[Hallicrafters] Dummy antenna for S40 alignment

Sat Dec 11 09:50:16 EST 2004

Charlie,

Sorry you do not see the relevance in this discussion.  I believe it is very
relevant to the proper operation of a vintage receiver.  A relevancy that
does not modify the receiver at all and you work with its design
limitations.

The discussion about adding a tuned antenna circuit to the input of a
vintage receiver is all about working with said limitations.  You are not
adding anything to "enhance" or change the receiver design, you are just
making sure the antenna you are using is matched properly to allow one to
work with the limitations of the receiver.  The receiver just happens to be
downstream and the recipient of a well matched receiving antenna.

Serious DX'ing.  Never understood the meaning of that term.  I'm serious
whenever I am on the air with my vintage equipment or my state of the art
equipment.

K2WH

-----Original Message-----
From: hallicrafters-bounces at mailman.qth.net
[mailto:hallicrafters-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Charlie
Sent: Saturday, December 11, 2004 9:05 AM
To: hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Dummy antenna for S40 alignment

Does all this REALLY matter?  So what if there's a few db lost in Rx antenna
matching.  You're not gonna use your S-53A for meteor shower work on six
meters anyway.  Same for serious DXing or (heaven forbid) contesting.
  Even -10 db is only a couple S units.  If you are an SWL and your
boatanchor radio is your only ears to the world, then fine,  use a tuner.  I
doubt if any of us depend on vintage equipment these days for "serious" weak
signal work, so I just don't see all this receive antenna matching as being
worth the trouble.    However, I do agree with the concept for initial
alignment purposes.

On a related subject, it reminds me of the guys who put a digital readout on
their KWM-2, or a DSP filter on their SX-99.  To me, it defeats the purpose
of enjoying the older radios.  Part of the fun of using that equipment is
living with their eccentricities and limitations.   As an example, I enjoy
tuning around with an antique regen set.  It would totally destroy that
nostalgia to use some new-fangled solid-state device to enhance it's
reception.

73' Charlie k3ICH

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "George" <Thermionic_Emission at earthlink.net>
To: "Bill Gerhold" <k2wh at optonline.net>; "hallicrafters-mailman.qth.net"
<hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Saturday, 11 December 2004 5:46 AM
Subject: RE: [Hallicrafters] Dummy antenna for S40 alignment

> Hi Bill,
> That's a good assessment, but if you dont have the proper balance between
> the tx and rx alignment, your up the creek. I only have one antenna and
> tuner. For your way to perform its magic you would need two antennas, or
be
> strictly an SWL. It would be most noticeable tuning up a transceiver, but
> no different with separate sets. The exception would be the
> combination  has an rx antenna trimmer to compensate. Without the correct
z
> at the antenna/radiator on both, you would have to re-tune the tuner at
> each tx/rx changeover. The reciprocity would get lost in the mismatch
> between the two. I only mention this having learned it the hard way.
Theres
> no free lunch.
> Good luck, George KB2Z
>
>
> At 09:26 PM 12/10/04 -0500, you wrote:
>
> >Exactly right, and that is why in all my station setups, I have used 450
ohm
> >balanced line and a tuner.  This is the only way I know, that my receiver
is
> >seeing the impedance it wants to see and I am getting maximum signal
> >transfer.  How do I know this?  Because the transmitter is tuned to the
same
> >frequency which is typically at or equal to 1:1 via the tuner.
Therefore, I
> >also have a low SWR for the receiver as well.
> >
> >I tried this little experiment, I pulled my SX-111 off line and connected
> >the rear antenna connector to my MFJ-259B with a short piece of coax.  I
> >then fed the MFJ signal into the receiver right in the middle of the 40
> >meter band.  Using the front panel trimmer on the SX-111, I was able to
get
> >a nice 1:1 SWR between the MFJ unit and the receiver.  Turning the main
> >tuning knob on the receiver from band edge to band edge, saw the SWR
slowly
> >creep up to way over 10:1 at the band edges with attendant signal loss.
> >
> >Hence, a good SWR is as important for your receiver as it is for your
> >transmitter.
> >
> >K2WH
> >
> >-----Original Message-----
> >From: hallicrafters-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> >[mailto:hallicrafters-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Al Parker
> >Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 8:52 PM
> >To: Craig Roberts; Edward B Richards; hallicrafters
> >Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Dummy antenna for S40 alignment
> >
> >hi guys,
> >     The main thing you wanta do is set up the rcvr for what impedance
you
> >plan to feed into it.  If the S-40 has no antenna trimmer, then you can't
> >do any adjusting other than your alignment, e.g. SP-600.  If it does
> >you've got some leeway. (don't stop hr)
> >     A resonant antenna is resonant on only a very narrow band of freqs.,
> >whether it has a balanced, open wire feedline, or what. So, elsewhere,
the
> >impedance is gonna be off, sometimes way off.
> >     What you really wanta do is use an antenna tuner for your receiver
if
> >you're "band cruising" no matter what antenna you use.  You've either
> >gotta tune the antenna system to the rcvr or the rcvr to the ant. sys.
> >     I've done it, and demonstrated it to others, with SP-600's.  Any
wire
> >is gonna be a very high, or very low impedance in many places across the
> >SW bands.  You can hear something then, but if you use a tuner and adjust
> >it to feed the rcvr in the imp. range it expects, just like "we know" we
> >hafta do with a transmitter, you'll hr more.  tuner - that's how you get
> >the best transfer of energy, rcvg or xmtg.
> >     that's my story & I'm stickin to it.
> >73,
> >Al the grouch
> >W8UT
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "Craig Roberts" <crgrbrts at verizon.net>
> >To: "Edward B Richards" <zuu6k at juno.com>; "hallicrafters"
> ><hallicrafters at mailman.qth.net>
> >Sent: Friday, December 10, 2004 5:19 PM
> >Subject: Re: [Hallicrafters] Dummy antenna for S40 alignment
> >
> > >
> > > I was actually toying with the idea of building an old style open
feeder
> > > line doublet, per Army instructions, for my Hammarlund SP-600 (which
has
> > > a 100 ohm input impedance) and seeing if it would make any discernable
> > > difference.  Does anyone feed their antique receiver with an antique
> > > resonant antenna?  If so, how's it work?
> > >
> > > 73,
> > >
> > > Craig
> > > W3CRR
> >
> >
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