Tag Archives: Elecraft AX2

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, SOTA, Videos

Kneeboard SOTA: INSANE DX with my smallest, most compromised antenna!

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I walked out of my front door on the morning of Friday, September 29, 2023, knowing I was going to do an activation, but I had no idea where that might be.

I certainly had no idea it would be one of my most memorable activations ever–!

I knew I had a five hour window to play radio somewhere not too far from my daughters’ classes near the Asheville Airport.

I really wanted to do a SOTA (Summits On The Air) activation, but I’d pulled a muscle in my back and was nursing it a bit.  I knew that an invigorating hike on a long, gnarly trail was not really in the books.

After dropping off my daughters, I sat in the parking lot running through the activation options in my head. There were 5 or so parks within an easy drive. I knew a POTA activation probably made the most sense since it wouldn’t require hiking or carrying a heavy pack.

Then again, I really wanted to do a SOTA activation–the weather was so amazing, I didn’t want to miss out on an opportunity to take in a summit.

I decided that if I took a minimal amount of gear and activated an “easy” summit, then maybe I could get away with a little SOTA without hurting my back. I thought this might be the perfect excuse to do a SOTA activation pairing my Elecraft KX2 and AX2 antenna. I had a lightweight chair and my kneeboard, so in theory, I could set up anywhere on the summit with my entire station on my knee.

Next, I only needed to find the right summit and one came to mind almost immediately…

Black Balsam Knob (W4C/CM-005)

The last time I activated Black Balsam was with my buddy, Monty, in 2021. I remembered that it was an easy hike with stunning vistas of Pisgah Forest (K-4510) and the Blue Ridge Parkway (K-3378).

This it the Mountain Ash (Sorbus Americana) with bright red fruit!

I drove 55 minutes to the trailhead and was happy that there weren’t too many cars in the parking area yet that morning. Black Balsam is one of the most popular summits on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so sometimes it can be a challenge to find a parking space…especially with stunning weather like this!

The hike was very pleasant and my GoRuck GR1 backpack was pretty light.

I knew I’d chosen the right summit hike.

The views from the Art Loeb Trail do not disappoint. (Click images to enlarge.)

In fact, if anything, I wish this hike were just a little longer because I enjoyed the scenery so much!

It’s only 3/4 of a mile one way, so it goes by quickly. Still… it’s why I chose this particular summit. I knew it would be gentle on my back (and it was).

Once I reached the summit, I started searching for a spot to set up. There were quite a lot of folks on the summit that morning, so I looked for a site just slightly off of the main trail.

I found an area on a side trail that provided just enough room to set up my folding chair without disturbing the flora.
Continue reading Kneeboard SOTA: INSANE DX with my smallest, most compromised antenna! →

Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, QRP Radios, QRPp, Reviews, Videos

Getting To Know You Series: The Elecraft KX3–My thoughts, notes, and one extreme QRPp contact!

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I’m very fortunate in that in the past few years I’ve accumulated a number of QRP radios that I use in rotation when I do park and summit activations.

I’m often asked for advice on choosing radios, and as I’ve mentioned in the past, I feel like the decision is a very personal one–everything is based on an operator’s own particular preferences.

Over the years, I’ve written formal reviews about most of the field radios in my collection. In those reviews, I try to take a wide angle view of a radio–to see how it might appeal to a number of types of operators. I highlight the pros and cons, but I don’t focus on my own particular take because, again, my style of operating might not match that of readers. I try to present the full picture as clearly as I can and let the reader decide.

The Getting To Know You series gives me an opportunity to highlight one radio at a time and showcase what I love about it and why it’s a part of my permanent radio collection. After we spend a bit of time talking about the radio, we’ll do a park or summit activation with it!

The Elecraft KX3

I was originally introduced to the Elecraft KX3 at the 2011 Dayton Hamvention–over a decade ago at time of posting!

I was commissioned to write a review of the KX3 for the Monitoring Times Magazine and Elecraft was kind enough to lend me a brand new KX3.

At the time, there was nothing like the KX3 on the market and I felt like I’d just received a radio from the future.

The KX3 offered 160-6 meter general coverage with an optional 2 meter module, ATU, internal AA battery compartment, and roofing filters. The controls were top mounted and current draw in receive was as little as 150 mA. At the time, there was no other radio on the market that could compare with the KX3’s field prowess.

But it wasn’t just its field design that was impressive.

In fact, when Rob Sherwood tested the KX3, it placed at the top of his list which is sorted by Third-Order Dynamic Range Narrow Spaced.

