[TowerTalk] Link-coupled ATUs

[L. B. Cebik]

I have added to my website a short note on link-coupled (inductively
coupled) antenna tuners for balanced lines.  The note in very scant
fashion looks at the basic circuitry and notes the advantages and
disadvantages of such tuners, and also notes the lengths to which have
been going in trying to make single-ended or unbalanced tuners do balanced
feedline work.

The note is not an addition to what is known.  You can get as much or more
by reading the short treatment of such tuners in recent ARRL Antenna
Books--and you can glean much more from reading much older books.

Rather the note is the basis for a question I have been kicking around
with a manufacturer:  is there a market for such tuners, which are slow
and require plug in coil sets for max efficiency, but which handle
parallel lines more efficiently and reliably than any single ended tuner?
In short, would you seriously consider buying one if they were available
on the US market?  At what power level?  100-200 watt?  1500 watt?

As a step in market research, I shall accept postcards or e-mail if you
are interested.  Please just say Yes to a link tuner and then say Yes or
no to the 100-200 watt and to the 1500 watt levels.  If not interested,
please do not send me mail or e-mail.  But if you are--whether or not you
can go to the website to read the page--please let me know.  I shall
compile results and let folks know how much interest may exist.  

Yes, I know this is a limited sample, but it may be indicative of a much
broader market--or the absence of a market.  No, I shall have no vested
interest in the outcome and glean no profit, royalty, or gift if such a
tuner design appears on the US scene.

Incidentally, I am aware of only one commercially made unit--it is
available in Germany and the small company likely does not export.
However, if you have info on any other such units (not Z-matches, about
which I have ample data), I'd like to hear about them.

Thanks for letting me use the bandwidth.

-73-

LB, W4RNL


L. B. Cebik, W4RNL         /\  /\     *   /  /    /    (Off)(423) 974-7215
1434 High Mesa Drive      /  \/  \/\     ----/\---     (Hm) (423) 938-6335
Knoxville, Tennessee     /\   \   \ \   /  / || /      (FAX)(423) 974-3509
37938-4443     USA      /  \   \   \ \       ||              cebik@utk.edu
         URL:  http://funnelweb.utcc.utk.edu/~cebik/radio.html




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