Does anyone know what the capability/efficiency of the internal ATU is?
Not talking about the wattage (its up to 20 I believe) but the tuning the SWR/range Looking at deploying a random wire/loop so I am wondering if I need a separate ATU or can the internal unit handle the range? Thanks Robert a 'kosher' ham Sent from my BlackBerry device ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Robert,
The matching range should be similar to that of the K3 ATU. The actual range can only be correctly expressed in terms of the inductance and capacitance ranges and the number of steps for each - the SWR that produces will vary from band to and will be least on the low frequencies and greatest on the higher bands. 73, Don W3FPR On 4/24/2012 8:50 AM, [hidden email] wrote: > Does anyone know what the capability/efficiency of the internal ATU is? > > Not talking about the wattage (its up to 20 I believe) but the tuning the SWR/range > > Looking at deploying a random wire/loop so I am wondering if I need a separate ATU or can the internal unit handle the range? > Thanks > Robert > > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
In reply to this post by va3bxg
Robert,
I've found that the KX3 ATU loads up a 58' endfed wire just fine on all bands, but it can't load up everything. The 67' endfed wire I have (which, in theory, is very tough to load up) could be loaded up on 20 with the K1 ATU. The KX3 ATU can not handle it. So, for your loop, depending on the size, you may or may not have trouble depending on the length. For a closed loop I believe you want to avoid odd multiples of half wave lengths. If the possible length you have is pretty inflexible and the KX3 ATU can't handle it you can try inserting an insulator half way around making it an open loop. 73, Niel - W0VLZ KX3 #43 > Message: 21 > Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:50:28 +0000 > From:[hidden email] > Subject: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU > To: "Elecraft"<[hidden email]> > > > Does anyone know what the capability/efficiency of the internal ATU is? > > Not talking about the wattage (its up to 20 I believe) but the tuning the SWR/range > > Looking at deploying a random wire/loop so I am wondering if I need a separate ATU or can the internal unit handle the range? > Thanks > Robert > > a 'kosher' ham > Sent from my BlackBerry device ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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67' is very close to a half-wave on 40 m and a full-wave on 20 m. In
theory the SWR should be insanely high, so I'm surprised the K1 ATU handled it on 20 m. Even if it did, the losses would be very high. Best to use lengths that aren't close to a multiple of a half-wave on any target band. Wayne N6KR On Apr 24, 2012, at 10:11 AM, Niel Wiegand wrote: > Robert, > > I've found that the KX3 ATU loads up a 58' endfed wire just fine on > all > bands, but it can't load up everything. The 67' endfed wire I have > (which, in theory, is very tough to load up) could be loaded up on 20 > with the K1 ATU. The KX3 ATU can not handle it. > > So, for your loop, depending on the size, you may or may not have > trouble depending on the length. For a closed loop I believe you > want to > avoid odd multiples of half wave lengths. If the possible length you > have is pretty inflexible and the KX3 ATU can't handle it you can try > inserting an insulator half way around making it an open loop. > > 73, > Niel - W0VLZ > KX3 #43 > >> Message: 21 >> Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:50:28 +0000 >> From:[hidden email] >> Subject: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU >> To: "Elecraft"<[hidden email]> >> >> >> Does anyone know what the capability/efficiency of the internal ATU >> is? >> >> Not talking about the wattage (its up to 20 I believe) but the >> tuning the SWR/range >> >> Looking at deploying a random wire/loop so I am wondering if I need >> a separate ATU or can the internal unit handle the range? >> Thanks >> Robert >> >> a 'kosher' ham >> Sent from my BlackBerry device > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
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Just to clarify: I'm referring to *end-fed* antennas that are a
