It's called GAS... I have it. It effects all my hobbies. Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

@recoblade1465

4 жыл бұрын

Man you and me both

@knikk77

4 жыл бұрын

Jake P dave ramsey is the cure to that.

@jakep5121

4 жыл бұрын

@@knikk77 baby steps right... I'm crawling. :)

Not essential, but extraordinarily useful if you know how to use one properly - they don't just measure SWR. Other things you don't NEED: Headphones; A decent microphone; A quiet power supply; A screwdriver; A 3 kW linear; etc.

I know this is not the normal thing you do in videos but these videos are super important. Going outside the norm is what I like to see :) Keep up the good work. Getting back to basics is a great theme of videos that you should do :)

Great info for those of us just starting to look at getting into ham radio and researching the ins and outs. Appreciate it.

An SWR meter, whether stand-alone or built-in, is a great first step. However, SWR alone doesn't identify inductance or capacitance, which are big concerns in a lot of antenna designs. The SWR meter might read 1:1, but that doesn't tell you how much is resistance and how much is reactance. A high reactance 1:1 antenna might not damage your radio, but it won't radiate very well either. If you're only dabbling in very basic antennas like dipoles and 1/4 wave with radials, an SWR alone will be fine. Calculating the elements' electrical length is simple and as long as you're close, you shouldn't see any weird local mins or maxes that can trip up an SWR meter. It doesn't need to be expensive or fancy, or laboratory-grade accurate. I know for the beginning ham a $30 SWR may be a significant chunk of change, but it's cheaper than a new radio ( coming from someone who fried his first radio, and luckily got it replaced under warranty ). But if you're experimenting with complex antennas, some sort of VNA is almost required. And luckily the NanoVNA is relatively affordable. And I don't think the argument "it's difficult to set up and use" holds water. Anyone capable and willing to build their own Yagi, mag-loop, or nested quad should have no problem figuring out the Nano.

Good topic Josh. When I started out in the early 90's I didn't know anyone with an antenna analyzer. They were very expensive and were more of a luxury than a necessity. We simply turned down the radios power to 5-10 watts and checked the SWR with an inexpensive, common SWR/Power meter in line between the radio and antenna. Now days it seems 1 out of 3 Hams have an analyzer, including me. They are more efficient now, inexpensive and user friendly. Also, as you pointed out, most all modern radios have a built in SWR readout.

Really enjoyed the talk. Antenna analyzers are mentioned frequently in the testing material for getting licensed. But, for practical purposes, I think it's good to get feedback from people that have already been in the hobby longer to understand what you would really need or when you would expect to use it.

Thanks As a noob I was beginning to think of building antennas and this helps me out.

been a ham, on and off for over 50 years, home brewing my own antennas, and buying some for mobile use! And although I only just recently bought a Nano VNA, this tool is just absolutely AMAZING! They are not as good as the $10,000 VNA's but for around $100 they are very good, and surprisingly accurate on most of their measurements! If you are just starting out, and are not even sure how to build a dipole, one of these devices is probably way above your pay grade... but as you advance, you will be glad you bought one of these things!

Been watching your channel and it's got me more interested in ham again. Received my General a few years back and got the VHF/UHF Baofeng and talked a few times but never had a HF radio. Just found a Kenwood TS 430 and and thinking about building a ZS6BKW antenna and getting on the airwaves. Re-reading all the manuals to try and get back in the game. KE0LES -Thanks Josh for keeping ham radio going.

I like this kind of content! Informative, very helpful! Thanks muchly.

The first one I got was when I bought my FTDX3000. Figured the couple of bucks I spent on the Rig Experts was well worth protecting the output stage of the FTDX3000. I also bring it whenever I go portable with the WRC. They are pretty valuable tools to have. And you’re right, if you are building dipoles or using commercially built antennas, you'll be ok with an SWR meter...but be cautious with the power levels that the antenna is tested with.

Built a bunch of antennas with nothing more than the transmitter and a small inexpensive SWR meter. What you’re saying is very good counsel. Oh... and some wire cutters too.

Your right Josh, no need to spend the dollars as there are many other ways to check, I have been a ham since the 90's and only just purchased a RigExpert considering in the past I was big on home brew and never had the luxury of owning the Analyzer back then the good old SWR meter was a good back stop. Great video it's nice to have you point this out as we all start somewhere and don't know it all.

