FWIW,
I have posted something about this before, and this will be my last, but I want to pass the word again.
I have the MFJ-212, but other similar devices should work also. It makes having a P3 even better.
Before I bought my P3, I had been using a MFJ-212 MatchMaker to help me adjust my external tuner/matchbox. It applies a pulsing white noise across the spectrum. I have my P3 display the K3 frequency in the center of the screen. I was pleased to see that when the P3 is set to 200 Khz bandwidth, and as the tuner reaches a good match at the frequency of the K3, the pulsing white noise forms the shape of a ‘V’ on the screen or monitor. In a way, it becomes a piece of test gear.
The shape of the Vee can be adjusted by moving the controls on the manual tuner until the best match is achieved. Ideally, the base of the Vee will bottom at the center of the screen. The shape or ‘Q’ of the Vee can reveal problems. Also from one day to the next, without touching the tuner, the Vee may be as far away as 40 KHz or more from the K3 freq due to changes in the antenna system (rain, frost, trouble, etc.) It gives a visual glance at the condition of my antenna system.
After making a change to the antenna or open wire feedline, and I need to find the new tuner settings, I can watch as the color of the waterfall changes to help me see progress toward finding a match until the Vee begins to form. If I get a proper looking Vee, I don’t need to check the SWR because experience has shown it will always be a 1.0:1. I do glance at the SWR indicator on the K3 to verify it as I transmit.
It can also show the behavior of my external ATU after it has tuned. (Keyword is external to the radio). I have only had one ATU to look at so far, and I hope others tune better.
The best part is, I can tune without transmitting and while listening. No hurry, no worry. I can even ‘tune up’ on a QSO while listening to what is being said. Once again, FWIW.
Rich, n0ce
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