[TowerTalk] Tuning Antennas with the MFJ-259

[jimlux]

Richards wrote:
> Gee...  that does not sound like you are tuning it on the work
> bench...  I think this is more of a vote for "no... you should
> hang your antenna to tune it" - than it does a Yes you can.
> 
> Or do I misinterpret your statement here?
> 
> ================   K8JHR  ======================
> 
> K7LXC at aol.com wrote:
>>  
>>         Once you see a dip, then  you can install the antenna. Using a 
>> tramline, you can run the antenna up  and take a measurement. Then you can lower it 
>> and make any adjustments to tune  it. Run it up and down as many times as you 
>> need and you're good to go. 




if you've got enough area around it, pointing it straight up, and 
having it 6 feet or so off the ground, will give results very close to 
what it will read up on the tower.  Think of the "active volume" of the 
antenna as being everything within say, 1/4 wavelength.  For a 20m band 
antenna, that's around 15-20 feet.  It's pretty practical to strap it to 
  a 2x4 or or something and hold it up with a step ladder.

As others have pointed out, you're not looking to adjust to a gnat's 
eyelash, you're really checking to see if it's close to what you expect 
(e.g. legions of stories about folks getting the traps in the wrong 
order on trapped antennas, or forgetting to hook up a wire to the balun, 
etc.)