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Re: [TowerTalk] Modeling antenna traps

To: towertalk reflector <towertalk@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Modeling antenna traps
From: Jim Brown <jim@audiosystemsgroup.com>
Reply-to: jim@audiosystemsgroup.com
Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2016 16:18:19 -0700
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
The answer to this question is not simple. It depends, for example, on what tools you have available, the physical construction of the traps, and the extent to which they can be taken apart.

A simple antenna analyzer is NOT a good tool for this, simply because its accuracy is poor. That's in addition to the fact that the accuracy of ANY reflection-based measurement is good only for impedance values within 5X or 0.2X of the system impedance of the analyzer (usually 50 ohms), and the greater the difference from 50 ohms, the greater the error. Nearly all ham antenna and impedance analyzers are reflection-based.

There is a third source of error with analyzers -- the stray capacitance of their input circuit. The result of this error is that the resonant frequency is shifted down by the stray C, which adds to the error of L and C. In the better vector analyzers, this can be subtracted out by a calibration routine, using known good short, open, and 50 ohm loads.

Your MFJ with grid dip coils could probably find the resonance with reasonable accuracy. The key is to couple the analyzer very loosely, so that it does not shift the resonance up or down.

73, Jim K9YC


On Sun,6/5/2016 3:40 PM, Timothy Holmes wrote:

Hi Jim

I guess that goes to the crux of my question, how do I go about measuring those parameters, and, once I have done so, how do I then model them. This is turning into quite an interesting discussion. I should mention that I have an MFJ antenna analyzer with the grid dip coils if that will help, as well as a multimeter


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