Archer Antenna Matcher

[TonyV225]

Anyone ever seen one of these?? I have had one for years and never used it and was wondering what it will handle as far as power input. Heres what it looks like Archer Antenna Matcher - eBay (item 320589081013 end time Sep-18-10 09:30:17 PDT)

 

[Robb]

50 watts.
Maybe.

Galaxy makes a matcher with a SWR meter built in - it can be found on eBay for about ~$25.
Probably can do 50 watts as well.
From small components one cannot reasonably expect it to handle a KW.

 

[W5LZ]

Archer, an older brand from Radio Shack, was never much for tuners. I'd be very conservative with that one. On a stock radio, maybe. For anything that has any power modifications, I think I'd pass on it. You can't have a tuner too big, but you certainly can have one too small!
- 'Doc

 

[Shockwave]

That tuner is good to at least full legal limit. About 12,000 milliwatts PEP continuous. In all seriousness, 100 watts is likely to arc over the tiny mica compression capacitors used inside.

 

[TonyV225]

I had that thing for years and never used it because I thought it was way to light weighted and cheap. I bought a Vanco tonight that a buddy had stashed away that is good for atleast 100 watts it says on the front anyways.

Im taking my wifes HF rig out of the vehicle for the winter months. I dont want to leave her Yaesu 857D in there so I took this RCI 2970 in to Q5 communications here in Madison Wisconsin and it was oscillating even after unkeying and it sounded like $h!+ on SSB so its getting repaired and my wife will run that for 10 meters over the winter months and thats what the tuner or matcher was wanted for.

Im actually looking for a few more of those little hand tuner / matchers if I dont find ant used Ill just buy another Maco 300 watter thats good for 24-30 MHz or a PDC-30 which is a Paradynamics 300 watt matcher

 

[W5LZ]

Another little piece of 'good news' is that most tuners are rated using Pep, not Avg power. That means if you plan to use 100 watts, that tuner had better be rated for at least 200 watts (300 watts would be even better).
Depending on just how bad the mismatch is, the resulting voltages can be really 'large'. That means the components used in that tuner have to be large too. That typically means wider spacing between coil windings and the plates of the capacitor(s) used. The physical size of a tuner isn't a good way of telling what the thing is capable of, but it can certainly give you a 'broad' general idea. I have no idea how to make a "watts per cubic inch" guess about tuner sizes, but in general, bigger is better. If the mismatch isn't very much, then the tuner doesn't have to 'be' very much. If that mismatch is sort of large, then the tuner ought'a be huge. Bad way of putting it, but...
- 'Doc

 

[TonyV225]

Yupp I understand exactly what your saying and have thought about that aswell

 

[M005kennedy]

Another little piece of 'good news' is that most tuners are rated using Pep, not Avg power. That means if you plan to use 100 watts, that tuner had better be rated for at least 200 watts (300 watts would be even better).
Depending on just how bad the mismatch is, the resulting voltages can be really 'large'. That means the components used in that tuner have to be large too. That typically means wider spacing between coil windings and the plates of the capacitor(s) used. The physical size of a tuner isn't a good way of telling what the thing is capable of, but it can certainly give you a 'broad' general idea. I have no idea how to make a "watts per cubic inch" guess about tuner sizes, but in general, bigger is better. If the mismatch isn't very much, then the tuner doesn't have to 'be' very much. If that mismatch is sort of large, then the tuner ought'a be huge. Bad way of putting it, but...
- 'Doc

I just found one of these from a box of stuff I bought at a yard sale. What band does it cover? I'll be doing QRP. I'm just concerned if it just for CB.