Ham Radio Myth - A Remote Antenna Tuner Is Superior!

If you worry about SWR watch this video and relax and save money!

In this video I use the example of using a desk top antenna tuner and a 6:1 SWR. I am not advocating having such a high SWR on a coax line. The objective is to show that SWR is not the disease so many hams and CB'ers think it is and you really don't have to have a remote antenna tuner.

[dandypoint]

Correct again! I am preaching the same thing and have been for years but you have a big audience. Keep up the good work! I will note that everyone needs to keep up on the condition of their coax. As additional loss due to SWR depends, as you said, on the actual loss of the coax. That takes into account the length. I actually like a little SWR on my feedlines as I can record it and use it to check on the condition of the coax better! If I have a 1.5 :1 SWR on an antenna when I know everything is good, and a couple years later my SWR goes to 1:1 or thereabouts, I can be fairly sure the coax has excessive loss. That excessive loss both decreases forward power to the antenna and decreases the reflected power. That decreases the “apparent” SWR. In this case a true SWR of 2:1 at the antenna may read as 1:1 at the transmitter because all the reflected power is lost going from the antenna to the transmitter. Knowing the true SWR at the antenna and the “apparent” SWR at the transmitter can give you the coax loss of your coax. One year my 80 meter half square fed with about 150 foot of coax suddenly had a good SWR in the CW band and also a good SWR in the phone band. That was not a good thing although the transmitter was happy! I checked my coax for loss and found it was excessive. I had gotten water is one piece of my coax. (I had two lengths connected with a barrel connector) when I changed the bad section of coax I started working DX like usual.

[ouijim]

Local operator 9 years older (I'm 71) was complaining of recent HIGH SWR 1.5 from usual 1.1. A week later says he solved the problem by changing radio power level from 100 watts to 60 watts. He is stubborn and rejects all fact, frustrating to talk with for me. ; ) I love this video subject Thank You.

[maartenc]

If you are running 1KW our more I can understand a remote tuner. In your calculations it is still about 2 to 3 dB loss.
But 3dB loss at 1KW is 500 Watts. It might run the cables a little bit hot.
But hey, I love to work QRP because it makes everything simple, including having the tuner on my desk.... hi.

[hartengel]

Could you please do a video on the following subject: What cause the finals to fry up in your rig? Because I believe this to be the root to the myth of high SWR. and why everybody is paranoid about not having a flat match on their antenna.

[ouijim]

Curious of exact form of radio wave as it travels. Local operators speculate that their signals "overshoot" desired destination as if they are transmitting a narrow beam with trajectory. Love to see an accurate visualization of radio wave. May be a future subject?

[DaDitDa]

A remote tuner is a good option for feeding a multiband random-wire with 50 coax where VSWR can greatly vary and exceed 10:1.

[KDQOW-npgd]

Thank you for busting all these stupid myths! I only operate portable and if I listened to all the mythology surrounding antennas I'd never even bother to get out my radio!

[bill-]

I've never had a remote antenna tuner.
I have run nothing above 5 Watts for 30+ years.
On my long wire years ago (r.f. pickup meter) and doublet aerial (torch bulbs in twin feeder) I used to tune for maximum r.f. out before making a resistive Wheatstone Bridge type about 10 years ago, I tuned it for minimum SWR reading. I did this at a special event station with a vertical and my amateur friend was horrified.
I calibrated it after 4 years, using dipoles now, my friend was still horrified. How did I know what the SWR was? A low reading was still good. I calibrated it after 4 years.
G4GHB.

[gfvt]

On a radio forum I did dare to point out that my "tuner" in the shack never suffers from rain or spider ingress. FWIW here in the UK our power limit is defined at the antenna feedpoint, so we can increase transmitter power to overcome losses. Obviously there can be extreme cases that don't suit this approach. We have become slaves to 50ohm (ish) antennas, many of which do not have the radiation patterns we would like. Arguably we would be better to get the radiation pattern figured out and then devise how to drive it. 73

[TravelinHam]

Can anyone recall an SWR/Tuner demonstration video? My recollection is it was quite old and they used light bulbs on a circuit to demonstrate SWR. I watched it some time ago and I can’t find it now.

[ralphnunn]

Thanks for the information. I also have never seen the point of a remote tuner. Yet, you have all kinds of hams singing their praises. I'll stick with my used MFJ manual tuner that is connected to my ladder-line fed doublet that I've worked the world with.

[bazzaar]

The only reason I can think for a remote tuner is you will have better knowledge of where the voltage and current nodes will be on the antenna. Its more effective to have current nodes at height.

[puhag]

It would be a bit better if the video user a real world scenario. Say, a dipole cut for 40m some 1/4 lambda high. What would be the SWR at antenna feedpoint on other ham bands?

But... What's the SWR after 30 meters/100 ft of coax? Why the SWR changed depending where you measure it? What's the actual mismtach figure: the one measured at the antenna feedpoint or at the shack end of the feedline?

A coax connected to a multiband antenna will always work as an impedance transformer outside the its resonant point. One must take this into account.

I found strange downplaying the role of remote tuner when every HF professional application - military, aeronautics, maritime - relies on some form of optimal coupling at the antenna end.

[paulconant]

What is your perspective on antenna efficiency? Keep busting myths!

[Porco_Utah]

I bought water tight container to put AC power strip in garden. then placed just PC board of Automatic Antenna Tuner Inside, and feed with separate 12V DC. ATU connect to inverted L through 12:4 turn ratio wound around Toroid Core FT240-43. one side connect to ground rod, other side to Inv L. it was certainly cheaper than buying a Automatic Tuner made for outdoor use. AG6JU

[wlvradio]

If remote tuners are no more efficient than desktop ones, then why do AM stations have dog houses? Wouldn't it make sense for them to simply place all of that equipment in the transmitter building? 73 DE W8LV BILL

[michaelstora]

If losing half your power in ths coax is only half an S-unit, doesn't the same logic apply when losing half your power to a low-Q stainless tuning coil for the sake of bandwidth?

[Redbelly]

But you friends and relatives will all be impressed.

[blugoose]

What about the additional strain you're placing on the expensive output final transistors? Remember they are still trying to put out 100 watts and are being shunted. Back in the day, tubes were and always will be, more forgiving than transistors, so I am told. These are questions, not facts, so I'm actually trying to learn something here. Separating fact from myth can be a full time job since the presenter doesn't present ALL the factors involved, only the ones that drive the topic at hand.

[mikesawyer]

I like your approach here. I own an ageing 25 year old Ah-4 remote tuner. It's been just great for years and years. No complaints been working like a charm. Last month I started having problems. I took it out of service and opened it up -- oh boy ants had made a nest inside. The RF shielding was rusted to heck and there are burned contacts on at least 1 relay. The seals on the antenna mounts are gone. So this thing is either toast or will take a big effort to get working again. They don't make this model any more. Used is $400 and upgraded model is $500. For now I'm back to the manual tuner, on the desk. It does Not work as conveniently nor does it tune all the bands. But what it tunes seems to work well. There is a difference between need and want. Right now I don't want to spend the money. So it's back to basics.