++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 14:02:38 -0800 From: Phil Wheeler Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K1 band set up "T.J. \"SKIP\" Arey N2EI" wrote: > > I'm looking at adding a K1 to keep my K2 company. I know a lot of folks > lean toward a two band set up of 40 and 20. Lots of good reasons for > this. However...Has anybody given any thought to or tried a 40 and 15 > setup??? The reason I ask is that I know an old trick from my Novice > days (yeah.. that long ago) was to put up a 40 meter dipole and then > also use it on 15. Two bands for one antenna so to speak. It would seem > to me that a K1 set up for 40 and 15 for field ops would mean that you > could do the same thing. Put up one dipole but have it be effective for > two bands while having the advantage of feeding it with coax. Anybody > have any thoughts about this? > I thought about it. My main reservation (aside from liking 20) relates to 15 meter availability when the solar cycle is at its worst. Phil +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 14:03:24 -0800 (PST) From: Jessie Oberreuter Subject: [Elecraft] Re: K1 band set up On Tue, 27 Mar 2001, T.J. "SKIP" Arey N2EI wrote: > I'm looking at adding a K1 to keep my K2 company. Has anybody > given any thought to or tried a 40 and 15 setup??? ... I chose 15 and 40. I wanted a short band for setting up in small places, I wanted 40m, I liked the idea of being able to work both bands on the same antenna (same trick :), and I've done scant little on 15, so I figured I should give it a chance! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 17:20:41 -0500 From: "Mark J. Dulcey" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K1 band set up "T.J. \"SKIP\" Arey N2EI" wrote: > > I'm looking at adding a K1 to keep my K2 company.... That certainly sounds like it could be an effective setup. The main downside is that 15 goes completely dead for substantial parts of the day (not to mention the low parts of the sunspot cycle), so you're then completely at the mercy of conditions on 40. Since you already have a K2, you should have some idea of what bands have worked well for you, and whether the 40/15 combination will work well for your usage. I think that the popularity of the 40/20 combo is because you're pretty much guaranteed to be able to communicate with some DX, somewhere, no matter what time of day it is. 40/30 and 30/20 would be other possible good combinations; 30 is a nice band for field operations, since you're not up against kilowatts and contest operations. 80/40 might appeal to operators whose prime interest was regional rather than DX communication, especially if most of the planned operating time was at night. (The size of an effective 80m antenna might be a deterrent, though.) A 17/15 combo would be strictly for people who turn into pumpkins at sunset; it's just too likely that your radio will be a brick until morning. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2001 18:44:47 -0500 From: "Doug Person" Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K1 band set up I'm contemplating a K1 as well. K2 #1920 is all done (for now). Works great on SSB. But now I have nothing to build, so a K1 is on the list. However, I'm thinking about a WARC Explorer - 30 and 17 meters. I've noticed a bit of cw activity on the low end of 17. Both bands are great for QRP and beat the crowds and noise of 20 and 40. Doug -- W4DXV ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Wed, 28 Mar 2001 05:16:42 -0700 From: Bruce Grubbs Subject: Re: [Elecraft] K1 band set up Phil, I have 40/20 and 30/17 and the KAT1. It's a little harder to switch filter boards after the KAT1 is installed on top, but not much. Still only three screws, but two now have long standoffs. It takes about 5 minutes, certainly doable in the field. However, my inclination is to make the band decision before the trip. I think the 40/20 will be in the rig most of the time, but experience will tell... Of course, with the KAT1 concerns about dual band dipoles are moot. 73, Bruce N7CEE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2001 13:14:41 -0700 From: "Ron D' Eau Claire" Subject: RE: [Elecraft] Suggestions for bands for K1 Brad, AA5CH, asked: > I am considering a K1 and am thinking about what two bands to > select. I have > pretty much decided on 40 meters and was thinking that 15 meters > would be a > good second band. I noticed from the reviews that 40/20 seems to be a > typical choice. My choice has always been 40/20 over the years. With 30 meters available, it is a good 'haven' if you aren't a contester and find yourself up to your ears in something or another on the other bands. Fifteen meters can be a great QRP band (and so can 10) when they are open. That's quite often nowadays with the sunspot cycle near its peak, but as the spots go on the wane you will find that even 15 meters can be dead at times - especially in the evening hours. For my money, 20 has always had something interesting going on. For several years I worked 20 meters only running QRP and never had trouble scaring up a contact and managed to get my share of QRP DX. 14.060 is fairly active with QRPers and it's generally pretty easy to get some sort of antenna up on 20 that will give a good account for itself, even in somewhat restricted circumstances. Ron AC7AC K2 # 1289 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Thu, 05 Jul 2001 21:11:01 -0700 From: Bruce Grubbs Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Suggestions for bands for K1 Brad, I bought two filter boards, with 40/20 as my primary night/day pair, and 30/15 as another night/day pair when propagation is likely to be good on 15. The idea of having a night/day combination for my backpacking rig is so that I can operate during lunch breaks or layover days, as well as after dark. 73, Bruce N7CEE ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 07:18:22 -0500 From: Mike Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Suggestions for bands for K1 Bruce Grubbs wrote: > I bought two filter boards, with 40/20 as my primary night/day pair, > and 30/15 as another night/day pair when propagation is likely to be > good on 15. > > The idea of having a night/day combination for my backpacking rig > is so that I can operate during lunch breaks or layover days, as well > as after dark. I chose the same two filter board combinations for my K1 for exactly the same reasons, though at the present time 20m is surprisingly active 'tll the wee morning hours. I was tempted to choose a 40/15 combination, since one dipole for 40m would be usable with the help of the KAT1 for 15m too. 15m is such a great band when open. As far as the K1 is concerned, a 40/15 combination would be real incentive to use the 150 kHz VFO tuning option so that all of the 40m and almost all of the 15m CW bands could be covered. Wouldn't it be great to see in the future a four-band filter board for 40/30/20/15m? I'd the first in line to sign up for one, if it ever appears. 73, Mike / KK5F +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 06 Jul 2001 03:27:42 -0700 From: lhlousek Subject: Re: [Elecraft] Suggestions for bands for K1 Go for 20m. There is just about always good action (dx and domestic) on 20. 15 is great but not open all the time. If I had to choose only one band it would be 20. Lou +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2001 15:08:11 -0500 From: "Brad Johnson" Subject: [Elecraft] Suggestions for for bands for K1 Thanks to all who responded with suggestions re which 2 bands to choose for a K1. The majority recommended 40 and 20 meters due to prevailing propagation conditions and activity levels. I thought 40/15 would be a good combination and would be convenient from an antenna standpoint, but there was some concern expressed about a lack of activity on 15 at times. A couple said they had an additional module for 30/15 meters. I appreciate those who took the time to respond to my inquiry. 73, Brad AA5CH ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++