• To anyone looking to acquire commercial radio programming software:

    Please do not make requests for copies of radio programming software which is sold (or was sold) by the manufacturer for any monetary value. All requests will be deleted and a forum infraction issued. Making a request such as this is attempting to engage in software piracy and this forum cannot be involved or associated with this activity. The same goes for any private transaction via Private Message. Even if you attempt to engage in this activity in PM's we will still enforce the forum rules. Your PM's are not private and the administration has the right to read them if there's a hint to criminal activity.

    If you are having trouble legally obtaining software please state so. We do not want any hurt feelings when your vague post is mistaken for a free request. It is YOUR responsibility to properly word your request.

    To obtain Motorola software see the Sticky in the Motorola forum.

    The various other vendors often permit their dealers to sell the software online (i.e., Kenwood). Please use Google or some other search engine to find a dealer that sells the software. Typically each series or individual radio requires its own software package. Often the Kenwood software is less than $100 so don't be a cheapskate; just purchase it.

    For M/A Com/Harris/GE, etc: there are two software packages that program all current and past radios. One package is for conventional programming and the other for trunked programming. The trunked package is in upwards of $2,500. The conventional package is more reasonable though is still several hundred dollars. The benefit is you do not need multiple versions for each radio (unlike Motorola).

    This is a large and very visible forum. We cannot jeopardize the ability to provide the RadioReference services by allowing this activity to occur. Please respect this.

Swr change after moving antenna

Status
Not open for further replies.

darticus

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2008
Messages
740
Location
Sparta, New Jersey
Quick question
I moved my antenna antron 99a up. My SWR went up to the point that channel 1 is 2 to 1 and 40 is 1.4 to 1. Would you adjust the rings on the antenna which would mean me taking it down again or would you just use an antenna tunner that I already have. If you use the tunner don't you lose watts out? Ron
 

gewecke

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Banned
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
7,452
Location
Illinois
Quick question
I moved my antenna antron 99a up. My SWR went up to the point that channel 1 is 2 to 1 and 40 is 1.4 to 1. Would you adjust the rings on the antenna which would mean me taking it down again or would you just use an antenna tunner that I already have. If you use the tunner don't you lose watts out? Ron

Leave it alone, 2;1 swr is nothing to worry about. :wink:


73,
n9zas
 

LtDoc

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
2,145
Location
Oklahoma
What you are seeing isn't unusual. SWR is affected by a lot of different things including the antenna's environment. Change where that antenna is located and the SWR can change too.
The solution is to readjust the existing 'tuner' on that 'A99', the rings. Using a tuner at the transmitter's end of the feed line means that you are including the feed line in that 'adjusting', not exactly the best way of going about it, it doesn't need 'adjusting'.
A 'tuner' at the antenna's feed point is more efficient that one at the transmitter's end of the feed line if that feed line's impedance is what it is supposed to be to start with.
- 'Doc
 

krokus

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
5,959
Location
Southeastern Michigan
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.973 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/105)

I agree with gewecke. Leave it alone, unless you are having some other issues with performance.
 

nonperson

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
197
Location
GA
Why not try to lower it by adjusting the tuning rings? It's an extra piece of mind IMO if he's a long winded talker and the meter may not be as accurate.
I have the same antenna and had to adjust the tuning rings on it after I raised it. Now the needle on my SWR meter barely moves when I test it. However on the other radio with a built in SWR meter gives me a reading of 1to 3. Granted the built in meter on that radio is most likely wrong and reads on the high side. Either way I can live with it.
 

gewecke

Completely Banned for the Greater Good
Banned
Joined
Jan 29, 2006
Messages
7,452
Location
Illinois
Why not try to lower it by adjusting the tuning rings? It's an extra piece of mind IMO if he's a long winded talker and the meter may not be as accurate.
I have the same antenna and had to adjust the tuning rings on it after I raised it. Now the needle on my SWR meter barely moves when I test it. However on the other radio with a built in SWR meter gives me a reading of 1to 3. Granted the built in meter on that radio is most likely wrong and reads on the high side. Either way I can live with it.

The op would be going through more effort with little to no results. Adjusting the rings to get a vswr of less than 2;1 is a pointless change because he's not going to see any performance increase, and anyone listening to him wouldn't notice a difference that small.

73,
n9zas
 

nonperson

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
197
Location
GA
The op would be going through more effort with little to no results. Adjusting the rings to get a vswr of less than 2;1 is a pointless change because he's not going to see any performance increase, and anyone listening to him wouldn't notice a difference that small.

73,
n9zas
Correct but what if his radio does not like it and let's hope his meter is accurate. :) Doesn't some radios handle high SWR differently?
I had a radio mess up due to an improperly tuned antenna. Since then I learned a lot more and try to watch that stuff. I used an old small lite weight metal rod to turn mine while standing 3/4 the way up an eight foot latter.
 

LtDoc

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
2,145
Location
Oklahoma
If that antenna isn't a real pain to get to, do the adjusting. Of course, if you don't use the lower channels, then there should be no particular 'problem' with a higher SWR. I wouldn't waste a lot of time doing that tuning, but I'd at least try to get it into a reasonable range for the usual frequencies/channels I used. A 2:1 SWR isn't completely outrageous but it could certainly be better. It's up to you.
Have fun.
- 'Doc
 

darticus

Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2008
Messages
740
Location
Sparta, New Jersey
I fixed it! I got on my lower roof which I can get on and used my extendable tree trimmer saw blade to reach the two rings on the 99a. I gave the saw blade a quick pull on the rings and they both started to more down. I continued moveing them using the teeth of the blade until mid way as they were all the way up. PERFECT 1.1+ TO 1 FROM CHANNEL 1 TO 40! Lucky me. Tree trimmers are my friend. Ron

If that antenna isn't a real pain to get to, do the adjusting. Of course, if you don't use the lower channels, then there should be no particular 'problem' with a higher SWR. I wouldn't waste a lot of time doing that tuning, but I'd at least try to get it into a reasonable range for the usual frequencies/channels I used. A 2:1 SWR isn't completely outrageous but it could certainly be better. It's up to you.
Have fun.
- 'Doc
 

KC4RAF

Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2006
Messages
1,579
Location
Davenport,Fl.- home to me and the gators and the s
To give you an idea about SWR and it's importance:

Here's a website that manufactures and sells commercial antennas. Look at their SWR measurements and see 3.5:1 and lots of 2:1. Your radio will work just fine with a 2:1 ratio. Many people place too much importance in SWR. I am not saying that it's NOT important, just be happy with what you have.

Log Periodic Antenna

Talk about SWR being high? lol not
 

LtDoc

Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2006
Messages
2,145
Location
Oklahoma
I would suggest that the site given isn't explaining their claims very well, and definitely shouldn't be used as a reference to SWR.
- 'Doc
 

nonperson

Member
Joined
Jul 12, 2011
Messages
197
Location
GA
I fixed it! I got on my lower roof which I can get on and used my extendable tree trimmer saw blade to reach the two rings on the 99a. I gave the saw blade a quick pull on the rings and they both started to more down. I continued moveing them using the teeth of the blade until mid way as they were all the way up. PERFECT 1.1+ TO 1 FROM CHANNEL 1 TO 40! Lucky me. Tree trimmers are my friend. Ron

I told you it wouldn't be that hard to do and just think about the extra piece of mind you'll have now. :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top