Home Building a Homebrew Manual Tuner

[HomerBB]

I have finally began putting together my manual tuner. I rolled those two inductors about 3 years ago. I got busy, and sidetracked. Now, I've just mounted them on the board. I know, primitive, but what else do I do...
What I will likely need is some of you who've made your own to offer tips along the way.
Maybe this will keep me focused.

 

[Crawdad]

Your usual brilliance Homer. What are your coil winding spacers made from?

73

 

[BJ radionut]

Link Coupled Tuner

Legal Limit Link Coupled Balanced Tuner,for the amateur ham radio HF bands

www.richardflake.com

Link-Coupled Antenna Tuners

KA1-RBP Full Power Antenna Tuner

EF johnson matchbox L network T network

various antenna tuners and how they work and the problems of L networks, T networks, balanced tuner networks, johnson matchbox

www.w8ji.com

 

[HomerBB]

Your usual brilliance Homer. What are your coil winding spacers made from?

73

Strips of Spa Hose from Home Depot (sells by the foot) and hot glue.

Link Coupled Tuner

Legal Limit Link Coupled Balanced Tuner,for the amateur ham radio HF bands

www.richardflake.com

Link-Coupled Antenna Tuners

KA1-RBP Full Power Antenna Tuner

EF johnson matchbox L network T network

various antenna tuners and how they work and the problems of L networks, T networks, balanced tuner networks, johnson matchbox

www.w8ji.com

It's the K1JJ I am thinking to do. Because I only have 100w I figure the copper wire will work for me instead of tubing.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

So you are building a balanced tuner for use with balanced feedline not coaxial cable correct?

 

[HomerBB]

So you are building a balanced tuner for use with balanced feedline not coaxial cable correct?

Yes. That's the idea.

 

[HomerBB]

The K1JJ looks to be fond of multiple capacitors...

 

[Jay Mojave]

All right HomerBB good going! You don't want the coil or project to look perfect. As many many of my experiences (some successful) show the more imperfect the better they work. Please keep us informed as how it all works out for you.

Balanced Antennas work.

Jay in the Great Mojave Desert

 

[HomerBB]

I've got the imperfect/ugly down pat.

 

[G-Golly Wally]

I've got the imperfect/ugly down pat.

I don't know about that, some of those homebrew mobile antennas looked pretty sharp best I remember.

 

[HomerBB]

I don't know about that, some of those homebrew mobile antennas looked pretty sharp best I remember.

You're being a very nice person. I'm happy knowing that you're my friend.

 

[BJ radionut]

Homer: Find two suitable Wide space Air Variables? Like 200-250 pf +/- range...best if 1000 volt+++ spacing would be better than like old broadcast caps.

Old Johnson 250 series
Pair of these work very well IMHO.

Or like this work well also.
I know ONLY using 100 watts....then you need to build the tuner to handle 400-600 watts.
I know you realize the High voltage that can be generated even at 100w. (Flash-BANG)
That is why you see Sooo many MFJ style 300 watt PEP tuners for sale at Hamfest's that were burned up by 100 watt transceivers!!!

 

[BJ radionut]

Internal pic of 275 watt Johnson Matchbox (Link Coupled)

 

[HomerBB]

Thanks. I'll see what I can find.

 

[linearone]

Any progress?