This field radio sported a bullet-proof front end and true contest chops, displacing $10,000+ high-end rigs.

Today, the KX3 (at time of posting) is still number 12 on Rob’s list. An impressive feat!

Herein lies the danger of doing reviews…

I didn’t have the KX3 in my grubby little hands for more than a few hours when I decided I had to buy one. I sold some gear to free up money and I bought the KX3 Elecraft sent me on loan for the full price.

I’ve taken this KX3 on numerous activations and on international travels. It’s a brilliant QRP companion.

These days, it’s in the shack more than in the field because I keep it hooked up to my KXPA100 amplifier. I feel like the KX3/KXPA100 combo is like having a poor man’s K3. As a huge bonus, the KX3 takes up little space on my table and the KXPA100 sits on a shelf–the overall footprint is much smaller than a K3 or K3s. It’s like having a remote head on my desk and works perfectly for my limited space shack.

The KX3 is a stellar, benchmark field radio, so it was great fun to feature it in this video.

Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace (K-6856)

For this Getting To Know You report and video, I decided to activate one of my favorite local parks on September 12, 2023: the Vance Birthplace. Continue reading Getting To Know You Series: The Elecraft KX3–My thoughts, notes, and one extreme QRPp contact! →

Antennas, Field Reports, News, Portable, POTA, QRP, Videos

Breaking in the new Elecraft AX2 during a short POTA activation

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As I mentioned in my recent AX1 vs AX2 video and blog post, I purchased an Elecraft AX2 antenna and bi-pod in late January (note: two days before Elecraft announced their February ’23 sale price! Doh!).

I received the AX2 package a few days later and I was certainly eager to take it to the field.

My first opportunity came on Tuesday, February 14, 2023, when a short activation window opened up in the afternoon.

Zebulon B. Vance Birthplace (K-6856)

One of the first things I noticed after taking the AX2 out of the package is just how solid and compact it is. The AX1 is short, but the AX2 is a few inches shorter because the base is more compact.

Unlike the AX1, the AX2 is a mono band antenna, thus the coil only needs to accommodate one band. When you receive a new AX2, it’s configured for 20 meters out of the box, but the user can modify the coil to work anything from 20 to 6 meters.

“Resonant-ish”

Even though I mentioned this in my AX1 v AX2 article and video, I’d like to reiterate that the AX2 is nearly-resonant on 20 meters. It is not reliably resonant.

I’ve still been receiving a lot of messages from readers stating that their AX2 and AX1 are resonant on 20 meters, so they don’t pack any sort of matching device in their field kit. They simply hook the AX2 up to their little QRP radio and hop on the air.

While it’s true that these antennas may provide an acceptable SWR most of the time, you really can’t rely on a solid, reliable match as you could with an end-fed half-wave.

I’ll repeat what I mention in a previous post:

Small verticals like the AX1 and AX2, that use coils to electrically “lengthen” the antenna, have a higher Q than, say, a large aperture quarter or half wave antenna. In practical terms, this means that the window of resonance is narrow and more fickle than, for example, an end-fed half-wave.

A lot of factors can affect the SWR on higher-Q antennas like the AX1/AX2 including:

      • the type of terrain,
      • height off the ground,
      • length of counterpoise,
      • configuration of counterpoise,
      • and, most notably, the operator’s own body capacitance.

You may find that the AX2, for example, is natively resonant on 20 meters at one location, but isn’t at another location. This is quite normal. It’s also the reason why Elecraft states that both antennas are designed to be used with an ATU.

So there you go! If I hook up my AX1 or AX2 to a radio, I’ll always have some means of matching the impedance–either an external ATU, or a capacity hat. You can also tinker with the length of the telescoping whip and counterpoise to tweak the match.

The important part–especially if pairing these antennas with a radio that lacks both an internal ATU and SWR meter (say, the MTR-3B, G106, or TR-35)–is that you’ve some means to check the SWR before conducting a long activation session. Continue reading Breaking in the new Elecraft AX2 during a short POTA activation →

Antennas, News, Portable, POTA

AX1, AX2, DS-1, HFJ-350M, MFJ-1899T: Compromised portable antenna strategies vary by location

31 Comments

Many thanks to Terry (N7TB) who sent the following question by email and has kindly agreed to allow me to share it here along with my response on QRPer:

Hi Thomas,

I cannot tell you how much I appreciate your POTA videos and all the suggestions you have made that I have adopted. I look forward to every activation you put on video. […]

[…]I have a question for you about using your AX1, and would really like your advice. I marvel at how quickly you can activate a park even with an AX1 antenna on 5 watts. I also have an AX1 antenna, counterpoise and KX2[…].