multiple of 1/2-wave. The feedpoint impedance of such antennas is extremely high, something like 3-6 Kohms. A 1/2-wave dipole or inverted V, fed in the middle, will typically be 50-75 ohms. Wayne N6KR On Apr 24, 2012, at 1:08 PM, Wayne Burdick wrote: > 67' is very close to a half-wave on 40 m and a full-wave on 20 m. In > theory the SWR should be insanely high, so I'm surprised the K1 ATU > handled it on 20 m. Even if it did, the losses would be very high. > Best to use lengths that aren't close to a multiple of a half-wave on > any target band. > > Wayne > N6KR > > On Apr 24, 2012, at 10:11 AM, Niel Wiegand wrote: > >> Robert, >> >> I've found that the KX3 ATU loads up a 58' endfed wire just fine on >> all >> bands, but it can't load up everything. The 67' endfed wire I have >> (which, in theory, is very tough to load up) could be loaded up on >> 20 >> with the K1 ATU. The KX3 ATU can not handle it. >> >> So, for your loop, depending on the size, you may or may not have >> trouble depending on the length. For a closed loop I believe you >> want to >> avoid odd multiples of half wave lengths. If the possible length you >> have is pretty inflexible and the KX3 ATU can't handle it you can try >> inserting an insulator half way around making it an open loop. >> >> 73, >> Niel - W0VLZ >> KX3 #43 >> >>> Message: 21 >>> Date: Tue, 24 Apr 2012 12:50:28 +0000 >>> From:[hidden email] >>> Subject: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU >>> To: "Elecraft"<[hidden email]> >>> >>> >>> Does anyone know what the capability/efficiency of the internal ATU >>> is? >>> >>> Not talking about the wattage (its up to 20 I believe) but the >>> tuning the SWR/range >>> >>> Looking at deploying a random wire/loop so I am wondering if I need >>> a separate ATU or can the internal unit handle the range? >>> Thanks >>> Robert >>> >>> a 'kosher' ham >>> Sent from my BlackBerry device >> >> ______________________________________________________________ >> Elecraft mailing list >> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft >> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm >> Post: mailto:[hidden email] >> >> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net >> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
In reply to this post by va3bxg
Niel / Robert :
For what it is worth, 86 feet (i.e 26.5 m) is the ideal length of end-fed wire for matching via an auto tuner to cover the HF bands. It is a "magic length" that isn't close to a multiple of a half wave on any of the HF bands (with perhaps the exception of 10m) so it presents a reasonable impedance that can be matched by most ATUs across the HF spectrum. As Eric mentioned, you want to stay away from lengths that are close to a half wave multiple on the bands that you want to operate as the wire will present a very high impedance that is difficult to match with any ATU. Not surprisingly, this length is not far off of the length of wire used for the W3EDP antenna (84 feet). Michael VE3WMB ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
In reply to this post by va3bxg
Don, When you say "The ATU will tune the antenna to an acceptable SWR", you are contradicting yourself, because as you rightly said the tuner does not change the antenna feedpoint swr.
So we tune the transceiver to the feedline length feeding the antenna. that feedline length is important regarding the 'measured' swr. A 1/2 wl will show the antenna feedpoint swr or impedance (with analyser). At the connection to the transceiver before any builtin or ext tuner. The indicated swr on the transceiver or ext tuner display shows the feed side of the tuner swr. In theory the swr along the feedline maintains value, but it's a very different story when you measure it. The 1/2 wl feedline connected to a high swr antenna feedpoint shows high swr at the tx feedline end, but cut the feedline at the 1/4wl point and measure there for a much different 'indicated' result. As the swr detectors in the transceiver or atu use this method also, it becomes obvious that feedline/coax length becomes a factor in showing the transceiver a good match when the antenna feedpoint impedance is other than 50 ohms.. The best thing you can do in a multiband antenna setups where antenna feedpoint impedance gets way off desired on certain bands, is to use the lowest loss feedline possible., because this is where most of your losses are, not the tuner. Remember only resistance can lose power as heat, not reactance. Every signal pass back up and down the feedline until sync radiation release occurs, loses power with every pass depending on the feedline specifications. > Lucia, The Elecraft tuner (I don't care if it is a KAT2, KAT1, KXT1 o KXAT3) cannot change the the SWR of the antenna itself. The ATU will tune the antenna to an acceptable SWR so the PA transistor in the transceiver are happy. If you measure the SWR between the Tuner and the antenna, you will not see any change. The internal tuner does change the impedance that is seen by the PA transistors, and that is the goal of antenna tuners. 73, Don W3FPR > |
