Hi, Mike
Many transceivers do NOT have a separate input for a receive antenna,
particularly older ones. For those rigs there are a few auxiliary boxes,
like DXpedition II that pipe the one transceiver RF jack through it and will
switch in a RX antenna when NOT transmitting, by piping the amplifier keying
line from the transceiver through it. The front of the unit allows selecting
the xmit antenna or one of up to four RX antennas, when the rig is not
transmitting
However many new transceivers *DO* HAVE separate RX antenna jacks, which can
be selected from the front panel. A fully equipped K3 with the dual
receivers has TWO RX input jacks, one for each receiver. These are required
to do the dual RX diversity possible with the K3. My '90's FT1000MP has a
separate RX jack, so they have been around for a while. A separate RX jack
selectable from the front panel is one of the things on the list of 160m
must-haves for shopping for a rig that will do 160 well, along with a
non-crushable front end, etc.
73, Guy.
On Tue, Sep 6, 2011 at 10:59 PM, Michael G. Carper <mike@wa9pie.net> wrote:
> Pardon me for asking a dumb question... but how do you guys switch between
> the beverage antenna and the inverted-L... given that your XCVR has only a
> single antenna port for both TX/RX?
>
> Mike, WA9PIE
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Michael G. Carper [mailto:mike@wa9pie.net]
> Sent: Monday, September 05, 2011 8:01 PM
> To: topband@contesting.com
> Subject: RE: Topband: New entry to TopBand with antenna question
>
> Okay... great responses all. Here's what I think I'm gonna do...
>
> I'll go vertical with an inverted L. I'm thinking to be resonant around
> 1.825MHz, I'll need about 128.2' of wire. I'll go up about 70'... then the
> rest will be almost exactly horizontal. I'll go with at least a dozen
> elevated radials about 134.8' long. I'll terminate those at a post where
> I'll have an insulator for the "driven element" and one where the radials
> terminate. I'll stick an SO-239 there to make things easy. I figure this
> should be resonant at the chosen frequency.
>
> Later, I'll put up at least one beverage antenna for receive (but there's
> no
> way I'll have a chance to do that initially). Does that sound reasonable
> as
> a starting position?
>
> Thanks to all who talked me out of the B&W Folded Dipole.
>
> Mike, WA9PIE
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: topband-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:
> topband-bounces@contesting.com]
> On Behalf Of Michael G. Carper
> Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2011 11:06 PM
> To: topband@contesting.com
> Subject: Topband: New entry to TopBand with antenna question
>
> Hey folks.
>
>
>
> I've been a ham for 37 years, but I've spent my entire ham "career" on
> 80-10m (with the exception of 7 countries worked on 160m about ten years
> ago). For the most part, the same obstacle has kept me off TopBand that
> prevents most - antenna space.
>
>
>
> Now that I've made DXCC on all bands 80-10m (and very close on 6m). and
> since we've recently moved to a place with 7-acres and a nice tall
> tree-line, I figure my options for 160m are better. That said - we're
> leasing this place and I've probably got 2-years here.
>
>
>
> My goal is simple - make DXCC on 160m within the next 2 years.
>
>
>
> So I'm looking for some advice about the antenna.
>
>
>
> I'm very tempted to buy a B&W folded dipole and call it done. but I'm
> curious about what others are doing. I've got an amplifier, but no
> high-power tuner. So I want to avoid a tuner - the folded dipole seems to
> get me there and I can put it up at 70' or so in the elm trees.
>
>
>
> Thoughts?
>
>
>
> Mike, WA9PIE
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
>
_______________________________________________
UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
|