Anyway, I was out today activating K-0213, Maude Williamson State Park, about 20 minutes from my QTH in West Salem, OR. I operated 12W into a 33ft. EFHW antenna suspended vertically from a 31 ft. Jackite mast. All my activations are CW; I usually activate 20 meters.[…]

I was able to finally work 22 stations in an hour and a half, mostly in CA, UT, MT, and one in AZ. I did get a contact in KY, AZ NM, and MB, but it was a tough go for them to hear me. Most of my activations take me a bit over an hour to get 20 contacts.

As I thought about how much easier it seems that you are able to activate, I started to think about geography and population density differences between the East and West coasts. I used Google Earth and measured almost all points east of the Mississippi from Asheville and most were within 1200 miles. I would guess 2/3 of the US population live in this area. I drew the same range from my QTH and I get about half way into MT, barely into WY, most but not all UT, just touch the NW corner of AZ, and all of CA. In all but CA, I would guess the population total in this vast area is less than Illinois. That is my dilemma. I would love to be able to go out, setup my AX1 with my KX2 on even 10 watts, and make quick activations, but I would be surprised if I would get many contacts because the distances are so vast in the West and population density so low. I will actually try using the AX1 when the WX gets better and I can sit at a picnic table. So far, I have had little success with it, even deployed with the correct counterpoise. Do you have any thoughts on how to be successful with the AX1 from the West coast for POTA, or should I just concentrate on other antennas?

[…]Thanks again, Thomas, for the emails you have sent me with suggestions about equipment, and for all your great videos.

Very 73,

Terry

N7TB

Hi, Terry,

First of all, thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate that!

Regarding your message:

Keep in mind that the day you were operating was a very strange day in terms of propagation. There were times when we were having radio blackouts (especially in the western half of the US) and there were times propagation was amazing, yet very unstable. We were hit by so many heavy CMEs this weekend–one seemingly on top of another.

I think you do have a valid point, though, about the geography–one I try to mention when talking about compromised antennas like the AX1.

QSO Map from my latest AX1 activation.

I realize that I enjoy a lot of success with the AX1 because of where I live. I guarantee that the bulk of the US ham radio population is within easy reach of my AX1 antenna, no matter what band.

For you? There are no hams to your west (within easy reach), extremely few to your north (save WA and BC), and the best ham density is to your south in California.

In your shoes, here’s how/when I’d try using the AX1 (keeping in mind I’ve never operated POTA in the western states):

First, I would focus on using 40 meters when the band is healthy and/or for early morning, late afternoon/evening sessions. That should snag contacts across WA, OR, and CA with the AX1. Might be a stretch for southern CA, but I think you could make that work. The only caveat is that flaring has been wiping out daytime 40 meters a lot lately. You might check band conditions in advance.

I would also consider spending time on 17 meters, and possibly 15 meters with your AX1. This might throw your signal across to the midwest, Ohio Valley, and beyond. 17 and 15 meters isn’t typically as productive as 20 meters (at least, for me) but I routinely log west coast stations on 17 meters with the AX1. 15 meters is also getting a lot of attention in the POTA spots!

A wire antenna is almost always a better option than the AX1 if you have the time and space to put it up, but the AX1 is just so darn convenient.

Cheers,
Thomas
K4SWL

More suggestions?

The reason I asked Terry for permission to post his question and my reply here on the blog is because I suspect there are west-coasters (and those in similar geographic situations) who may be able to share some helpful strategies.

There are so many factors involved beyond what I mentioned in my reply. In fact, I imagine if the goal is to work parts further east, then adjusting the activation schedule for Central and Eastern time zones might also help (for example, not activating during dinner hours when I always see a bit of a lull in hunter activity).

If you have some experience, please feel free to comment!

Antennas, News, Portable, QRP

Notes from new Elecraft AX1/AX2 owners

11 Comments

After posting my latest field reports using the Elecraft AX1 antenna, I’ve received a number of messages from new AX1 owners. All of the following have kindly allowed me to share them here with you.

AX1 Patio DXing

From Michael (K1ETA):

Thomas,

I am a subscriber and an avid follower. [L]ike you, I do a lot of portable ops with various antenna setups and radios. I was recently offered an AX1 and I was told it was basically a dummy load. Having seen your videos and proof of success I accepted it and I can’t say how much fun I have with it. Yesterday, I made 22 DX contacts throughout Europe in the ARRL World Wide CW contest from my patio in my back yard with 5 watts, the AX1 and my KX2.