On 19/09/2012, at 2:48 PM, vk4tux <[hidden email]> wrote: > Don, When you say "The ATU will tune the antenna to an acceptable SWR", you > are contradicting yourself, because as you rightly said the tuner does not > change the antenna feedpoint swr. It is clear from the context that Don meant the ATU will tune (ie. match) the antenna *system* to the radio, where the antenna system consists of the ATU, antenna and connecting feedline considered as a single unit. This of course does not mean that the VSWR is 1:1 everywhere within that system. The theory predicts that the measures VSWR will be constant along a *lossless* feedline. As you point out, practical feedlines do have losses. This will include I^2.R copper losses, but there can be losses from other sources as well, such as dielectric losses. Often such losses will be modelled as some sort of equivalent series resistance. 73, Matt VK2ACL ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Matt, Of course I don't question Don's technical stature, however "tuning
the antenna" is a poor choice of explanation, and can give a false impression to those weak on the subject. Adding 'system' would have been a good move as you indicate. We tune where we measure. -----Original Message----- From: Matt Maguire [mailto:[hidden email]] Sent: Wednesday, 19 September 2012 3:35 PM To: vk4tux Cc: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU On 19/09/2012, at 2:48 PM, vk4tux <[hidden email]> wrote: > Don, When you say "The ATU will tune the antenna to an acceptable > SWR", you are contradicting yourself, because as you rightly said the > tuner does not change the antenna feedpoint swr. It is clear from the context that Don meant the ATU will tune (ie. match) the antenna *system* to the radio, where the antenna system consists of the ATU, antenna and connecting feedline considered as a single unit. This of course does not mean that the VSWR is 1:1 everywhere within that system. The theory predicts that the measures VSWR will be constant along a *lossless* feedline. As you point out, practical feedlines do have losses. This will include I^2.R copper losses, but there can be losses from other sources as well, such as dielectric losses. Often such losses will be modelled as some sort of equivalent series resistance. 73, Matt VK2ACL= ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
That's pretty much picking nits, in my opinion. It doesn't really matter whether you physically locate needed complex reactance at the antenna or present it to the antenna via the transmission line physics of a feedline ... the net result that exists at the antenna is exactly the same (neglecting transmission line losses, of course) in either case. The only relevant distinction I can see is that "tuning" more accurately refers to bringing something to resonance rather than also transforming it to a different load impedance, but that falls into the category of useless semantics for me and I can give you all sorts of examples where it would be next to impossible to distinguish electrically where an antenna ends. The dividing line between an antenna and the rest of the system is not at all as definitive as you suggest, and pretending it is seems more likely to give a false impression of how things really work than not. 73, Dave AB7E On 9/18/2012 11:52 PM, Adrian wrote: > Matt, Of course I don't question Don's technical stature, however "tuning > the antenna" is a poor choice of explanation, and can give a false > impression to those weak on the subject. Adding 'system' would have been a > good move as you indicate. We tune where we measure. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Maguire [mailto:[hidden email]] > Sent: Wednesday, 19 September 2012 3:35 PM > To: vk4tux > Cc: [hidden email] > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU > > > On 19/09/2012, at 2:48 PM, vk4tux <[hidden email]> wrote: > >> Don, When you say "The ATU will tune the antenna to an acceptable >> SWR", you are contradicting yourself, because as you rightly said the >> tuner does not change the antenna feedpoint swr. > It is clear from the context that Don meant the ATU will tune (ie. match) > the antenna *system* to the radio, where the antenna system consists of the > ATU, antenna and connecting feedline considered as a single unit. This of > course does not mean that the VSWR is 1:1 everywhere within that system. > > The theory predicts that the measures VSWR will be constant along a > *lossless* feedline. As you point out, practical feedlines do have losses. > This will include I^2.R copper losses, but there can be losses from other > sources as well, such as dielectric losses. Often such losses will be > modelled as some sort of equivalent series resistance. > > 73, Matt VK2ACL= > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Whether you tune the antenna or the feedline source makes a big difference
