Many manual ATU's consist of a variable capacitor and a tapped inductor. It's a matching network but also works as an "on-the-fly" switchable balun. The difference is the location. The ATU typically sits at the rig end where a balun sits at the antenna feedpoint (and so may present the coax with a better matching impedance, plus acts as a choke reducing common mode current). You can have a remote-controlled automatic ATU at the feed point in which case you'll always have a perfect match for your coax. Great for a stealth multiband in the attic, but it's an expensive and clunky solution for portable operations.
73 Thomas OZ5TN (aka M0TRN, AF7BE) On 1 February 2017 at 02:35, Kevin - K4VD <[email protected]> wrote: > One thing I think would be great to have, especially built in as part of an > antenna tuner, is a switchable BALUN. When someone needs to throw up random > antennas it would be handy to be able to just switch in the appropriate > ratio. Can a BALUN be tapped maybe? It seems it would extend the range of > internally antenna tuners also. I should know this stuff. But I don't. > ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
