| Author |
Message |
    
Wally38
New member
Username: Wally38
Post Number: 8
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 03, 2005 - 12:15 pm: | 
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I'm thinking of purchasing an Aries antenna matcher, because my SWR reads about a 2 on channel 20. And I can't reach the gamma matches now that my antenna is up on the tower. Do antenna matchers work, or do they just fool your meter?
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Vanillagorilla
Member
Username: Vanillagorilla
Post Number: 51
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 03, 2005 - 2:10 pm: |
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The way I understand it is that it "absorbs" your reflected power thereby allowing the radio to transmit full power. On the antenna side of the tuner your SWRS are still the same its just that your radio never see's it.
The reflected power..(or loss) is bounced back and forth between the ant and tuner.
Handy tool to have if your working a narrower bandwidth antenna but like to work the freqs a little higher or lower. It'll tune down 2:1 without any harm to your radio or noticable loss to your signal.
Hank '905
CEF 559 |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2791
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 03, 2005 - 2:55 pm: |
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Wally
MFJ makes a number of them some are expensive over kill but others are simple to use.
Yes they fool your swr meter and radio..... but work. |
Crackerjack
Advanced Member
Username: Crackerjack
Post Number: 597
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 03, 2005 - 5:28 pm: |
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I use a MFJ 931-E, not only a matcher, but meters and andenna switches, Handy tool and I can match any antenna to the radio.
Yes, they do work. |
Crackerjack
Advanced Member
Username: Crackerjack
Post Number: 598
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, June 03, 2005 - 5:31 pm: |
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Stay away from those $19.00 little inline units that you see advertised. First, they don't really function that well, and they wont handle any real power. |
Nobodyknows
New member
Username: Nobodyknows
Post Number: 9
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 03, 2005 - 8:21 pm: |
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I have a older PDC-5 SWR Meter/Matcher that did what I wanted back when my SWRs were out of whack.. (copper item) Basically, You'll see some power loss because of the matcher being inline but not much. I can tune a magnet mount antenna thats sitting on a tin TV tray and get it down to a 1:1 SWR.
If you're using a beam and the matcher i'd imagine you'd still be getting out really good. |
Wally38
New member
Username: Wally38
Post Number: 9
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Friday, June 03, 2005 - 11:32 pm: |
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Thanks for the info guys. I really appreciate it. I went and ordered the MFJ-993 300 watt automatic antenna tuner. I can't wait to get that thing inline and working. I'm tired of having my swr go up and down depending on the direction I point my beam and the frequency I'm on. |
Vanillagorilla
Member
Username: Vanillagorilla
Post Number: 54
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 10:48 am: |
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Yep..mine is the MFJ-941..antenna switches and balanced line ant switch too..built in Balun is cool option. 
Hank '905 |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2795
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 11:30 am: |
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mine is a mfj-945e also works good |
Dale
Member
Username: Dale
Post Number: 97
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 11:35 am: |
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on the mfj ant.tuners i remember seeing one that didnt need your radio inline to match your antenna does anyone remember this model or they all like that?would this be the dummyload feature? |
Crackerjack
Advanced Member
Username: Crackerjack
Post Number: 603
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 11:47 am: |
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You need power to the antenna to match the tuner, I can't imagine tuning without the radio. Or why you would want to.
You can measure and set "presets" on all of them.
The Auto tuners may acomplish that? |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 2797
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 12:09 pm: |
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there are some with a built in dummy load |
Road_warrior
Advanced Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 626
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 12:24 pm: |
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They fool your radio into thinking
the match is better. A good matcher
is great to have, but, your SWR really
needs to be corrected at the antenna (Gamma match).
Jim/ PA/ CEf 375 |
Road_warrior
Advanced Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 627
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 5:37 pm: |
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The bottom line is a good match needs
taken care of at the antenna.
A tuner will save your radio from
any harm while having a high match at
the antenna. Actually an SWR of 2 usually
will not hurt a radio. But, who wants to
take that chance with expensive equipment.
I have a shooting Star and SWRs are 1:1
on 20 and almost 1:2 on 1 and 40. Vert& Horz.
Hollowpoint445 your technical reason is correct.
I was trying to keep things simple.
My uncle never matched an antenna in his life,
ran a tuner since the 70's...LOL...Has the
same radio to this day. But, i like to
make it right at the antenna.
JIM/ PA/ CEF 375
JIM/ PA/ CEF 375
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Hollowpoint445
Intermediate Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 349
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 8:05 pm: |
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True enough Road Warrior. It is best to get the antenna's matching network adjusted as best it can be, but as you move away from that frequency the match will get increasingly worse. That's really the intended use of a tuner - to allow one antenna to operate on more frequencies. |
Crackerjack
Advanced Member
Username: Crackerjack
Post Number: 607
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, June 04, 2005 - 11:40 pm: |
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Bruce, I prefer the MFJ units that have an external dummy load connection on the back. Mine does,
That way, I have my DOSY neter in line with the Dummy Load, and can set/check my 2 watt dead key and the modulation, off line/off air on that hugmongous lighted analog meter. |
Wally38
Junior Member
Username: Wally38
Post Number: 10
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 07, 2005 - 9:17 am: |
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I wish my shooting star had an swr that good. It's too late to adjust it now that I have it up on my tower. I would have to rent a boom lift just to do it.
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Road_warrior
Advanced Member
Username: Road_warrior
Post Number: 634
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 08, 2005 - 2:08 am: |
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Then, just run a matcher. Maybe someday
you will get the chance to straighten
it out at the antenna.
I heard boom trucks are quite expensive
to rent. My friend needed a boom lift
to set his antenna on his tower. A tree
cutting service in our area charged him
$200 for 1/2 hr...yikes |