I would never have tried that with the AX1 had I not seen your videos. You see it is even good enough for contests if you don’t try to compete with the big guns. Listen, search and call back the stations without pileups!

Many thank for all you do and for making me an AX1 believer.

72

Michael Kenney (K1ETA)

Pairing the AX2 and Emtech ZM-2

From Michael (N7CCD):

Hi Thomas,

I just finished your video comparing the AX1 and AX2 and thought you might appreciate a solution I came up with for making my travel more compact.

I purchased the AX2 during the February sale and found it pairs well with the ZM-2 ATU for my IC-705 (wow what a mouthful of acronyms. No wonder my wife and daughter call me a nerd…). I didn’t get the tripod adapter in the sale, but found the AX2 sits perfectly on the ZM-2 which acts as a very stable stand. There is some body capacitance when tuning, but not too much. I was even able to easily tune it on 17M. I need to try other higher bands sometime.

I set it up in our breakfast nook just for kicks and sent a few JS8 and FT8 transmissions to see where I was being heard (I’ll include a screenshot). Was able to successfully send an APRS text message, and I even made an SSB contact into a special event station in Nevada!

I found a hard sided case I can store the tuner and AX2 in, which also had enough room to put in a “speaker wire” antenna as an option. Why not?

I think this may replace the AlexLoop for air travel since it’s so compact and versatile.

Hope all is well on your side of the country!

Michael – N7CCD

P.S. +16 into Michigan!

AX1 DXing

From Kevin (KD8IE):

Hi Tom,

After video about the AX1 recently, I decided to order one and it came last week.

The weather’s been kind of chilly up here. As a matter of fact, it was 41 when I decided to go out and do an activation then at Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

Well, suffice to say I made contacts with the antenna a lot farther than I expected it would be. The bands were really long. First station I worked was in New Brunswick. The last two stations were Italy and Slovenia.

73,
KD8IE

Many thanks to all of you for sharing your experience and tips using the AX series antennas!

As a reminder, Elecraft has a February promotion on an AX1 and AX2 packages that includes free shipping. There are a few days of this promotion left at time of posting.

Accessories, Antennas, How To, Portable, POTA, QRP

Jim’s “WD-PT-PB” AX1/AX2 table/bench clamp mount

10 Comments


Many thanks to Jim (N9EET) who writes:

Thomas:

I look forward to all your videos and am enjoying how you use the Elecraft AX-1 in the field.

I have built the “WD-PT-PB” attachment for my AX-1 antenna.

That is, it is for Windy Day-Picnic Table-Park Bench use. It can be set up horizontally or vertically on the edge of a picnic table or at any angle on the back of a park bench and is a secure attachment for the AX-1 off the radio.

[I] bought the bolts straight and put them thru a random C clamp secured with a nut or wing nut and then bent one in my vise. Loosen the wing nut and angle the bolt any way I want and tighten the wing nut.

The pictures show it better than paragraphs of a description.

73,
Jim Long
Madison, WI
N9EET

That’s brilliant, Jim! I love how versatile the clamp is and that it even fits in your Maxpedition pouch! No doubt, it’ll help the AX1 (or AX2, or any similar antenna) survive the windiest of deployments.

Thank you for sharing.

Antennas, News, POTA, QRP, SOTA, Videos

Video: What are the differences between the Elecraft AX1 and AX2? Should you buy one?

15 Comments
The Elecraft AX1 paired with the KX2.

During the months of January and February 2023, I’ve given my Elecraft AX1 a thorough workout. As I mentioned in a previous post, I thought it might be fun to take the AX1 out on a good 30 days worth of activations.

Turns out, I’ve had such brief windows of opportunity to play radio recently, the AX1 and now AX2 have been valuable tools in my field kit. They are, no doubt, the quickest-to-deploy and most portable antennas in my collection.

The Elecraft AX2 paired with the KX2.

If I only have a 20 minute window to squeeze in a quick park activation, the AX1 and AX2 make a valid POTA activation–with 10 logged contacts– a reality.

I originally purchased my Elecraft AX1 in the spring of 2020 and have used it extensively since then. In January 2023, I finally caved in and purchased the most recent addition to the AX family, the mono-band AX2.

Elecraft AX1 vs. AX2

Since I’ve been publishing numerous field reports recently using the AX1 (with more to come) and since Elecraft has included both the AX1 and AX2 in their February 2023 Specials, I’ve received questions from readers asking:

  1. “Should I buy an AX1 or AX2–?”
  2. and “If so, which one should I buy? What are the differences?”

