Definitely will not need the finglonger to grab it though

Thank you, Kody! Please reach out if you have any questions during the build. 🤘😁

Thank you, Vince, I hope builders love it and are successful with their builds.

Please follow the written directions as the build process has been modified a bit. The updated toroid winding method is a little easier and the boards were updated to accommodate for additional build options.

Thank you, Chris, and thanks for the Christmas letter and bookmarks. What a brilliant idea. I love it. Sometimes life gets busy and it's hard to keep up on video production and editing, but I'm definitely still around and creating. That won't stop any time soon even if it is a bit less frequent.

@@K6ARK No problem! Thank you so much for putting these kits together. I can't imagine the work involved to get to this point. Hoping with this kit to 'lose the coax' in the future lol.

Just sold out! Next batch is already en-route to Amazon. Soon!

Awesome, Nick! Please feel free to reach out to me with questions or if you have any issues. I want to make sure everyone is successful in their builds.

@@K6ARK would it be possible to make this be able to handle 20-25 watts by using a bit bigger wire ?

Wire is not the limiting factor, the toroid is. You can add a FT82-43 toroid and nest the FT50-43 in the center, then wind it as if it is a single toroid. Works great for up to about 30-35 watts!

@@K6ARK thank you!

@@nickrupp2336 built that way, it's a fantastic G90 antenna. I may make some G90 kits at some point... 🤔

Thanks Rand! Yes, I get busy with life sometimes as well, but I do need to get back to making some more videos again. I also need to finish my reply to your email. I do have more cap touch key PCBs and can get another headed your way. Thanks and 73.

@@K6ARK Hey Adam! Here’s a heads up… I’m working on a protective laced Kydex S/POTA board for my KX2… (what the ‘he double toothpicks’ is that?) My KX2 has rails, so the top molded half of the shell will be clear, and act as a cover for the KX2, being laced together with paracord to the bottom half, a 8x12” flat clipboard… the sides of the top case will be open on both ends, extending an inch or so off each end. The top cover will accomodate the front paddle. It’ll all hang from a lanyard off my neck, so when seated, I can comfortably operate and log my contacts… whatcha think? The laced board will provide the weather and impact protection the KX2 lacks…. Being laced by paracord, it will hold the radio securely.

Awesome, Don! Enjoy the build, and please feel free to reach out with any questions. The build Instructions at K6ARK.com are detailed and effective.

Yes, they do. If you damage more than one lug, let me know and I'll get you a new BNC and updated PCB that fits better. Or, if you just want the PCB before building the kit so you don't have to bend them, I'll be happy to send one. All future kits will have the updated PCB specifically designed to fit the female BNC rather than the generic male one.

@@K6ARK thank you the offer. I am good - just wanted the first gen folks to know to go gently :)

Good call, maybe worth it. I am also happy to send a spare (they're so small they fit in a regular mailing envelope) if someone damages or loses the one in the kit. Just reach out to me and I'll be happy to help.

@@K6ARK could you just use a standard cap soldered to the pads ?

Probably. It would be a tight fit, but I bet it would work. Just make sure it's at least 1kv at 100pf.

Wayde, good find! That was an error with one of the earilier versions of the boards. Please send me an email and I'll be happy to get you one of the latest kits to build.

Oh, good idea. I may have to test that out. Thanks for the idea.

@@K6ARK So fun to see such a light cool unit; a round piece of hard plastic would work too. I could build one for my QCX and it would make a really light small portable unit. I am curious if it was you that I saw tuning one of these types of units using a spool of wire to roll it out while it is connected to the VNA and watch the dips and find the best length. Was that You? they first strung it out and found out how many turns on the coil was best and then trimmed the length of the wire to the best swr. I couldn't remember what the procedure exactly was and have been looking for the video and can't find it.

Nice! Thanks. That is indeed my tuning strategy. I can't remember if it's in a video or if I just described it. Regardless, it works well!

