I would suggest that anyone that strapped for cash use transmission line
segments for impedance matching. That is about as cheap as it gets.

"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

Jimmy wrote:
I would suggest that anyone that strapped for cash use transmission line
segments for impedance matching. That is about as cheap as it gets.

Yep, I bought an SGC-500 amp and didn't want to spring for a high power
tuner. So I vary my window-line length to obtain a match.
--
73, Cecil http://www.qsl.net/w5dxp



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W5DXP wrote in message ...
Jimmy wrote:
I would suggest that anyone that strapped for cash use transmission line
segments for impedance matching. That is about as cheap as it gets.

Yep, I bought an SGC-500 amp and didn't want to spring for a high power
tuner. So I vary my window-line length to obtain a match.

Cecil, the idea that you have is quite unique but I was thinking
of the newby ham. To capture the future hams of tomorrow we must
enable them to get them on the air as quickly and cheaply as
possible and not dissuade them in any way as to how much they
will be paying in the future, and that is where my thoughts lie.
If a newcomer is to put up a G5RV so that he can get on the
air quickly,I thought that buying a RF transformer would be a
quick way of getting on the air and getting the taste for ham radio.
To be honest Cecil no newby is going to struggle with your method
in his early days.
If one could arrange a way to run thru a series of impedance ratio's
with just one knob then we have hooked those who are curious, even
when using the most plainess of wires or the gutter we have fed the
mind, remote control systems can come later. Frankly when you are
hooked by ham radio money ceases to become an issue.
Art

"Art Unwin KB9MZ" wrote in message
. ..
W5DXP wrote in message
...
Jimmy wrote:
I would suggest that anyone that strapped for cash use transmission
line
segments for impedance matching. That is about as cheap as it gets.

Yep, I bought an SGC-500 amp and didn't want to spring for a high power
tuner. So I vary my window-line length to obtain a match.

Cecil, the idea that you have is quite unique but I was thinking
of the newby ham. To capture the future hams of tomorrow we must
enable them to get them on the air as quickly and cheaply as
possible and not dissuade them in any way as to how much they
will be paying in the future, and that is where my thoughts lie.
If a newcomer is to put up a G5RV so that he can get on the
air quickly,I thought that buying a RF transformer would be a
quick way of getting on the air and getting the taste for ham radio.
To be honest Cecil no newby is going to struggle with your method
in his early days.
If one could arrange a way to run thru a series of impedance ratio's
with just one knob then we have hooked those who are curious, even
when using the most plainess of wires or the gutter we have fed the
mind, remote control systems can come later. Frankly when you are
hooked by ham radio money ceases to become an issue.
Art

Actually I would think a newbie would be the one most likely to embrace
Cecil's method. Its the guys who have been around a while who want
everything controlled at their armchair(like me). This is not to say that
Cecils method could not be controoled from the shack, Just replace some of
those switches with relays and maybe make some custum impedance feedline for
even a better match that what he shows though you dont really need it. This
sort of setup could even be controlled by a lot of radios that provide for a
means of automatic antenna switching.

(Art Unwin KB9MZ) wrote in message ...
W5DXP wrote in message ...
Jimmy wrote:
I would suggest that anyone that strapped for cash use transmission line
segments for impedance matching. That is about as cheap as it gets.

Yep, I bought an SGC-500 amp and didn't want to spring for a high power
tuner. So I vary my window-line length to obtain a match.

Cecil, the idea that you have is quite unique but I was thinking
of the newby ham. To capture the future hams of tomorrow we must
enable them to get them on the air as quickly and cheaply as
possible and not dissuade them in any way as to how much they
will be paying in the future, and that is where my thoughts lie.


Sounds kinda like you want a "venus ham trap"....:/

If a newcomer is to put up a G5RV so that he can get on the
air quickly,I thought that buying a RF transformer would be a
quick way of getting on the air and getting the taste for ham radio.

I think stringing up a coax fed dipole is about the easiest of all
antennas.

To be honest Cecil no newby is going to struggle with your method
in his early days.

I'm sure many would. It's not that hard to rig up.

If one could arrange a way to run thru a series of impedance ratio's
with just one knob then we have hooked those who are curious, even
when using the most plainess of wires or the gutter we have fed the
mind, remote control systems can come later.

Huh??? I thought this was already solved in my previous post where I
reinvented the L network. Even the poorest of hams can likely scrounge
an oatmeal carton.

Frankly when you are
hooked by ham radio money ceases to become an issue.

Luckily, most antennas can be built for fairly low cost.
Now radios.....
I'm too lazy to build radios when nothing I can build is as good or
better than what I can buy. MK

"Jimmy on reading the postings over time I see a lot of
people asking about the G5RV which is an inexpensive way of
of operating on many bands. I thought that maybe a inexpensive way
of matching such an antenna would be a cheap sort of tuner.
I don't need a tuner, it was just an idea that popped
into my head. Clark raised the subject of excess heat
that I hadn't thought of but I am enjoying the challenge
of putting together suitable mechanisms that would not be
subject to breakdown, that one could place at a antenna feed point.
If it explodes it would be more spectacular than having a
neon light blinking during radio operation !
If one must have 1: 1 SWR at all times then they can spend a $200
amount or more to buy the SGC tuner ( I thing that in the name
of the automatic tuner which I believe is limited with respect
to power.)
The mechanism I am making is a star shaped wheel with a slot in
each point.
It has a interconnecting rotary switch that sweep each transformer
connection and when it has rotated once engages the star wheel
so that it rotates a distance equal to the transformer connection
where it stays in place for the next rotary switch rotation.
Making the parts from a plastic sheet used to replace a glass
window pane plus the use of a small hand grinding tool.
Duing this in the garage to escape the heat




Jimmy" wrote in message r.com...
I would suggest that anyone that strapped for cash use transmission line
segments for impedance matching. That is about as cheap as it gets.

"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