👍Vey good video and I’ve been a ham over 40 years and built many antennas, I have never had an antenna analyzer but I thank it would be FUN playing with one, I always my SWR meter. KV5P

I use a telescopic whip on my balcony. Every time I change bands it was a pain in the arse. The rigexpert is a life saver. The radio's swr was ok but mine couldn't sweep. $200 was well worth the trouble and time saved.

Very true Josh not needed but they are really helpful when building antennas BUT I have done the same with a good quality SWR meter , thx for the video!

Great video Josh! I am that guy, the one that likes to build antennas. I am new to the hobby and haven’t purchased my first radio. But I have started to build a fan dipole and have a nano VNA which I like. I am a smith chart guy. Haha. When I get back to Texas I look forward to borrowing a HF rig from my Elmer and hoisting up this fan dipole. Oh I am also building a 2m/70cm antenna for use at the ham shack. Again, thanks for the video !

I wish I had had my YouKits FG-01 antenna analyzer years ago. It is simple, gives SWR and impedance continuously while adjusting the antenna, and saves so much time. Yes, it is not cheap and there are better ones that give more information that many hams don’t understand anyway. But it makes adjusting a BuddiPole, Wolf River type coil, stinger on a ham stick, mag loop or just trimming a dipole so much easier. I have used noise bridges, SWR meters, and other items to tune antennas and even have a Sark 110 (have to read the book each time I use it) but for simplicity and ease of use the YouKits works well and makes antenna tuning a breeze. My old MFJ was too mich trouble and only gave a static reading so I sold it. Can’t believe they are stilling them since the nanoVNA came out for $50. Even the nanoVNA has a learning curve but most hams could and should learn that soon when putting their first station together. We used to say real hams know CW but in my estimation all hams should learn how to use these great and simple tools (should be part of training and the license exam) for antenna building/adjusting. Even the most expensive transceiver is useless without a good antenna. Dave K8WPE

Thank You for the information

Super helpful Josh. I really thought I needed an analyzer but my radio can do. Thank you.

@HamRadioCrashCourse

3 жыл бұрын

I’m glad it helped! Thanks for watching.

Excellent point Sir. There are so many videos and websites telling us that we must have ALL the toys or we're not really into the hobby. There's a lot to be gained by working with minimal kit and learning to make the most of it. Having said that, it would be nice if more manufacturers included an SWR sweep function in their radios like in the little Xiegu rigs. If they already have an SWR readout and any sort of graphical display, it wouldn't be hard to include that function.....

Great video. Absolutely right that you can get by without an analyzer most of the time. 👍 73, de KM4ACK

Very helpful video. Thanks.

I always figured I didn't absolutely need it, but figured it would be nice to have for some of the other features (checking coax properties/conditions) and not putting so much rf out there just to adjust the antenna system.

Thanks for your help

Remembering back to my 1959 novice days, I knew nothing of SWR; hadn't heard of it. We measured antennas in feet according to the formula or the recipe and that was that. Test equipment mentioned in the ARRL Handbook included the Grid Dip Meter and the Receiver Noise Bridge, both too complicated for a kid. Somehow I thought RG-59 was right for dipoles. So that's what I used. Years later I understood that RG-59 was 75-ohms impedance, not 50-ohms -- oops. All these years later, amateur radio is still super fun, even if I am using the right coax, not confined to a few crystal frequencies, and my CQs don't drag on forever.

I just got a rig expert and love it! My Super Antenna is clamped to the railing on the balcony of my 3rd floor appointment. It has a plastic ruler for adjusting the coil, but it's hit and miss. To get me a useable SWR at the low end of 40 meters, my Rig Expert is pretty much required because the adjustments are one millimeter at a time to get into that very narrow sweet spot. And I need to use the Rig Expert zoom function and the cursor to get there! Still, it takes me only 10 minutes to get to the lowest SWR right at the center of 7.070 Mhz. I'd be running in and out of my apartment for the good part of an hour to change bands to 40 meters PSK using the SWR meter on my 7300. It's also been a time saver tuning the ham sticks on my pickup.

Very useful peace of advice

I can’t wait for the RigExpert AA-650 Zoom and AA-1500 Zoom models, which should release in late spring. I have an AA-55 Zoom and the zoom models are fantastic. For me, it really helped to visualize what’s going on to to learn how to manage my system.

Good stuff and very helpful

Very good point, Do you need one? No, Are they a useful tool? Yes, Do I want one? Definitely!