to signal passes on the feed line, and hence feed line loss. Put the tuner at the antenna feedpoint and you are tuning the antenna. There is no nit picking about it, as to avoid the misconception by one showing a 1:1 vswr at the transceiver, using a tuner there doing his coax loss calculations at that vswr will get an incorrect result, when vswr between tuner and antenna feedpoint maybe 5:1 or more (for example). Tuning is adjusting a point to whatever you wish, whether it be a guitar E note, or vswr at that point in the system, it is an adjustment at the point of measurement. You may tune to a 1.5:1 vswr on a particular type of antenna due to more effective radiation pattern. Despite all of your blather the only things that matter are effective radiation and feedline losses. ~~~~That's pretty much picking nits, in my opinion. It doesn't really matter whether you physically locate needed complex reactance at the antenna or present it to the antenna via the transmission line physics of a feedline ... the net result that exists at the antenna is exactly the same (neglecting transmission line losses, of course) in either case. The only relevant distinction I can see is that "tuning" more accurately refers to bringing something to resonance rather than also transforming it to a different load impedance, but that falls into the category of useless semantics for me and I can give you all sorts of examples where it would be next to impossible to distinguish electrically where an antenna ends. The dividing line between an antenna and the rest of the system is not at all as definitive as you suggest, and pretending it is seems more likely to give a false impression of how things really work than not. 73, Dave AB7E On 9/18/2012 11:52 PM, Adrian wrote: > Matt, Of course I don't question Don's technical stature, however > "tuning the antenna" is a poor choice of explanation, and can give a > false impression to those weak on the subject. Adding 'system' would > have been a good move as you indicate. We tune where we measure. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Maguire [mailto:[hidden email]] > Sent: Wednesday, 19 September 2012 3:35 PM > To: vk4tux > Cc: [hidden email] > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU > > > On 19/09/2012, at 2:48 PM, vk4tux <[hidden email]> wrote: > >> Don, When you say "The ATU will tune the antenna to an acceptable >> SWR", you are contradicting yourself, because as you rightly said the >> tuner does not change the antenna feedpoint swr. > It is clear from the context that Don meant the ATU will tune (ie. > match) the antenna *system* to the radio, where the antenna system > consists of the ATU, antenna and connecting feedline considered as a > single unit. This of course does not mean that the VSWR is 1:1 everywhere > > The theory predicts that the measures VSWR will be constant along a > *lossless* feedline. As you point out, practical feedlines do have losses. > This will include I^2.R copper losses, but there can be losses from > other sources as well, such as dielectric losses. Often such losses > will be modelled as some sort of equivalent series resistance. > > 73, Matt VK2ACL= > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[hidden email] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email > list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
In reply to this post by David Gilbert
David, remember becoming 'nit free' leads to becoming 'lice free'. You are
correct that 'tuning' may have something to with bringing the circuit into resonance but the term 'tuning' has other meanings too. For instance if we equate tuning as bringing into resonance then we could not use the term 'tuning' applied to non-resonate antennas. You see the term is more frequently applied to impedance matching and band centering. Matching at the antenna is quite different than matching at transmitter. Transmission lines are only pure transmission lines if they are matched at both ends. If either end is mismatched the transmission line becomes a circuit element. A transmission line inverts the reactance every quarter wave. Hence R+jx becomes the complex conjugate R-jx after a quarter wave in length. This increase the effects of frequency change requiring more frequent retuning across the band. The higher the VSWR the higher the copper losses in the coax. You seem to dismiss copper losses as being insignificant. The higher the mismatch the more significant they become so those losses can be saved if the match occurs at the antenna. If you want to run your own little proof experiment take your favorite coax feed antenna and measure and note the SWR at the transmitter. Make sure there is a high SWR to measure like your 40 meter doublet running an 80 meters. Then add a long length of same impedance coax in series, say a 100', and re-measure the SWR at the transmitter. The SWR will usually be much different because of the additional attention from the longer