[K3PZN-List] VSWR, Analyzers

Tue Mar 6 18:40:24 EST 2012

Curt, 

After 46 years as a ham I become very skeptical of short antennas. The G5RV is a poor radiator on most bands and is better described as stop gap antenna one to be used if nothing else is there.  One of the best antenna (for newbies especially) is a half wave dipole fed with a quarter wave length of open wire line and tuned with a true ballanced tuner (easy to build and cheap too). For example half wave lenght on 80m with the appropriate quarter wavelentgh feed will tune 160-10M easily. 

If you dont want to use the ballanced tuner then purchase a REMOTE BALUN from Radioworks and put it at the end of the ballanced line and run coax the rest of the way into the house. If you cant tune this system with your external tuner.. then just add about 20ft or so more coax in the line and it changes the feed impedance to the back of the tuner.  Not very elegant but it works.  Tony KF3AK is doing this now and it works great 

Ref. JT65 .. there is not much to talk about .. down load it and try it.. it is so simple even a trained chimp can use it 

----- Original Message -----

From: "Curt Milton" <wb8yyy at yahoo.com> 
To: "Carroll County Amateur Radio Club" <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Monday, March 5, 2012 9:08:31 PM 
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] VSWR, Analyzers 

Jim 

nice suggestions.  

my suggestion on VSWR is not to 'worry' - but to record and to evaluate.  I find with my autotuner I can literally miss a flaw with an antenna - especially the one on my K2 that cannot be bypassed.   

I can understand how my antennas behave with autotuner by knowing how they are by themselves.  For example, my 80m vertical is not effective much above 3600 kHz even with the tuner.  

in the case of the G5RV, I still recommend learning what it does VSWR wise before adjusting the tuner.  

JT65 - you may be the most experienced in the club!  hint to enlighten us some evening.  

CUL Curt 

PS - I just wanted to not send anyone into a panic if they don't have an antenna analyzer, as 'somehow' I have done ok without one!  others I am sure could not survive without one.  

________________________________ 
 From: "wa3mej at comcast.net" <wa3mej at comcast.net> 
To: Carroll County Amateur Radio Club <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net> 
Sent: Monday, March 5, 2012 8:12 PM 
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] VSWR, Analyzers 

Three  things, 

  First I have two antenna analyzers if someone is in a bind  but they come with the owner becasue they are easily damaged. 

Just let me know. 

Second.. Curt why worry about swr.. put an external tuner in the system and just record the settings vs freqency. This is what I do 

and I work pretty much anything I can hear on all bands 160 to 10.  The antenna is a 160M inverted L with elevated radials. 

Third...for those of you that are antenna/power challenged, you might want to try JT65.  I have worked all over the world with about 40w.. 

if you can hear them you can pretty much work them. It is not a conversational mode like PSK 31 however you can work stations that are 

below the noise floor.  

Jim     WA3MEJ 

----- Original Message ----- 

From: "KB3JQQ Scott" <kb3jqq at yahoo.com> 
To: k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net 
Sent: Saturday, March 3, 2012 12:36:01 PM 
Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] VSWR, Analyzers 

BTW, 10 meters is GOOD today. I just racked up another 17 contacts 
in about a half hours' time. I'll be out again in a few hours to play 
some more 10 meters. It's a contest, so it's hard to find a space! 

--- On Sat, 3/3/12, Curt Milton <wb8yyy at yahoo.com> wrote: 

> From: Curt Milton <wb8yyy at yahoo.com> 
> Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] VSWR, Analyzers 
> To: "Carroll County Amateur Radio Club" <k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net> 
> Date: Saturday, March 3, 2012, 11:23 AM 
> Scott 
> 
> those antenna analyzers are cool - but believe it or not I 
> have about 6 or 7 antennas and NO analyzer (yet at least) - 
> one can live without one.  (maybe it means more exercise 
> walking to and from an antenna!  those folk with towers are 
> more likely to need one).  so if its between a better rig 
> or some other valued accessory - spend the $$ there first.  
> I did borrow one once, but did just as good with my VSWR 
> meter.  
> 
> 
> also I encourage everyone to record their antenna VSWR vs. 
> frequency.  (such as in a spreadsheet).  this greatly aids 
> troubleshooting.  
> 
> 
> 73 Curt 
> 
> 
> 
> ________________________________ 
>  From: "Scott, KB3JQQ" <kb3jqq at yahoo.com> 
> To: k3pzn-list at mailman.qth.net 
> 
> Sent: Saturday, March 3, 2012 10:46 AM 
> Subject: Re: [K3PZN-List] Repeater Work Cancelled 
>   
> Do not get worried if you can not get a 1:1 SWR. It is only 
> a ratio 
> of impedance. My 10 meter mobile antenna is a 102" steel 
> whip. The 
> lowest it ever reads is 1.5:1 because it is a 36 ohm 
> antenna. The 
> dip with my MFJ269 is at 28.460, and I find I can get 
> through pile ups 
> with only a call or two within 25 KHz on either side. Of 
> course, 250 
> watts helps a lot! I still make plenty of contacts all over 
> the 10 meter 
> band, and it still works good on nights I take my old CB out 
> and hook it 
> up to talk with some folks who won't take the jump. 
> 
> I find resonance is more important then SWR, as long as SWR 
> is 2 or lower. 
> 
> If you don't have an analyzer, borrow one. I wonder how I 
> ever managed 
> without one for all those years... 
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