Ron,
The antenna you have is basically a good one. The problem you get
into is that it's really an 80 meter dipole being used on all bands.
This has been a popular configuration for many years. The issue is NOT
SWR. The issue is transmission line loss in a high SWR situation. To
avoid high losses is to use open wire feeds/window line, etc, to the
point you get near to your tuner; this is usually at the exterior wall
of your house or a window. At that point, you would need to install a
4:1 CURRENT balun. This will do two things. It will keep the feed SWR to
a level that should be no problem for your tuner and maintain that there
will be no RF current on the exterior of the coax coming into the house;
voltage baluns don't always work well if the SWR gets to high. This
should work well for you.
I use have used this configuration over the years and it has worked
for me and other hams that have tried it. Don't get too spun up if the
SWR does not get to 1:1. The issue will be is the SWR within the
requirements for your transmitter. If the transmitter doesn't care and
you do as I suggest, you don't care either. Happy DXing!!!
73,
Barry
K3NDM
On 10/26/2012 8:42 AM, Ron Midwin wrote:
> I recently bought an LDG AT600 Pro Automatic Tuner.
>
> I seem to be able to get a low VSWR on 80 & 40 meters, but on 20, 15, & 10
> meters the best it will do is ~ 1.8:1.
>
> My "G5RV" (It's really a Van Gordon 80 meter all bander fed with 450 ladder
> line, 33 feet long, and then transitions to coax thru a 1:1 choke balun;
> coax is ~ 6 feet long.
>
> Has anyone found a configuration that works better on all the bands?
>
> Previously I have been using an MFJ 962D manual tuner that is able to tune
> down below 1.2:1 on all bands.
>
> AE6RH
> K3 S/N 1997
>
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