Towertalk
[Top] [All Lists]

[TowerTalk] who's "right" (a tuner question)

To: TowerTalk@contesting.com
Subject: [TowerTalk] who's "right" (a tuner question)
From: jim feldman <mtnredhed@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 6 Dec 2010 10:30:55 -0800
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
The cast of players: Kenwood TS-940, Heath SA 2060 ant. tuner, MFJ 259.  I
was trying to use the MFJ to create a table of settings for the tuner.  Just
wasn't working (never could find a SWR much lower than say 1.8:1).  After
further reading, I tried the noise peaking method with C.out at max, C.in at
about half and I dialed in L from the bottom.  Once I had that (which got me
surprisingly close), I turned the 940 power all the way down (around 10w),
set the output to cw, hit transmit (after a quick ID) and dialed in a near
1:1 match in any band between 75-15.  The TS-940 SWR readings were pretty
close to the meter on the tuner.

So who's right and why?  In one corner we have the transmitter and tuner.
Close enough I'd consider them the same.  Should I prefer the tuner reading?
 In the other corner, we have the MFJ that wasn't even in the same ballpark.
 Is it hosed?  I had it cabled to the tuner input for testing purposes.  Is
it because of the low output of the MFJ?  I swapped around all cables except
the output to the antenna.  Put fresh cells in the MFJ.

All connections were either RG8x (foil and braid) or RG213 except LMR400 out
to the trapped vertical antenna. Yes, I'm aware of the efficiency issues
here, but I'm on a small suburban lot with 35ft height restrictions and a YL
who tolerates (just) my "metal pokey things" in her garden.

thanks
jim (w6jmf)
_______________________________________________



_______________________________________________
TowerTalk mailing list
TowerTalk@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/towertalk

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>