@@K6ARK Thanks for the reply. If you get bored maybe do a video on tuning the core and then the antenna sometime. I am sure you get bored haha. Thanks. I am going to look up one of your units on Amazon. Looks like a great unit. I love building stuff and that includes kits. The tuning method could also be used on higher powered antenna's.

The 49:1 (3 bifilar primary, 21 secondary turns for a 1:7 turns ratio) is for an End Fed Half-wave and is what I built in the video. You can certainly connect it directly to the FT-817 with no coax. It's a great space/bulk saving design.

@@K6ARK Excellent, thank you!

Yes, I restock as often as I'm able. I am sending another batch of QRP kits tomorrow but they'll sell out fast. Sorry for the delays - the antenna kits are not my day job and my family, regular work, and SAR volunteer work takes priority. Lately, they have been consuming almost all of my free time. Thanks for your patience, and check back on Amazon over the next few days if you're looking for a QRP kit. More 100w kits after I get back from Dayton...

Sweet! If you bought a kit recently, be sure to use the written instructions on www.k6ark.com. they are a little different now.

Will do. Should be a nice match with my KX2.

I'd be happy to, Tom. The BNCs are a little harder to source but available. Send me an email direct. I'm good on QRZ.

@@K6ARK Thanks Adam, You're really on top of this. Looking forward to more videos.

Thanks! I should have more in stock within a week on Amazon. 😁👍

Yeah, the Hakko is great! I have mine set at 750 F.

Yes, it's a -43 mix which works well in all 3 build options. I generally recommend a maximum of 10 watts for lighter duty-cycle modes and 5 watts for modes like FT8.

Yes! I've been building up some stock and will have them available soon.

@@K6ARK please Share the .stl file i got myself a 3d Printer

Thanks Don, yes, non-acetoxy silicone would be best. Hot glue should work well too, but has a lower melting point that may be a problem in hotter climates.

I prefer the male kit for direct connection to the radio as you see in many of my videos.

Yes, it's just going to be a very large antenna. Kinda defeats the purpose of the tiny matching unit.

Start with a bit more than half a wavelength on the desired frequency of operation and fold back the end of trim to resonance using an analyzer, or trim to minimize SWR if you don't have an analyzer. The standard build is good for 5w on heavy duty cycle modes and 10w of lighter duty cycle like typical SSB.

That 30 ga wrapping wire is super cheap stuff that's nice to have around for experiments, and I've even used it for some UL portable antennas that I have used for years, but it's not what I'd recommend for a solid build. The BEST portable antenna wire, IMHO, is Poly Stealth 26 ga wire from Davis RF. It's copper clad steel with a nylon jacket. It's strong and small. But it's also not particularly cheap at 29 cents/foot, plus shipping. So I have been using a PTFE insulated stranded copper wire in 26 and 28 ga that I buy in bulk from China. It's cheap and works well, but it's still not poly stealth. If you want to try some out, email me (good on QRZ) and I'll get some sent your way for a reasonable price. Hope that helps!

Rob, I'll take a look tonight to see what it would take for me to do this. I'm new to Amazon selling, and have been fumbling my way through it. Let me see what it takes to get this set up. Thanks for your patience.

As described in the build instructions, adding a 10-12 turn coil at 5-6 feet from the feed point helps bring the SWR dips for the resonant multiples of the half wave frequency into the desired spots. I really need to do an EFHW tuning video one of these days.

@@K6ARK Thanks! Kit's not here yet, so no build instructions, lol. I figured I was learning as much by video as I could prior to arrival. Looking forward to it!

@@gregorybarra5376 no problem! Build instructions are at www.k6ark.com

@@K6ARK Got it, thank you! 👍👍👍😎

Yes, but there are better ways to test as well. Check out AI6XG's blog.

Your best bet right now is to review the text instructions. It briefly describes multiple ways to finish the antenna. If you have specific questions after that, fire me an email at k6arkportableradio@gmail.com

Interesting, I haven't heard of anyone losing a cap yet. I'm happy to send a spare if needed. FWIW, the caps cost me about 11 cents each.