The AM Forum

The ARRL has published a Guide to Antenna Tuners by W1ZR.

http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-introduces-book-on-selecting-using-antenna-tuners-in-your-station

Gee, I remember needing to know most of this to get my license!

•Why Might I Need an Antenna Tuner
•A Look at a Typical Configuration
•So Just What is an Antenna Tuner?
•Tuning an Antenna Tuner
•The Internal Tuner -- How Does it Help?
•An External Tuner at the Radio
•Transmission Lines and Loss
•Moving the Tuner to the Back 40
•Transmission Line Choices for Low Loss
•Balanced vs Unbalanced Lines
•So What's a Balun, an Unun, a Choke?
•Balanced Antenna Tuners
•Antennas that Work Well with Tuners

I like the last two chapters - it was a last-minute add on by the publisher:

•Why Might I Need an Antenna Tuner
•A Look at a Typical Configuration
•So Just What is an Antenna Tuner?
•Tuning an Antenna Tuner
•The Internal Tuner -- How Does it Help?
•An External Tuner at the Radio
•Transmission Lines and Loss
•Moving the Tuner to the Back 40
•Transmission Line Choices for Low Loss
•Balanced vs Unbalanced Lines
•So What's a Balun, an Unun, a Choke?
•Balanced Antenna Tuners
•Antennas that Work Well with Tuners
•How to steal this book and then build yourself a Big MoFO JJ tuner from AMfone.net
• http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=18054.0

Wow, all that for $23.

I'm looking forward to those last two chapters  ;D

I'm too cheap to buy a copy sight unseen but the next time I'm at a fest and someone has it for sale I'll have to look at it.  I also want to see if there's any mention of link coupled tuners in the balanced chapter, either how to build one, or the Johnson Matchbox.   When modern writers say anything about the Matchbox at all, they usually say its range is limited, then go on to recommend something with two roller inductors and a bead input choke.

joel just sent me and email and asked if i knew why k1jj would not return his emails. and also if i could do some hi rez pics of my tunna   :o

There's enough on this board to create that book but look at it this way, there are those who would rather buy a "League Publication" and those who don't or won't hang out here. They need books too.

Remember "You can find it in a League Publication!"

Who is Joel?  I always answer ham-related emails, so they must be lost. Also just checked my junk file - nothing there.

Make sure they go to  XXXK1JJ@comcast.netXXX      (remove X's)

T

i was joking he is the guy that wrote that book.

heheheh - got me.  With all the gags I do, I should know better... ;)

BTW, I heard you tonight on 3885. You were definately the ChannelMaster by 10-15db. Easy copy under squirrelly condix tonight.  That system works very well.  

Try to get that pair of 75M phased dipoles up and working before the winter. You will gain even another layer of strap and RXing potential, OM.

T

thanks T and yep that is the next project.

Isn't all that information (and more) in the Handbook?

Some fraction of it is. Sort of like the fraction of all other specific topics. If the handbook had almost everything it would be several volumes like the MIT Radiation Lab series.

As for looking at one at a hamfest, I always find such items to be very conveniently shrink wrapped. I guess this prevents me from looking up and understanding the principles of the one or two things I am interested in the volume for.

Well I got to look at a copy today at the hamfest here in St. Charles IL.  Keep in mind I was standing at a table and did not have a chance to really examine it closely.  Copies were on sale for $19.   It is a fairly slim publication, felt like it was around 150 to 200 pages.  I looked at the chapters on balanced tuners, and balanced feedline.  It seemed like a pretty basic text for beginners; the balanced tuner chapter was 3 or 4 pages long.  Each chapter ends with questions for the reader like a textbook or study guide.  The balanced tuner chapter had schematics for 5 different designs for tuners, the common ones, including the link coupled input tuner.  The book covered things like pros and cons of balanced feed v. unbalanced, why a balanced tuner costs more to build (more components) and so on.  My impression was that there was nothing in there new to me but several years ago when I was first getting back into operating, I might have found it quite useful.   Those of you who have been building and/or using tuners for years with different types of feed and either in the shack or out at the antenna base probably don't need it.   A new ham might get a lot out of it and benefit from it.  But this was just my brief observation from flipping through it for a few minutes. 

Rob

Joel knows his stuff, but the only tome I know of that tells how and why the tunas work, are the three editions of Reflections. You won't even find this out by reading the text books on the subject.

hey walt thanks for the reminder!  I have to get a copy  ;D

Rob