At first, I simply pointed readers to the concise comparison guide that Elecraft publishes on their website (linked below).

I realize, though, that there are characteristics of each antenna that you might only discover after actually using them in the field.

I decided to make am unedited video–based on a few notes–not only describing the differences and similarities of the AX1 and AX2, but also if either would potentially benefit you as a field operator or traveler.

One quick note about resonance…

One point I touch on in the video is that both the AX1 and AX2 antennas are designed to be mostly resonant on 20 meters.

Small verticals like the AX1 and AX2, that use coils to electrically “lengthen” the antenna, have a higher Q than, say, a large aperture quarter or half wave antenna. In practical terms, this means that the window of resonance is narrow and more fickle than, for example, an end-fed half-wave.

A lot of factors can affect the SWR on higher-Q antennas like the AX1/AX2 including:

  • the type of terrain,
  • height off the ground,
  • length of counterpoise,
  • configuration of counterpoise,
  • and, most notably, the operator’s own body capacitance.

You may find that the AX2, for example, is natively resonant on 20 meters at one location, but isn’t at another location. This is quite normal. It’s also the reason why Elecraft states that both antennas are designed to be used with an ATU.

If you are pairing the AX1 or AX2 with a radio that doesn’t have an ATU (or you can’t use an external one), then you might consider making a simple capacity hat. Check out this field report and video where I paired the AX1 with the IC-705 and used a capacity hat to sort out the SWR.

Video

As with all of my videos, this one is unedited and commercial-free. If you’d like to skip through the video to the parts you might find most relevant, simply hover your mouse over the YouTube time line and click on the chapter indicated:

Click here to view on YouTube.

Another note here: I have no affiliation with Elecraft, but pushed this article and video to the front of the line to help those who are consider taking advantage of Elecraft’s  AX1/AX2 February 2023 Package Deals.

I hope you find the video helpful. I’ll try to answer any other questions you might have in the comments of this post.

Resources

Thank you

I hope you enjoyed this comparison video.

I’d also like to send a special thanks to those of you who have been supporting the site and channel through Patreon and the Coffee Fund. While certainly not a requirement as my content will always be free, I really appreciate the support.

Cheers & 72,

Thomas (K4SWL)

Announcements, Antennas, New Products, News, Portable

Elecraft AX2 20M modifiable pocket antenna now shipping

7 Comments
AX2 illustration by Elecraft

Many thanks to Wayne (N6KR) at Elecraft who notes that the Elecraft AX2 20 meter pocket antenna is now shipping:

https://elecraft.com/collections/antennas/products/ax2-minature-20-meter-whip-antenna

Here’s the product description from Elecraft’s website:

The AX2 is small enough to take anywhere – just in time for lightweight field ops during the new solar cycle. Use it HT-style with a hand-held, like the KX2; on a picnic table with an AXB1 whip bipod; or with a tripod and AXT1 tripod adapter. The AX2’s rugged, nylon housing is water-resistant, with low wind resistance and our new anti-wobble design.

Illustration by Elecraft

Experimenters will love the AX2’s versatile design. A snap-off cover provides access to the high-Q inductor. Simply remove turns and re-solder one wire to cover your favorite band. Clip-off tabs are provided for band identification.

Elecraft also provides an AX1 and AX2 comparison chart on the AX2 product page:

COMPARISON CHART

The table below shows how the new AX2 20-meter mini-whip compares to our original AX1 multi-band whip. Both are designed for lightweight portable operation. The versatile AX1 covers multiple bands via a selector switch and can handle up to 30 W continuous TX power.

The ultra-compact AX2 has a new anti-tilt base design that minimizes BNC connector wobble – ideal for hand-held (HTstyle) use. While the AX2 covers 20 meters as shipped, it can be modified by the user to cover any single band from 17 through 6 meters. The base unit includes small tabs that can be clipped off to identify the target band.

NOTE: Both whips are intended to be used with an ATU to compensate for terrain, body capacitance, height, etc.

A reader recently asked if I’d be selling my AX1 after learning about the AX2, but that isn’t going to happen. The AX2 is a 20 meters and up antenna and I see it as being a brilliant SOTA companion since its lightweight, stable design should do well on windy summits.

For POTA and WWFF, however, I really rely on the 40 meter band for most of my contacts. The AX1 covers 40 meters brilliantly (and 20M and 17M) so I’ll still rely on it quite heavily.

Click here to check out the AX2 antenna on Elecraft’s website. The price is currently $79.99 US plus shipping.