[Amps] High SWR

[Jim Brown]

On Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:51:23 -0700 (PDT), Glen Zook wrote:


>Before the advent of transmitters with fixed impedance output 
>circuits the vast majority of amateur radio operators didn't 
worry
>about SWR.  Having an SWR bridge was not high on the list of 
items 
>which were found in an amateur radio station.

Maybe that was true where you lived, but not where I lived (in 
WV).  SWR bridges were a popular accessory when I was in high 
school (1956-59). Most hams I knew used resonant antennas if they 
could. That was the day of the DX100, Viking II, and the Heath 
Apache. All with pi network output stages. My first fixed 
impedance output TX output was a Ten Tec Omni, which I bought new 
in 1980. 

The original Ten Tec Titan amps, designed in the late 70's, have 
tuned output stages.  

The concept of working all bands with an untuned dipole and open 
wire line came into popularity during the 70's and 80's. It is a 
concept I have always viewed as having more academic interest than 
practical use. As in "sure one antenna CAN work all bands, but one 
that actually optimized for a band works BETTER." (better pattern, 
less noise, less RF in the shack). 

73,

Jim Brown K9YC