Topband: Adventures with tuners

[Bill Cromwell]

Oh good grief,

My antenna was frustrating the heck outta me. I have been using a big
commercially built tuner with a clearly marked post for a "single wire
antenna". Thats where my end fed wire goes. The tuner was "doing
something" but I was just not getting satisfaction out in the back yard.
Finally I dug into the tuner some more. Nice roller inductor which I had
previously cleaned. Wonderful tuning caps that could handle a legal
limit amp with ease. Then I took a closer look at the the circuit. All
of my previous success with end fed wires used an L matching circuit.
The Murch 2000B doesn't even resemble that nor is it the same as my
Johnson Matchbox (which does not include 160 meters). I will have to do
some major rework on the Murch to make a "real" tuner out of it. I'll
see if the Matchbox can accommodate that wire with or withoput 160 and
if not.. I suppose I will try to slap together a tuner on a hank of wood
and get that end fed wire pumped full of RF by the time of the weekend
QSO parties and that QRP-ARCI thing. I have a nice roller inductor with
a turns counter on it and some tuning caps to go with.

I'm pretty sure that Murch was giving me 50 ohms resistive direct to
ground and my wire was getting leakage from that insanity.

73,

Bill  KU8H