| Author |
Message |
    
Mattb
| | Posted on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 3:07 pm: | 
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is there a way to tune an antenna w/o the swr meter? |
fraisercrane
| | Posted on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 10:12 pm: |
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yes, you can use a grid dip meter.
I know.. I'm not much help.... |
bruce
| | Posted on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 11:40 pm: |
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A GDO ? yes you can and a analizer too but for CB ? WHY ? i still have 2 GDO's a heathkit and a mullen both working with coils. A $15 trouth line bridge works from 1-450 mhz with fair results ....... why bother with anything else.
Bruce |
Taz
| | Posted on Monday, July 28, 2003 - 11:41 pm: |
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No. |
Mattb
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 2:37 am: |
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ok im new at this stuff..someone explain what all of this is about. |
Tech808
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 7:53 am: |
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Mattb,
The easiest way to tune an antenna weather it is a Base or Mobile is to hook a good SWR meter up.
Hook you radio up (Base or Mobile), run a Coax Jumper from Radio to SWR meter, then Coax from Antenna to SWR meter.
Adjust Antenna on Ch #1, #20 and Channel #40 for the LOWEST SWR readings. You want to try and get it around a 1.5 or lower.
The Lower the SWR the Better.
RE-SET the Meter before each reading on each channel.
Hope's this help's to explain it a little for you.
Lon
Tech808  |
bruce
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 9:38 am: |
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Lon .....
There is always a noise generator and tune for null...... I know buy a $15 VSWR meter and be done with it ( LOL )
Bruce |
Mattb
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 1:08 pm: |
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ok thanks everyone |
Tecnicoloco
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 2:53 pm: |
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Hi Matt
Go over to your nearest Rat Shack and buy the most inexpensive SWR/Meter from them,I believe is around 15 to 20 buckaroos.
Instructions how to use are included too.
Good Luck Amigo.
Tecnicoloco |
Kattracker
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 7:40 pm: |
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Mattb,
You said you were new at this stuff so here is an excellant web site to learn about SWR.
Check out www.firestik.com and have a look at the TECH HELP section. Yes,... it's firestik, not firestick.
Kattracker |
Tech833
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 29, 2003 - 8:43 pm: |
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MattB,
Yes there is! For those whom money is no object, the best method is with a tracking generator and bridge. Then, you get a visual 'sweep' image of the antenna's return loss (the signal the antenna will radiate and not reflect as in SWR) from DC to daylight, or at least from 100 Hz to around 1 GHz.
Don't have 30,000 dollars? How about the MFJ model 259B antenna analyzer! It sells for around $240 at the ham radio stores like AES and HRO. It can tell you the SWR of any antenna from 1.8 to 170 MHz. (CB is 27 MHz.). It can also check your coax cable, maesure loss, and all sorts of other neat stuff.
It is 10 steps above a simple SWR meter as far as test gear goes. |
Mattb
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 6:41 pm: |
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i gotta take out a loan to afford that antenna analyzer..lol naa ill sell my body to something or someone bidding starts at 239.99 |
frasiercrane
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 10:16 pm: |
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I've still got 2 grid dips myself.. both Millens
In a pinch I suppose I could borrow an Anritsu from work...
still no help... |
bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 30, 2003 - 11:21 pm: |
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MATT ! get a CHEAP VSWR BRIDGE AND BE DONE!....As for GDO'S gosh i havent used them in 30 years! Its like the last noise sourse i had it died of old age waiting to be used again .... 99% of the time that 15 buck radio shack VSWR meter will tell you all you need to know. |
Phineas
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 11:30 am: |
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There is a way to tune an antenna without an swr meter. You will still need a way to measure your output power though. The whole idea is to tune your antenna till you get the highest output. That is how they use to do it in the old days with wire antennas(Tuners did not exist way back when). You could always tell whether to shorten the antenna or lengthen it by which part of the band you got the most power output. If I got more power output on channel 1 than on channel 40, then the antenna is too long. Vise-Versa. Since CB is a small band, you should be able to get your SWR pretty close using that method. Most radios have a power meter, so you can use it.
You will not get a perfect SWR reading, but you will get the most power output available.
Phineas |
de
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 7:18 pm: |
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The P man is correct. In the old days before cross meters antennas were tuned with a coil, a diode and a small volt lamp placed near but not touching the antenna. When the little light glowed the brightest the antenna was at its best power output.
When the little low voltage light was replaced by a sensitive meter with varable resistor as an adjustment device and the coil was replaced with a short antenna it became a Field Strength Meter and acomplished the same thing. |
bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 8:15 pm: |
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AHHHHHHHHHHHH! Matt PLEASE go to radio shack buy a VSWR METER ....... LIghtbulbs..... god i did that in electronics school in the 60's no not tune the antenna for max output on output meter AHHHHHH!! lets not forget a wave meter made from 2 wires and you slide a lightbulb up and down Enough!
God dont even go the NEION LIGHT route. Pass the prozac
Bruce |
Tech808
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 8:38 pm: |
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Mattb,
Check out the link below for a good little meter to have on hand.
The Syncron SWR 2001NLS 1KW Watt Meter.
It's not high priced and works good.
http://www.copperelectronics.com/cgi-bin/checkitout/checkitout.cgi?catalogSTORE:CKIE:prodE01-01006+
Just my thought's
Lon
Tech808
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bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, July 31, 2003 - 10:54 pm: |
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Matt there you go nice meter Lon! |
de
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 - 2:03 am: |
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Re Bruce
Or he could go out an buy/borrow one of those big ticket MFJ Antenna Analyzers. I used one once. It worked just great.
But still seeing that little light glow. It brings back fond memories ;-)
DE |
bruce
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 05, 2003 - 10:22 pm: |
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de the FRIST 2 way radio was a spark transmitter and a ring of wire with a gap when you set off the spark it caused a induced spark in the ring. Now we have people wanting to go back to induced spark ( in the form of a light bulb) to tune up a antenna. I ran a simple test one day i took a CHEEP cb trouth line VSWR meter tested it on 151mhz against a bird and guess what it worked just fine. SO as i said for 99.44/100% ( like soap ) of cb needs that $15 to 30 meter works just FINE. |
de
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 06, 2003 - 1:22 am: |
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Re Bruce....
A fine early almost 1 am morn to you bruce.
I also use one of those inexpensive HF meters for my 2 meter use.
I also have had no problem using it.
BUT I would suggest one thing. Always start with the sensitivitiy adjust turned completely off. AND use minimum power just in case the components are more than a little sensitive to the higher frequency.
As to stepping back in time, sometimes it is fun to take a stroll down memory lane. If only for a little while.
A fine early morn to you and yours
DE
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