Got antenna to tune on 20m with Palstar AT4K
Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing this?
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80m Dipole problems
- Thread starter BenMara
- Start date
Got antenna to tune on 20m with Palstar AT4K
Does anyone have any ideas what could be causing this?
Again....use a balanced tuner. I use my doublet on every band 160 thru 6. I never had an issue with ladder line lengths or any of the other misfortune that come with the unbalanced tuner and whatever flavor of balun you choose. You can build one in an hour for less money than the crappiest tuner on the market. Other hams will think you're some kind of witch doctor for using such a contraption. If that's not for you then keep trying different antenna and feedline lengths until you get something to work.
in the vid it did tune 20m, but that was out on the front porch. Not in room where i operate. So odd problem is, it does NOT tune in the house, but DOES out side nothing different then location of operating the radio.
I have not seen any plans for these balanced tuners when was researching balanced tuners..
When you go out to the porch are you using the same length of feedline? I didn't watch your video but you can't run balanced feedline along the floor, on the ground, near metal for more than a few inches or things will change drastically. Unlike coax it needs to be clear of everything and ran straight to the tuner.
A Google search for balanced L will show you how simple it is. A variable cap and 2 coils you can roll at home. Use alligator clips to change bands. There are no step by step plans for this.
Then there is the link coupled tuner but that takes some more engineering and if not built so you can change the link coils it probably won't play well on all HF bands. Google "K1JJ tuner" for that one.
A Google search for balanced L will show you how simple it is. A variable cap and 2 coils you can roll at home. Use alligator clips to change bands. There are no step by step plans for this.
Then there is the link coupled tuner but that takes some more engineering and if not built so you can change the link coils it probably won't play well on all HF bands. Google "K1JJ tuner" for that one.
@543_Dallas Its the same length of LL. Will check that out
@kopcicle ive seen that one before, its been years. but will check it out again
@kopcicle ive seen that one before, its been years. but will check it out again
The w5dxp contraption will work but you have to use the exact dimensions and it is a compromise. Look at his swr plots on 10m and 75m. Would you rather have a box full of various lengths of window line or a perfect match wherever you want to go? He's another example of someone than made this harder than it has to be. He is proud of it though.
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So i removed my wire shelving and added a pool noodle where it enters the aluminum window frame. To my amazement it tuned 20m...
Time to find new desk for radio equipment...
But i am still looking into a more efficient balanced line tuner...
Time to find new desk for radio equipment...
But i am still looking into a more efficient balanced line tuner...
So an update on this mess. After returning from Kuwait in 2019, i continued to use the 450ohm 80m doublet. Decided to go 600ohm instead of 450 ohm. Oh, that problem of no 20m again. Started playing with the routing of 600 ohm, and finally got it to tune 20m. Had to get 600 ohm at least 1' away from anything, bushes, roof of house.. anything..