coax. 73 Fred, AE6QL -----Original Message----- From: [hidden email] [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of David Gilbert Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 1:10 AM To: [hidden email] Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU That's pretty much picking nits, in my opinion. It doesn't really matter whether you physically locate needed complex reactance at the antenna or present it to the antenna via the transmission line physics of a feedline ... the net result that exists at the antenna is exactly the same (neglecting transmission line losses, of course) in either case. The only relevant distinction I can see is that "tuning" more accurately refers to bringing something to resonance rather than also transforming it to a different load impedance, but that falls into the category of useless semantics for me and I can give you all sorts of examples where it would be next to impossible to distinguish electrically where an antenna ends. The dividing line between an antenna and the rest of the system is not at all as definitive as you suggest, and pretending it is seems more likely to give a false impression of how things really work than not. 73, Dave AB7E On 9/18/2012 11:52 PM, Adrian wrote: > Matt, Of course I don't question Don's technical stature, however > "tuning the antenna" is a poor choice of explanation, and can give a > false impression to those weak on the subject. Adding 'system' would > have been a good move as you indicate. We tune where we measure. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Matt Maguire [mailto:[hidden email]] > Sent: Wednesday, 19 September 2012 3:35 PM > To: vk4tux > Cc: [hidden email] > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU > > > On 19/09/2012, at 2:48 PM, vk4tux <[hidden email]> wrote: > >> Don, When you say "The ATU will tune the antenna to an acceptable >> SWR", you are contradicting yourself, because as you rightly said the >> tuner does not change the antenna feedpoint swr. > It is clear from the context that Don meant the ATU will tune (ie. > match) the antenna *system* to the radio, where the antenna system > consists of the ATU, antenna and connecting feedline considered as a > single unit. This of course does not mean that the VSWR is 1:1 everywhere > > The theory predicts that the measures VSWR will be constant along a > *lossless* feedline. As you point out, practical feedlines do have losses. > This will include I^2.R copper losses, but there can be losses from > other sources as well, such as dielectric losses. Often such losses > will be modelled as some sort of equivalent series resistance. > > 73, Matt VK2ACL= ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
In reply to this post by va3bxg
Do not forget to take with you a 4/1 balun (like the BL-2) : it can help, even if the KX3 ATU already can tune a wider impedance range than the so-called ATUs inside the YIK rigs.
At my present DX QTH (BH91nv), where I could not anticipate the antenna possibilities, I have no problem with a 10 m whip and a xxx ohms open wire line. Regards, JeanMarc, FO/F5LCI Sent from my KX3 :-) |
In reply to this post by Fred Townsend
You are misled on several points: 1. I never tried to restrict the term "tuning" to only bringing something to resonance. I merely was allowing for the sensibilities of those who may think it was being used too loosely where other terms might be more accurate ... such as the term "matching" would be in the case where impedances differed. Reread the part where I said that I considered such distinctions to be useless semantics. 2. I know exactly how transmission lines operate and that is why I say there is no difference in terms of where or how an antenna is "tuned" or "matched" ... it can be done at the antenna or in the shack and (discounting feedline losses) the net electrical effect at the antenna is exactly the same. Whether doing so results in a narrower response is immaterial to the discussion of whether or not the term "tuning" can only be accurately applied at the antenna. Go back and read the earlier messages in this thread if you are confused on what the discussion is about ... at least from the point at which I entered it. 3. I'm not in any way dismissing losses in the feedline due to SWR as being unimportant. They are of course a significant factor to be considered when deciding where to perform the tuning and/or matching function. Those losses do not, however, have anything to do with whether or not performing those functions in the shack constitutes "tuning the antenna". 