I read some of the return messages and I noticed that the message initially
openned by saying that many hams still use a long wire and tuner. He
comments to say that the long wire is cheap but the tuner is not.
That kinda hit a cord with me because of my antenna experiences. I have
been an amateur since 1964, thats not a brag just a comment. Besides using
a random wire antenna, I have tried multi-band dipoles, quads, beams, folded
dipoles and others. However, I still keep coming back to my old reliable
random wire, about 60ish feet and an L network (the coil connecting to the
transmitter and the capacitor connecting between the ground and the common
connection of the coil and antenna). Though a very simple circuit, it works
very well. Recently I put up a 30ish foot random wire and found that it
didn't work on 80, using the L network. After some thought, I broke the
random wire and inserted a coil. I now gives me a good swr on 80 meters.
I just wanted to defend cheap, but highly functional, antenna couplers and
cheap but useful random wires.
Larry ve3fxq
Sorry if I have come accross a little rough sounding.


"Art Unwin KB9MZ" wrote in message
m...
Seems like a lot of hams with limited resources are still compelled
to operate on many bands with just a long wire and a tuner.
The wire is inexpensive but the tuners are not. Thus my present
project.
I was given a Palomar enginnering balun with 5 female connenection
which by selection can match a antenna in steps from 5 ohms to over
450 ohms
in a series of steps. I am presently rigging it up so that all
steps can be switched thru remotely by a single motor. The switching
arrangement
is the main challenge since inexpensive means simple.
Now I have not measured losses of the balun before hand because the
switching
challenge is what is driving me.
Anybody have any thoughts about what I should expect from this
balun other than knowing that it is not a tuner as is generally known
since
it does not have the ability to obtain the priceless 1:1 condition
that so many desire?
Regards
Art