[CQ-Contest] Antenna Switching

[Steve London]

Just a caution on the ArraySolutions StackMatch. The port-to-port isolation
is only around 30 dB. For the use that the StackMatch was intended for,
that is okay. However, if you are using it with 2 antennas pointed in
different directions, the pattern of one antenna may be degraded by leakage
from the other antenna. This isn't a problem on transmit, but could be on
receive.

Don't even consider using a StackMatch in the reverse direction - 1
antenna, 2 radios.

73,
Steve, N2IC

On Tue, Sep 19, 2023 at 10:00 PM <john at kk9a.com> wrote:

> I have used a SixPak controlled by Top Ten band decoders for decades.
> Unfortunately DX Engineering acquired Top Ten Devices and it appears that
> they discontinued the product.  Since I have more than one Yagi on 10m -
> 40m, I use Array Solutions StackMatches on the outputs of the SixPak so I
> can easily switch which beams I wish to use on each band.  It appears that
> you have a monobander(s) and a tribander, so doing something similar would
> require three StackMatches and a triplexer to split the tribander into
> three
> feedlines.  A simpler option would be to use a StackMatch before the SixPak
> on one radio so at least with that radio you could choose one or even both
> antennas.  Of course you would have to be sure that the tribander was not
> selected when going on the low bands so it's not 100% foolproof.
>
> John KK9A
>
>
>
>
> Lee Hiers AA4GA wrote:
>
> Hi Folks,
>
> I've got an old Array Solutions SixPak antenna switch.  I'm thinking about
> using band decoders (or however it's done these days, depending on the rig)
> to have the antenna switch automatically follow the radios' bands.
>
> The question I have is, if I'm on my main 20m antenna and want to change to
> a SE tribander, say, how is that generally implemented?  Presumably I'd
> want to be able to select that secondary antenna from either radio.  How
> are folks doing the auto-antenna-switch override?
>
> 73 de Lee, AA4GA
>
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>