HF antenna tuner

[bigjcw1023@gmail.com]

I have a Kenwood ts440s w auto antenna tuner. I am running a g5rv
antenna and the auto does not tune on all bands. I know I need an
external manual tuner, but do I get the one with the balun built in or
not. I have an airwound balun at the feedpoint for the coax from the
ladderline of the antenna? That is for current prevention on the
outer part of the cable as per manuf. instructions, dont think I
really need that though.
Thanks

[Ed Cregger]

> wrote in message
...
>I have a Kenwood ts440s w auto antenna tuner. I am running a g5rv
> antenna and the auto does not tune on all bands. I know I need an
> external manual tuner, but do I get the one with the balun built in or
> not. I have an airwound balun at the feedpoint for the coax from the
> ladderline of the antenna? That is for current prevention on the
> outer part of the cable as per manuf. instructions, dont think I
> really need that though.
> Thanks

------------

Compared to the MFJ 989C roller inductor tuner with the built-in 4:1 balun,
I have not been able to match the 989C's very wide tuning range with a
smaller 300 watt tuner running into a 4:1 balun. It is my suspicion that if
you need a long of "tuning swing", you'll likely not find it by running a
normal 50 ohm tuner into your 4:1 balun. It hasn't worked for me in the
past. Of course, I haven't tried every MFJ tuner that would meet the
criteria, much less all of the other brands of tuners.

Ed, NM2K

[Stray Dog]

On Sat, 4 Oct 2008, wrote:

> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 22:50:30 -0700 (PDT)
> From:
> Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.equipment
> Subject: HF antenna tuner
>
> I have a Kenwood ts440s w auto antenna tuner. I am running a g5rv
> antenna and the auto does not tune on all bands. I know I need an
> external manual tuner, but do I get the one with the balun built in or
> not. I have an airwound balun at the feedpoint for the coax from the
> ladderline of the antenna? That is for current prevention on the
> outer part of the cable as per manuf. instructions, dont think I
> really need that though.
> Thanks
>
-------------

I have a friend with a modern solid state rig with built-in auto AT, also,
and he cannot match all of his antennas on the appropriate bands, either.

I gave (he actually bought it from me) him one of my small manual
ant tuners and it matched up fine with negligible reflected power.

You may have to do the same thing, but you should read your manual about
how to disable the internal automatic antenna tuner.

[Ed Cregger]

"Stray Dog" > wrote in message
.org...
>
> On Sat, 4 Oct 2008, wrote:
>
>> Date: Sat, 4 Oct 2008 22:50:30 -0700 (PDT)
>> From:
>> Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.equipment
>> Subject: HF antenna tuner
>>
>> I have a Kenwood ts440s w auto antenna tuner. I am running a g5rv
>> antenna and the auto does not tune on all bands. I know I need an
>> external manual tuner, but do I get the one with the balun built in or
>> not. I have an airwound balun at the feedpoint for the coax from the
>> ladderline of the antenna? That is for current prevention on the
>> outer part of the cable as per manuf. instructions, dont think I
>> really need that though.
>> Thanks
>>
> -------------
>
> I have a friend with a modern solid state rig with built-in auto AT, also,
> and he cannot match all of his antennas on the appropriate bands, either.
>
> I gave (he actually bought it from me) him one of my small manual ant
> tuners and it matched up fine with negligible reflected power.
>
> You may have to do the same thing, but you should read your manual about
> how to disable the internal automatic antenna tuner.

---------------

I presently own an Elecraft 4:1 100 watt balun and I'm running a Van Gordon
All Bander antenna that is fed with 450 twinlead.

My Yaesu FT-890/AT's tuner can usually find a good match wherever I go. Now
and then I find a place where it won't match up, but the great majority of
times it matches perfectly.

My Icom IC-737's autotuner was almost as good at matching on my present
antenna as the Yaesu FT-890/AT.

I wish that an autotuner manufacturer would recognize the market for folks
using antennas fed with twinlead and offer us an autotuner designed to
operate accordingly. Were the price reasonable, I would be there buying like
stink on manure. A high power version would be attractive to me too.

Ed, NM2K

[Bob Miller]

On Sat, 4 Oct 2008 22:50:30 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

>I have a Kenwood ts440s w auto antenna tuner. I am running a g5rv
>antenna and the auto does not tune on all bands. I know I need an
>external manual tuner, but do I get the one with the balun built in or
>not. I have an airwound balun at the feedpoint for the coax from the
>ladderline of the antenna? That is for current prevention on the
>outer part of the cable as per manuf. instructions, dont think I
>really need that though.
>Thanks

If you're bringing coax into the shack then there's no need for a
balun built into the external tuner -- but a bigger tuner may work
better than a smaller one, by virtue of its wider tuning range.

The g5rv works best on 80, 40, 20 and 12 meters, so what your internal
tuner is already doing may be about what you should expect, anyway.

bob
k5qwg

[robo tech]

I had that exact setup that you have and I had to use an external tuner to
get the swr down to acceptable levels. If I remember right, the g5rv with
the 440's internal tuner would tune ok for 80 and 40, but not very well for
the other bands.
tim
kk5h
"Bob Miller" > wrote in message
...
> On Sat, 4 Oct 2008 22:50:30 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
>
>>I have a Kenwood ts440s w auto antenna tuner. I am running a g5rv
>>antenna and the auto does not tune on all bands. I know I need an
>>external manual tuner, but do I get the one with the balun built in or
>>not. I have an airwound balun at the feedpoint for the coax from the
>>ladderline of the antenna? That is for current prevention on the
>>outer part of the cable as per manuf. instructions, dont think I
>>really need that though.
>>Thanks
>
> If you're bringing coax into the shack then there's no need for a
> balun built into the external tuner -- but a bigger tuner may work
> better than a smaller one, by virtue of its wider tuning range.
>
> The g5rv works best on 80, 40, 20 and 12 meters, so what your internal
> tuner is already doing may be about what you should expect, anyway.
>
> bob
> k5qwg