Hi, Max, and anyone else out there trying to make antennas with an SWR meter.
Not knowing the separate resistance and reactive components and the sign of the reactance surely do make it hard to figure out what to do next. SWR will tell you if you got to 50 + j0 or not but trying to get both those numbers spot on when all you know is glurg plus or minus glub for R and X is like trying to to find your white shirt in the closet with no lamp and the door shut tight. If you really want to fiddle yourself with wire and stuff to come up with antennas that work in your own situation (that really is a lot of fun) get yourself a graphing analyzer like an AIM4170 or AEA or RigExpert. It's kind of like having a flashlight to take into the closet with you -- much easier to find the white shirt in the dark. Otherwise prepare yourself emotionally for a lot of groping. Trying to adjust any antenna more complicated than a dipole with an SWR meter is like trying to fix your watch with a hammer. An SWR meter is never worth more than about a tenth of what you paid for it. Get a graphing analyzer and after a while you will wonder what the h*ll you thought you were doing before you got it. 73, Guy K2AV On Saturday, June 6, 2015, Jim Brown <[email protected]> wrote: > > Ideas what to do next >> > > Borrow an antenna analyzer and measure the antenna's feedpoint impedance > with a very short piece of coax (in other words, right at the base) with > and without the coil. > > 73, Jim K9YC > _________________ > Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband > _________________ Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