Just a comment from AN AUSTRALIAN F Call, I have a Hustled 5BTV, now this antenna has 3 band loading coils, 4 if you count the 80mhz resonator on the top, and you need to adjust all of them, to a resonatant Vswr, . With a swr meter on the radio , this is more than tedious, its a down right pain in the butt. I have a Sark 100, cheap , reasonably accurate, user friendly and simple. In a word INVALUABLE, but if your running a mono band etc , yes , I agree that an analyzer is over kill. My radio club owns an MFJ and it is regularly used by members for tuning their antennas. If like me you experiment and build antennas , the analyzer is a great tool , to own. Like you videos, cheers from down under

Thanks.. Like always useful info for a newbie...

Greetings from Sweden 🇸🇪 Awesome channel! You got yourself a new subscriber 🤖

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Nothing wrong with an old fashioned in line analog SWR meter. Watching needle sweep is still more fun than numbers changing.

@luciankannon9172

2 жыл бұрын

i know Im asking randomly but does anyone know of a way to log back into an Instagram account..? I stupidly lost the password. I appreciate any assistance you can offer me!

@kaiwillie1466

2 жыл бұрын

@Lucian Kannon Instablaster ;)

@luciankannon9172

2 жыл бұрын

@Kai Willie i really appreciate your reply. I got to the site thru google and I'm trying it out now. Looks like it's gonna take a while so I will get back to you later with my results.

@luciankannon9172

2 жыл бұрын

@Kai Willie It did the trick and I actually got access to my account again. I'm so happy! Thank you so much, you really help me out !

@kaiwillie1466

2 жыл бұрын

@Lucian Kannon Glad I could help :D

Nothing like putting a 100 watt carrier on the air to tune an antenna on 20 meters to really make friends. A antenna analyzer puts out a few milliwatts to adjust the antenna system. I use a small magnetic loop and it is easier to adjust the loop matching and tune. No QRM for fellow operators. W0GFE

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

Well of course we should be finding an empty space on the band to do this 👍

@loctite222ms

4 жыл бұрын

@@HamRadioCrashCourse Nice thing about analyzers is the ability to plot swr vs frequency much faster and generating much less QRM.

@LavaKimo

4 жыл бұрын

You can turn your power down and tune at a lower output.

Used an analogue SWR meter since I started, (easier to read than changing settings on Txvr) then when I had built a few antennas got an analyser to make it easier , particularly my loops. Shows where it is operating best. Had a 20 m dipole strung in loft that worked ok then when I got my analyser found it was perfect1:1 on 17m which I had not thought to try.Loved 17m when it was active.

Hi Josh... I'm a magloop lover, made a few of them..... antenna analyser really does make tunning very easy...

@jasondobbs2078

4 жыл бұрын

I just subbed a few mins ago!. I just got my baofeng today and it didn't come with an antenna. I don't think that's normal, is it?

@JasonGuerard

4 жыл бұрын

@@jasondobbs2078 The factory antennas are such trash most people never remove them from the wrapper. May I suggest a NA-277 antenna? Cheap and makes a large improvement to the radio.

@chuck4050

4 жыл бұрын

Yes it does , when you have no real noise like out portable Mag-loops screwdiver antennas are very hard to tune.

@Robnord1

4 жыл бұрын

@@JasonGuerard You mean the Nagoya N771 ? I have 2 of them coming on a slow boat from China. : )

Did I understand you to say “antennas in the wild?” That made me laugh. Good message. Sometimes I wonder how much the general ham user actually uses test instruments like antenna analyzers. It’s a nice item to have in a club where it can be shared, but I’d guess the typical ham wouldn’t use it more than a few times when they first get it and then it just collects dust. :-)

Great stuff!!

The antenna analyzer has one huge advantage over using the radio's SWR meter, namely you eliminate the risk of doing to damage to the finals by transmitting into a high SWR before you do adjustments. The antenna analyzer will also tell you whether you need to adjust the antenna up or down (or longer / shorter) whereas using a SWR meter it can be a lot of guesswork,

@HamRadioCrashCourse

2 жыл бұрын

All true. Analyzers are great.

Rigexpert analyzers are great. I have a few of them and can be used also for seaRching where the electrical wire is broken with the echo function- not connected to ac offcourse.

Nice vid as always josh.

Little tech tips like this are fun and easy to find when needed :-) Go Team!

Fantastic, love the short and sweet to the point! ;-)

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Thank you Josh...I’m new to the hobby as a general and was dreading one more, what I consider to be, big expense. I do have my eye on a wolf river for POTA but was stuck because I don’t want to pay for BOTH a new antenna AND an analyzer.

