant way pass the 20 and 40m bands. I tried different positions, elevations and used both supplied radials and the frequency never got close to the center of the 20 and 40m bands. I’m not an antenna expert, but I think the whip is shorter then its supposed to be. If it was longer and the resonance is on the lower side of the band you can shorten the whip to get it to resonate center band. Fully extended I am around 14.800 to 14.900 (I do voice mostly and FT8) . I will test your again with a manual tuner and the capacity hat trick.
  
  Thanks
  
  Reply

Looks like the proper link is now at https://elecraft.com/collections/antennas/products/ax3_ax3-30-10-meter-whip-antenna

As with the other antennas in the series, Elecraft expects that you’re using one of their rigs with an internal ATU to touch up (or finish correcting) the limited settings on the compromise antenna. Or add on the tuning techniques to actually get it dialed in for your particular deployment. Additional options for the low-profile portable station isn’t a bad thing!