Topband: location

[Bill Cromwell]

On 09/21/2013 04:11 PM, DALE LONG wrote:
> Bill:
>
> Expect the unexpected.  If you are using insulated wire, it can be broken inside the insulation...Easy to check the wire for continuity.. Be absolutely sure all connections are really clean..
>
> If you have a 1/4 vertical that is not touching another metal object, it should tune up.
>
> Try bypassing the tuner completely (not just putting the tuner in bypass mode) and check with antenna analyzer where it is resonant.  That should give you some ideas.  Perhaps your antenna is too short or too long.  If you have a 1/4 vertical, you should not need a tuner unless you want to ragchew above 1900 KHz...You really need to find the resonant frequency of what you have.
>
> An ineffective antenna is one thing, but sounds like your antenna is not even resonant on 160m.  (from your description of "not loading on 160"). Antenna analyzers are a wonderful tool.
>
> Best 73
>
> Dale - N3BNA
>
>
Hi Dale,

Thanks for your comments. I do have a couple of Grid dip 
oscillators...one grid dip and one gate dip. I need to figure out where 
the dial calibration on both them actually is and get the resonance 
info. That will still not tell me what impedance I'm looking at.

After I posted I dug an old power supply board out and found a two and 
half inch ferrite donut with heavy wire windings on it (two of them 
actually). I fooled around and ended up with the rig and 'tuner' getting 
happy on 160. I have 18 turns on the antenna side and 5 turns on the 
radio side. I'll give it a try tonight when there are some people on and 
the RBN skimmers are back on the band. Obviously that changed the 
settings for 80 and 40 but 80 and 40 still load up okay. The real test 
is successful QSOs! I have to wait for dark when those other people come 
out to play.

73,

Bill  KU8H