View Single Post
  #2   Report Post  
Old December 20th 07, 06:24 AM posted to rec.radio.amateur.homebrew
Dave Platt Dave Platt is offline
external usenet poster
 
First recorded activity by RadioBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 464
Default 'Tenna Tuner kit clarification

As I understand the description of the kit the Tuner allows you to tune
the antenna to the best SWR when attached to the ATU/SWR meter, but if
just attached to the antenna it will declare the antenna resonant freq
(in morse code). Is this correct - that it will give the resonant freq
of the antenna?


If you're referring to the KD1JV 'Tenna Dipper kit offered through the
Four States QRP club, then as I read it, it's basically a tunable
signal generator (with a morse-code readout) and an SWR analysis
bridge of the simple "the LED goes out when the bridge seens a
near-to-50-ohm load" variety. It's a very simple version (a subset)
of what you'd find in an MFJ or Autek or similar antenna analyzer.

You can hook it directly to an antenna, set the operating frequency
(using the switches, dial, and the morse readout), and then tweak the
antenna until the LED goes out... at which point your antenna is tuned.

Alternatively, you can hook it to an antenna, select the band, rotate
the knob until the LED goes out, and then use the morse readout to
determine the frequency at which the good match has been found.

Or, you can hook it to the "transceiver" side of an antenna
tuner/transmatch, select the frequency, and then adjust the ATU until the
LED goes out.

In any case, if you can't get the LED to go out, then you don't have a
good match. You won't necessarily know why, or by how much the
antenna is out of tune for the desired band.

Looks like a fun little kit... quite a bit of functionality in a small
package for a small price. Combine it with a Norcal BLT or similar
QRP transmatch, maybe?

--
Dave Platt AE6EO
Friends of Jade Warrior home page: http://www.radagast.org/jade-warrior
I do _not_ wish to receive unsolicited commercial email, and I will
boycott any company which has the gall to send me such ads!