[TenTec] Tuner for Centurion to balanced antenna

[Gregory J Knapp]

I NEED YOUR ADVICE:

 

I have a Centurion Amp that I want to run on all bands 160 through 10 with a
single horizontal antenna up 78 feet with as wide a gain pattern as
possible.

 

My proposed solution is to use multiple dipoles cut for 80, 40, and 20
jointly fed at 78 feet high 250 feet away from the house fed with 1200 watts
via 300+ feet of open wire feed line (450 ohm).  The reason I am proposing
to use three dipoles is to try to get a broader pattern (lobes) across the
bands rather than narrow lobes (but high gain) patterns off the ends of the
wires that would result in the higher bands if I just used the 80 meter
dipole. I could also run a 160 dipole in parallel if that would help. Or, I
could select different length or number of dipoles, but I really don’t want
to have more than wrestle with more than 2 or 3 dipoles total hooked
together at that height. 

 

I have several verticals, but they pick up severe local noise, so that’s not
a solution (my ears hurt even with a ClearSpeech—which helps a lot).  I
cannot put up a tower and beam for 20 through 10 meters at this time
(wouldn’t you just love a set of Fluidmotion SteppIR MonstIRs stacked at 70
and 140 feet!) so for right now high dipoles is the best I can do—although
that is probably a good solution because I have been told that dipoles at
this height will roughly equal or even beat a 3 el beam at 38 feet, without
the cost and rotators, etc., due to vertical takeoff angle.

 

Questions:

1.       Will the Ten Tec 238B handle this power if I run the open wire to
these jointly fed dipoles, even though it is not a “balanced” type tuner? 

2.       Would it be better or make a difference if I converted to coax just
outside the house and then use the coax position on the 238? 

3.       If the 238B won’t handle it, is there a better solution or a better
tuner that will handle the 1200 watts that would be the same or less price
(money is a factor).  I have to admit that I am biased in that I’d like to
stay with Ten Tec if at all possible.

4.       What would you suggest I do, trying to keep as broad a pattern on
most bands? Would a different combination of dipoles work better? Would a
160, 40, 17 meter combo work better? 

 

I followed some of the recent discussion on the Ten Tec List on a related
topic which were very helpful in forming my current proposal, but the only
solutions I heard for high power amps like the Centurion were some higher
priced or hard to find tuners.

 

Please share your experience and advice with me,

 

Thanks & 73,

 

Greg, N6GK 

 

 


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