73, Dave AB7E On 9/19/2012 1:20 PM, Fred Townsend wrote: > David, remember becoming 'nit free' leads to becoming 'lice free'. You are > correct that 'tuning' may have something to with bringing the circuit into > resonance but the term 'tuning' has other meanings too. For instance if we > equate tuning as bringing into resonance then we could not use the term > 'tuning' applied to non-resonate antennas. You see the term is more > frequently applied to impedance matching and band centering. > Matching at the antenna is quite different than matching at transmitter. > Transmission lines are only pure transmission lines if they are matched at > both ends. If either end is mismatched the transmission line becomes a > circuit element. A transmission line inverts the reactance every quarter > wave. Hence R+jx becomes the complex conjugate R-jx after a quarter wave in > length. This increase the effects of frequency change requiring more > frequent retuning across the band. The higher the VSWR the higher the copper > losses in the coax. You seem to dismiss copper losses as being > insignificant. The higher the mismatch the more significant they become so > those losses can be saved if the match occurs at the antenna. > If you want to run your own little proof experiment take your favorite coax > feed antenna and measure and note the SWR at the transmitter. Make sure > there is a high SWR to measure like your 40 meter doublet running an 80 > meters. Then add a long length of same impedance coax in series, say a 100', > and re-measure the SWR at the transmitter. The SWR will usually be much > different because of the additional attention from the longer coax. > 73 > Fred, AE6QL > > -----Original Message----- > From: [hidden email] > [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of David Gilbert > Sent: Wednesday, September 19, 2012 1:10 AM > To: [hidden email] > Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU > > > That's pretty much picking nits, in my opinion. It doesn't really matter > whether you physically locate needed complex reactance at the antenna or > present it to the antenna via the transmission line physics of a feedline > ... the net result that exists at the antenna is exactly the same > (neglecting transmission line losses, of course) in either case. The only > relevant distinction I can see is that "tuning" more accurately refers to > bringing something to resonance rather than also transforming it to a > different load impedance, but that falls into the category of useless > semantics for me and I can give you all sorts of examples where it would be > next to impossible to distinguish electrically where an antenna ends. The > dividing line between an antenna and the rest of the system is not at all as > definitive as you suggest, and pretending it is seems more likely to give a > false impression of how things really work than not. > > 73, > Dave AB7E > > > > On 9/18/2012 11:52 PM, Adrian wrote: >> Matt, Of course I don't question Don's technical stature, however >> "tuning the antenna" is a poor choice of explanation, and can give a >> false impression to those weak on the subject. Adding 'system' would >> have been a good move as you indicate. We tune where we measure. >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Matt Maguire [mailto:[hidden email]] >> Sent: Wednesday, 19 September 2012 3:35 PM >> To: vk4tux >> Cc: [hidden email] >> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] KX3 ATU >> >> >> On 19/09/2012, at 2:48 PM, vk4tux <[hidden email]> wrote: >> >>> Don, When you say "The ATU will tune the antenna to an acceptable >>> SWR", you are contradicting yourself, because as you rightly said the >>> tuner does not change the antenna feedpoint swr. >> It is clear from the context that Don meant the ATU will tune (ie. >> match) the antenna *system* to the radio, where the antenna system >> consists of the ATU, antenna and connecting feedline considered as a >> single unit. This of course does not mean that the VSWR is 1:1 everywhere > within that system. >> The theory predicts that the measures VSWR will be constant along a >> *lossless* feedline. As you point out, practical feedlines do have losses. >> This will include I^2.R copper losses, but there can be losses from >> other sources as well, such as dielectric losses. Often such losses >> will be modelled as some sort of equivalent series resistance. >> >> 73, Matt VK2ACL= > > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[hidden email] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html |
Time to finish kindergarten activities.
ATU in my KX3 has trouble tuning. I matched few bands and was loosing lock during a QSO. Small changes in antenna length caused it to have large changes in matching. I became very critical of ATU it especially that it all took place during my trip to a few countries in EU. Elecraft sent ATU replacement and now everything is fine. ATU in KX3 is now a good deal. Ignacy |
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