think of it as a band aid solution.
Effective enough, but it really doesn't solve the bigger issue of a 
non-resonant antenna with an impedance miss match at the feed point.
But, a necesary device for most of us using multi-band type antennas.
73
Colin, V A6BKX
--------------------------------------------------
From: "David Pearson" <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, June 30, 2014 11:35 AM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: practical functions of antenna tuners?

> Hello Colin:
>
> Thank you for that informative description of antenna tuners.
>
> 73,
>
>
>
> David S. Pearson-wa4dsp
>
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Colin McDonald
> Sent: Monday, June 30, 2014 12:58 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: practical functions of antenna tuners?
>
> An antenna tuner foolls the radio into thinking the antenna is a 50 ohm
> load.
> This allows the radio to put out max power.  The tuner's job is to match 
> the
> antenna and feedline system to what the radio wants to see for max power
> output.
> This is the case with any antenna system that doesn't present a 50OHM
> feedpoint and a resonant radiator at the frequency you are trying to use.
> The term, fooling the radio, is used, because the antenna system doesn't
> change, it's not matched and it's not tuned, but the antenna tuner 
> somewhere
> in the feedline will give the radio 50Ohms to look at instead of whatever
> the system presents otherwise.
> So yeah, to answer your question, an antenna tuner does help to allow as
> much power as possible to get to the antenna thus making the system more
> efficient...but it does not make the antenna resonant or better than it 
> was
> before the tuner.
> Ultimately, one should use an antenna that is specifically designed to be
> resonant on the frequencies being used.  However, with multi-band 
> antennas,
> they are a compremise generally on all bands, and therefore require a 
> tuner
> in order for the radio to work efficiently and put out the most power that
> it can.
> The best signals you hear on the air will almost invariably be coming from 
> a
> station using a resonant antenna and no tuner.
> There is a reason they are the best signal, and not because they are using
> power, but because they are maximizing efficiency instead of compensating
> for poorly tuned antennas.
> A G5RV is an antenna that gets close on allot of bands, but is rather 
> poorly
> tuned for any ham band thus requiring a tuner.  Of course they work, and
> they work quite well because they do tend to radiate allot with the design
> using the latter line, and when you get enough wire up in the air you will
> get a signal out but they're no where near a resonant antenna and will not
> perform as well as a mono band dipole given the same height and variables.
> But the advantage is you can get out on more bands with one antenna, and
> it's close enough for many using a tuner.
>
> 73
> Colin, V A6BKX
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "David Pearson" <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Monday, June 30, 2014 10:11 AM
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: practical functions of antenna tuners?
>
>> Hello List:
>>
>> A previous post suggested that an antenna tuner "fooled"an antenna into
>> thinking that the antenna was resonant on a particular band/frequency(I
>> think that he was referring to verticals).
>>
>> My question concerns multi-band wire horizonntals(a 10-40 half-size g5rv
>> for
>> example).
>>
>> In this situation, is an antenna tuner performing the same function as it
>> did with the vertical("fooling" the feed system into believing it's
>> matched,
>> or does it perform some other positives(better power transfer, etc.)?
>>
>> Sincerely yours,
>>
>>
>>
>> David S. Pearson-wa4dsp
>>
>>
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