[Antennas] Antenna Tuner- I do not agree

Fri, 09 Apr 2004 21:28:41 -0500

I am going to have to disagree with this highly negative post. Over the 
last few years, I have bought several used tuners on ebay and at hamfests. 
Only one was a basket case, but I knew it before I paid for it(It was an 
expensive model That I wanted, and it was explained that it was DOA)

The one I use regularly today was old when I got it; had been repainted; 
had miss-matched case screws, and burned out dial lamps.  Functionally, it 
is a jewel.

The DOA case needed about 30 cents worth of parts to fix, and some time to 
re-calibrate. All the others were fine and worked well but came at good 
prices because of minor (to me) cosmetic flaws.

I have no hesitation at buying used tuners, although I do take a good look 
inside, if I can. I feel sorry for this writer because of his repeated bad 
luck, but his avoiding used tuners just laves more opportunities for me.

Bill-W4BSG

At 01:04 AM 4/7/2004 -0400, you wrote:

>Dear Chris,
>
>Without a thorough examination of the internals, it would be crazy to buy a
>used tuner.
>
>Here is a list of things often found in a used tuner:
>     Tuning capacitors having grossly asymmetrical spacing between stator
>plates and rotor plates.
>     Rotary Inductor former that has localized melting and deformation,
>accompanied by unevenly spaced or shorted turns, charred former material,
>and melted conductor material.
>     Geartrain between front panel crank and rotary inductor badly
>mis-aligned, pieces missing.
>     Rotary switches with badly burned contacts.
>     SO-239 female connectors with burned and charred or melted insulation.
>     Internal wiring badly modified.
>     SWR and/or power monitoring circuitry improperly modified or destroyed.
>     Meters burned out.
>
>In case you are thinking that this might be rare, you'd be wrong. By there
>very nature, tuners are an anathema to the uneducated ham radio operator.
>The tuners that find their way into hamfests and other swap-meets, etc., get
>there through misuse.
>
>9 out of 10 tuners that I have purchased have been from other hams and for
>the most part they have been basket cases. I quickly learned to remove the
>cover and make a thorough examination of a tuner before making an offer. I
>have violated that rule on 3 occasions. On two of those occasions I was
>badly burned. Fortunately, the money was not a big problem, and I learn from
>each such mistake.
>
>Don't be a sucker!
>
>Bob Lay (W9DMK), Dahlgren, VA
>[email protected]
>http://www.qsl.net/w9dmk
>
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>
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>Larry Wilson KE1HZ [email protected]
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Bill Aycock - W4BSG
Woodville, Alabama 