Hi Steve!  Your question (below) about my radial system leads me to ask
everyone the following question: Is SWR affected by radials?  Presently, I
seem to have some trouble successfully using the TS-2000's internal antenna
tuner.  I seem to always get a "SWR" CW squawk : (  I *think* I should get
an "A" CW squawk when the tuning was successful. Isn't that right?  The
following is a bit more background.

Right now, *no* radials are laid-in.  I have purchased all the materials for
my radial system and made a plan, but I have not yet had time with my
electrician friend (sighted) to lay it in.  So far, just getting up this 43
foot 160M - 6M vertical and laying in the ~75 feet LMR-400 coaxial feed line
has been a fair amount of work.  My radials will be the final step; and that
should happen within a few days.  The radial system *will be* the following:

* 10'X4'W 19 gauge galvanized steel industrial mesh, centered at the base of
the antenna
* 4 ~43' 14 gauge shielded copper wires
* About 8 ~7' random length radials like the last item
* I may also connect to my neighbor's adjacent chain link fence ; )

For now, I cannot even tell you what, exactly, my SWR is.  My wife (sighted)
cannot understand how to read the SWR meter (girls ; )).  I will need a man
to explain it to her; so she might then be able to tell me what it says if I
were to ask her to read it for me.

All of the foregoing are, I suppose, a result of my inexperience and normal
learning curve growing pains attendant with being brand new to all this : (
So, all the advice I can get is greatly appreciated.

73,
Richard KK6MRH

-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Steve Forst
Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2014 7:15 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: TS-2000 Internal Antenna Tuner & Mode Basics on 6M

Richard,

Just curious.  What kind of radial system were you able to put under the
vertical?

73, Steve KW3A

On 9/10/2014 9:54 AM, Richard B McDonald wrote:
> Hi Steve!
>
> Thanks so much for your below.  This is very helpful.  I *totally* 
> will soon upgrade to "General."  The contest you mention below will 
> allow me to trial-and-error my way around my HF antenna.  I will report
back about it.
>
> 73,
> Richard KK6MRH
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Steve Forst
> Sent: Wednesday, September 10, 2014 4:30 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: TS-2000 Internal Antenna Tuner & Mode Basics on 6M
>
> Richard,
>
> I'm not much of a 6 meter guy, although my new antenna will work on 6.
> For what it's worth there is a VHF contest this weekend, starting at
> 1800 UTC Saturday.   I don't think you work CW, so most of the  "good"
> stuff will be USB with the main calling frequency at 50.125.    Most of
> the folks will be using horizontal antennas, but there is no reason you
> can't make some contacts with your antenna.     The other station will
> just want your 4 digit grid square.
>
>
> You may also hear 2 meter USB around 144.200 for this contest.
>
> As time goes on, you will learn what modes are used where and when and 
> so be in the proper mode at the proper place.
>
>
> How is the antenna working?   Since you do have a tech license, there
> are places in the HF band where you can check it out and see  how it
works.
>     Maybe prowling around the bands will entice you to upgrade.
>
> 73, Steve KW3A
>
>
>
>
>
> On 9/8/2014 12:21 PM, Richard B McDonald wrote:
>> Hi!
>>
>>
>>
>> I just got my 6M - 160M 43 foot vertical antenna up, and am now ready 
>> to explore HF for my first time.  I want to start with the 6M band; 
>> since I
> am
>> only a technician for now.  I have a Kenwood TS-2000.  My questions 
>> relate to 1) use of the internal antenna tuner and 2) what mode to be 
>> in while scanning through the band listening for activity.
>>
>>
>>
>> About the internal antenna tuner, I know "SWR" in CW sounds if no 
>> match
> can
>> be found, but what should I hear if the tuning was successful?  Also, 
>> is tuning only necessary before transmitting but not for receiving 
>> (just listening)?  Basically, what's the best way to employ the 
>> internal antenna tuner?
>>
>>
>>
>> About "scanning" what I mean here is manually dialing through the 
>> band -
> not
>> auto scanning of any sort.  So, when doing this what mode (e.g., AM, 
>> FM, USB, LSB) should I be in to best hear some activity?  Also, am I 
>> correct that once I hear something I can then switch among these 
>> modes so as to better tune-in the activity?
>>
>>
>>
>> Many thanks!  This is all new to me; so any tricks are greatly
> appreciated.
>> This is especially so for how best to use the internal antenna tuner!
>>
>>
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Richard KK6MRH
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>