also tough to tune an antenna if it's strung in such a way that it makes
getting to it to tune very difficult.
Mine has one end anchored to a tree above the roof on the side of the
house...the other end is anchored to a long rope that is anchored to a
garage roof...the feed point can be dropped, but it probably wouldn't come
down far because one leg of the antenna passes over some utility
(non-electric service) wires that would snag it.
So to tune, I would pretty much have to bring the entire antenna down, at
which point it wouldn't show the proper SWR because it would no longer be in
the normal operating position.
I also don't have a latter to get up on the roof and tune at least one end.
I suspect my antenna doesn't show a super low SWR because of it's
configuration, so there is likely not much I can do about it anyway.
I'd like a 1 to 1 swr on at least some of the bands, but that isn't going to
happen so I have to use the internal tuner.
I agree though, if you can get the antenna tuned for resonance on the band
you want, it's much better than having a 3 or 4 to one match and using a
tuner.
If i could find a 50 foot long wire antenna that actually worked on 80M and
the other major bands, I'd stick it up...but to date, nothing I've heard or
used or read about actually works worth crap on 80 and 40 being that short.

73
Colin, V A6BKX

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mark" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 5:24 PM
Subject: Re: External tuner vs internal tuner?


> Hi John,
>     I agree that ideally one has a perfectly resonant antenna system. 
> There
> have been times when I had antennas like that, and they worked well.
> However, like you said, often one must work with what they have. SO, an
> antenna tuner is a blessing if your radio just can't make friends with 
> your
> antenna.
>
> God bless,
> Mark
>
> God Loves you!
> You can visit my website at:
> http://christiantraditions.info
> Please visit my blog at:
> http://christian-traditions.blogspot.com
> My Authors Page is:
> httP://www.amazon.com/author/marktorgerson
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of John Miller
> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 1:13 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: External tuner vs internal tuner?
>
> with a balun you can connect ladder line to the radio. Not all external
> tuners can take it  either. If I need an external tuner, I'd rather adjust
> my antenna if at all possible so I don't need one. If that;s not possible,
> you gotta do what you gotta do but fact is, an antenna tuner  makes the
> radio happy, if the antenna has a high swr with no tuner, it will never 
> play
>
> near as well as one meant for the band. In different situations you just
> have no choice sometimes though.
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Howard, W A 9 Y B W" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 1:28 PM
> Subject: Re: External tuner vs internal tuner?
>
>
>> Tim,
>>
>> Someone can correct me if I am wrong but I think the external tuners can
>> often tune a wider range of S W R than an internal tuner.
>>
>> Also, you can only connect a coax fed antenna to the radio containing an
>> internal tuner.
>>
>> External tuners can connect to antennas with several types of feed lines.
>>
>> External tuners can also be tweaked manually to get a closer match for
>> those
>> of us who are obsessed with the numbers!
>>
>> 73
>>
>> Howard #3
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Jim Gammon" <[log in to unmask]>
>> To: <[log in to unmask]>
>> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2012 12:10 PM
>> Subject: External tuner vs internal tuner?
>>
>>
>>> Steve, what advantage is there to using an external auto tuner
>>> over the internal tuner in the TS-480? I have the 100 w model and
>>> really think it's a great rig.  That question about the tuner has
>>> nagged at me though.  I have been wondering if it would be
>>> worthwhile to get something like an MFJ external tuner, or is
>>> that simply redundant because of the existing internal one.  I
>>> have occasionally used the rig running low power when I had
>>> terrible SWR and still worked stations.  Jim WA6EKS