dondi1
Member
new ham here do i need to buy a antenna tuner ? if so what one do i need i have a yaesu ft 7900 dual band radio thanks for any help
antenna tuner for VHF/UHF
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Not for VHF-UHF...just a properly adjusted antenna as high as feasible with a good quality coax cable run to the rig.
K7MEM
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One of the reasons for using a antenna tuner on the HF bands is SWR bandwidth. On HF, an antenna might be tuned for the low end of the band, and would present a reasonably low SWR to the transceiver. But at the high end of the band the SWR may be rather high. A tuner, in this situation, wouldn't fix the high SWR problem, but it does allow the transceiver to see a good match. Some extra loss would occur, but loss due to high SWR is usually small, and that is often the just the price you pay.
On the VHF/UHF bands, antenna bandwidth is not as much of an issue. A 2 meter antenna with 7% SWR bandwidth (nominal bandwidth for a Yagi), will easily cover the whole 2 meter band with a reasonable SWR. So if the antenna is tuned properly, no tuner is needed.
They do make tuners for VHF/UHF, like the MFJ-922, but reviews are very mixed. They range from completely useless, to the eight wonder of the world.
If your antenna and feed line arrangement is giving you a 1.5:1 SWR, or better, across the band, you don't need a tuner. However, if your rig is cutting back on power, due to a high SWR, you are better off finding out what's wrong with the antenna/feed line.
Martin - K7MEM
On the VHF/UHF bands, antenna bandwidth is not as much of an issue. A 2 meter antenna with 7% SWR bandwidth (nominal bandwidth for a Yagi), will easily cover the whole 2 meter band with a reasonable SWR. So if the antenna is tuned properly, no tuner is needed.
They do make tuners for VHF/UHF, like the MFJ-922, but reviews are very mixed. They range from completely useless, to the eight wonder of the world.
If your antenna and feed line arrangement is giving you a 1.5:1 SWR, or better, across the band, you don't need a tuner. However, if your rig is cutting back on power, due to a high SWR, you are better off finding out what's wrong with the antenna/feed line.
Martin - K7MEM
dondi1
Member
ok that answers my question i can use the cash i save by not buying a tuner for Christmas gifts for grandkids thanks everyone, and Merry Christmas
Go for a VHF/UHF SWR meter instead... (Unlike HF radios, most VHF/UHF rigs don't come with a built in SWR meter).
That will let you tune your antennas for maximum performance.
That will let you tune your antennas for maximum performance.
dondi1
Member
thank you can you recommend a name ? newbe
Some here will probably recommend much more expensive SWR meters, but I used to use a cheapie Micronta 19-230 from Radio Shack. Not all that accurate, but good enough for getting antennas working in the ballpark.
They haven't made the Micronta for years, but you can catch one used every now and then on eBay.
I now use a high quality antenna analyzer that's good up to 600 Mhz.
They haven't made the Micronta for years, but you can catch one used every now and then on eBay.
I now use a high quality antenna analyzer that's good up to 600 Mhz.
The Daiwa CN-103L and CN-501V are fairly decent VHF/UHF watts/SWR meters and typically go for about $100. The MFJ 862 will do the job, but has a smaller meter face (harder to read) and may have poorer build quality, but it's only about $64. All are available from on-line amateur radio dealers.
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