Which one to bring on a trip to Greece?

[K7RNO]

To decrypt my somewhat cryptic subject line: I am planning a motorcycle tour on some Greek islands in June and will bring my KX3 with a straight key to make some contacts within the wider reaches of Europe (!). I have to decide whether I should bring my AlexLoop or an end-fed wire (length TBD) of which I don't know yet where I can throw it.

You might want to say "bring both", and while I already had that idea, I would like some reasons which one of the two would have the better potential if I can bring only one.

Very interested to read what your thoughts are.

73 de Arno K7RNO

[GM0LVI]

Hi Arno!
I've operated from Greece frequently. From the point of view of efficiency I've found that a GP close to the sea works very well (worked JA with 2.5W) and I have one that I made that fits inside a suitcase - the sections are about 30 inches long. I've also used a more or less random long wire strung up on bushes beside the sea and it worked reasonably well into EU. I would like to try an EFLW thrown up a tree, but where we take our holidays there are no tall trees available!
I've not tried the Alex loop but it seems to get good reviews packs up small, but in my opinion, if you can manage to construct one a GP type antenna would be better for DX.

[VE2TH]

Hello, Arno and Dave,

I agree with you Dave, a vertical by the sea,with the conductivity of sea water, is nearly 10 db gain.

By the sea I use a full size vertical with one radial made of Buddipole parts. It is a monoband affair, but I can change bands easily by ajusting the whip accordingly, and I fine tune with the antenna analyser.

But for your wire antenna, if you can have a small telescopic fiberglass pole, which can be easily hook up to a picnic table or something else with bungee cord, and at least one radial.

An alternative you can use a EFHW like the trail friendly by PAR END FEDZ which cover very well 40/20/10 meters. This one too can be hook-up to a fiberglass pole, and used in an inverted-L configuration, if your pole is too short.

For this antenna, you ca read reviews which are very good: REVIEWS 263 and the average rating is 4.9/5 not bad.

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/3632

Now the web site with all the informations you will need:

http://www.lnrprecision.com/

Personnaly I have the trail friendly for 40/20/10 meters, rated at 25 watts max, and I adjusted the antenna each time I'm into different environments.

I can cover the whole 20 meters band with an SWR between 1.1 up to 1.3 to 1
Rougly 130 KHz on 40 meters, that is enough for me as I stay into the CW portion of the band, between 7.0 up to 7,125. and believe or not, one full mégahertz = 1000 KHz on ten meters below 1.3 to 1 from 28.0 up 29.0 MHz.

For FM/AM portion of the band I use the internal tuner of the KX3.

I plan to built one next spring for other bands.

So I hope it helps,

Let us know of your progress, and in the mean time, we wish you all the very best in 2014.

Season's greeting,

72 Michel VE2TH