USING ANTENNA SWITCHES

[Sonar]

I'm currently using a Dawia antenna switch in order to switch between two station setup's.
Two transcivers, two amps, one swr/power meter, and one antenna (imax 2000.)
Is it possible to switch between 2 transceivers, swr/power meter, and a single amp as opposed to two amplifiers by adding another antenna switch somewhere in the jumerj scheme?

 

[Hurricane145]

I got a little lost with what you want to do exactly but if you are going to use an antenna switch (in reverse) to switch between different rigs and an antenna or amp and antenna I would only use an Alpha Delta switch. It has much better isolation characteristics. I use a 4 position Alpha Delta switch for switching between several rigs and the amp and antenna.

 

[wavrider]

Sonar the more switches you have, the easier it is to forget which way they are switched and then transmit into something besides the antenna

I direct connect all the coax in my shack, no switches, no mistakes, no broken transceivers.

To answer your question YES you can but the switches need to ground all unused ports to prevent any RF from bleeding through.

IMO I would not do it, I would just connect up whatever coax I wanted to use for what ever setup that is going to be used and be done with it.
Don't give Murphy a chance to mess up a good working station by having a switch in the wrong position.

 

[2RT307]

Ah, I remember the time I ran my FT-101E into a neat little low drive two pill base amp when I changed my rig via a switch by mistake. Hey! What's that smell!?!

73,
Brett

 

[Sonar]

Sonar the more switches you have, the easier it is to forget which way they are switched and then transmit into something besides the antenna

I direct connect all the coax in my shack, no switches, no mistakes, no broken transceivers.

To answer your question YES you can but the switches need to ground all unused ports to prevent any RF from bleeding through.

IMO I would not do it, I would just connect up whatever coax I wanted to use for what ever setup that is going to be used and be done with it.
Don't give Murphy a chance to mess up a good working station by having a switch in the wrong position.

I thought it was doable, but wasn't positive. I am going to take your advice and continue to use my SSB transceiver with its own amplifier, and my AM transceiver also with its own amplifier. I wanted to cut down on Space by removing one amplifier, and operating a single amp for both transceivers. I did initially think about the possible confusion and or mistakes that can be made when having to make sure two or more switches are in the correct position in order to run a specific transceiver with a single amplifier. I was following all the jumpers from both transceivers, amplifiers, and meter to the single switch that I use, and did think that by adding another switch would make it possible to to operate both transceivers on a signal amplifier. Thanks for your advice. It's not worth possibly making a simple mistake in the switching configuration that would allow use of one amplifier for two transceivers isn't worth the the possibility of accidentally ruining a perfectly good amplifier, and or transciver. I will leave it as it is. 73's and thanks again.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

You should be able to use the existing switch and just move it. If I understand correctly, this is what you have now.

 

[Shadetree Mechanic]

Then move the switch between the tranceivers and the amp.

 

[Sonar]

You should be able to use the existing switch and just move it. If I understand correctly, this is what you have now.
View attachment 22728

Yes. With the exception of the meter that's hooked up to the 4' jumper that leaves the single so239 on the switch. My station is set up on a rolling utility 4 Shelf unit. I do often move the whole setup from the shack (den) to either the garage or living room. During the springtime it's nice to sit in the garage with its door open and operate. But rolling it from the shack to the garage requires that it be rolled across parquet floors. The weight of the Phantom is approximately 40 pounds. Removing that 40lbs would allow me to roll it from The Shack and ino the garage without having to lay down some carpet remnants on top of the parquet floors. There where other reasons I would have liked to use a single amplifier for both transceivers, but after reading a couple of posts and thinking about it I've decided to leave it just as it is. Thanks. 73's

 

[fourstringburn]

I'm currently using a Dawia antenna switch in order to switch between two station setup's.
Two transcivers, two amps, one swr/power meter, and one antenna (imax 2000.)
Is it possible to switch between 2 transceivers, swr/power meter, and a single amp as opposed to two amplifiers by adding another antenna switch somewhere in the jumerj scheme?

You could use a RF safety switch like this and a dummy load since you only have one antenna.

You put one of your radio's to A and the other to B.

Put your main antenna with amp and SWR meter in-line on antenna port 1 and use a dummy load or another antenna on antenna port 2.

Now you can select radio A to antenna 1 while radio B is on antenna 2 ( or dummy load)

or,

flip the switch and radio A will be on antenna 2 (or dummy load) and radio B will be on antenna 1.



This is stupid proof being either radio is ALWAYS switched to an antenna or dummy load.

This box is cheap ($29,95) and has no internal circuitry, just jumpers between the switch and so-239's. It will handle 300 watts SSB or 150 CW/AM.

As long as your amp is behind this switch you won't have a problem but you can modify it with a high current toggle switch like I did with mine.

 

[BJ radionut]

http://www.mfjenterprises.com/Product.php?productid=MFJ-1700C

http://www.randl.com/shop/catalog/index.php?cPath=8200&sort=3a&page=1

 

[StrangeBrew]

.... But rolling it from the shack to the garage requires that it be rolled across parquet floors. ....

You have two amps, could you put one in the den and one in the garage? Then only the radios would need to be moved.