Ian Jackson wrote:
In message , writes
On Tuesday, February 11, 2014 2:12:14 PM UTC-6, gareth wrote:
With the onset of automatic ATUs, is the the final technical
skill that disambiguates the radio amateur from the CBer
being lost?
I've never seen a case where the use of an automatic antenna tuner
drained antenna related knowledge from the operators brain pan.
Could that be because the knowledge was never there in the first place?
Unlikely for newcomers in the UK as adjusting an ATU is an assessed
practical part of the Foundation (=Technician) exam.
Of course, it is possible that those who went through the previous scheme
never learned such skills
I find newcomers learn it, and understand why it is required, after a few
moments tuition.
Thankfully, like loading a PA, once mastered it is a skill you tend to
remember.
Because of the increase of domestic interference, the use of endfed
antennas - fed at the shack (house) end - is now definitely a 'bad
thing', whereas a remote feed usually results in fewer interference problems.
The remotely fed end fed is my 'go to' antenna for beginners. It is
generally the lowest profile, avoids the need for a 'drop' in the middle of
the garden, and will give good results with just one counterpoise (
although more are better).
If an auto ATU is outside the budget, a remote ATU can be built. This can
be as simple as slow electric motors (ex electric screw drivers) driving a
variable Capacitor and roller coaster arrangement, controller from the
shack. Depending on the ability / wishes of the owner, extra circuitry can
be added to provide more complex control and/ or display.
The advent of remote tuners has been a godsend, as it obviates the need
to devise cunning methods of performing the remote adjustments. However,
I'm sure that there are now some amateurs who have the attitude "If I
sling a random length of wire in the air, and stick an auto-tuner on it,
it'll work just fine". As a result, the art of matching antennas has
become de-skilled, and we no longer need to have any idea whatsoever
about 'how things work'. Is this a 'good thing'?
As long as the basic skill has been learned, is it ever really lost? I'm
not loaded up every valve PA but I would not like to think I would be
flummoxed by an unknown but obviously similar design.