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

Get the antenna. Learn to read the swr on the radio and you’ll be able to get that wolf river tuned up no problem.

That's why I bought the Xiegu G90. It has it all. It's an awesome rig. I've been working a lot of contacts that I didn't think I could reach. South Africa really surprised me. Wow, even a 59 signal. That speaks volumes for this radio.

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

Probably a lot for your antenna too! 👍

@josephcoberly6495

4 жыл бұрын

True my friend. Great area where I live also. Hardly any interference.

In the spirit of Ham radio building,antennas is a building block for new Hams . I can't Wait to get my hands on the Rigexpert,55_zoom.7 3 money well spent.

🤔...ive been into radios a realy long time....and I can tell you without any doubt that you SHOULD ABSOLUTLY have an Antenna analyzer and not just a ***METER*** my rule of thumb is your analyzer should be half the cost of your current radio... or half the cost of your total station... And if you can only afford a nano...spend the $150 for a quality nano but I highly suggest a rigexpert.

I just got into CB Radio and still have not learned the art of tuning my antenna just right. Eventually I would definitely love to get into ham.

I have an MP-1 Super Antenna and an IC-7300. I bought a Comet CAA-500 antenna analyzer specifically to aid in tuning the antenna. The radio and analyzer are on an A/B switch tied to the feedline/antenna. Works great. Is it required? No. But it is very nice. And better than the alternatives.

I always just use a small inline SWR meter on a 3ft jumper at the antenna to tune one on the ground with the main feed line running from the SWR meter back to the radio.

Keep them up!!!!!!!!!!

You can just adjust the antenna for the loudest RF noise on the frequency you want to use. This point at the loudest noise is the same point as lowest SWR. That’s a really easy way to tune up. I have an antenna analyser and they are handy, but not needed that often. Craig VK3CRG

I would agree that it's not required but like a voltmeter I do like having that tool. One other comment is that (I've heard it said, "my antenna tuner can tune up a nail") even though you are impedance matched, you may not be radiating very effectively. True, you can add a matching circuit to tune a nail to [ 50 + 0j ] ohms... but it will still radiate like a nail.

Good stuff as I am just getting back into HF after 40 years. A lot to relearn. 73 KH6JMK

Interesting video ....

Super cool video for me ;) Especially because I'm very confused to what to buy. RigExpert 650 Zoom or the RigExpert Stick Pro. But your video tells me that the Stick pro should be more than enough for my needs. They can do the same minus the Smith Chart view and less Plot points. But you have the the software and the mobile app you can use for those things. We really need a video on the difference between the RigExpert analyzers and the Sticks, because they are pretty cool of their size. Keep up the good work, love you videos ;) But you cost me money in HAM gadgets . HaHa got my ExpertPower 7.5 inc. Antenna because of you hehe

SWR meter needed to set up an antenna properly, Antenna analyzer only really needed to build antennas and then only if your really not sure if your anywhere near correct. Anyhow, given the price of an NanoVNA(a cheap antenna analyzer) vs an SWR meter, the nanoVNA makes financial sense, given it covers most bands, whereas you'll need a seperate SWR meter for HF and VHF/UHF, at the same cost each, at minimum.

@vegasfordguy

2 жыл бұрын

An antenna analyzer only for building antennas? You are so wrong. It gives invaluable information for tuning an antenna to resonance which an swr meter can't do.

My rig expert AA55 ZOOM will also transmit a sequence of tones to a 2meter HT. This way you can leave the analyzer hooked up to the coax at your radio, and go outside or on the tower to make your antenna trimming or adjustments and the HT will tell you when your swr is set.

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

That’s cool!

Another thing you can do is become friends with someone who does have an antenna analyzer. If they are nice they will almost certainly let you borrow theirs for fine tuning your antenna, especially if you aren't constantly making antennas. As for the nanoVNA being fiddly you can make using way easier if you connect it to a laptop or tablet PC and run certain software like nanoVNA-saver. Puts all the controls on one screen and makes reading the data far easier too

What I like about my (old) MFJ-269 analyzer you aren't subjecting your radio transmit to any possible mismatch of the antenna without being able to see what it is first. It covers HF/VHF/UHF, which covers my, again older Yaesu 857D. As those that have one of these radios knows, it does not have a display to give you a read out of what the SWR is, but if you have the display set it has a little 'bar' that will display if the SWR is getting into a range it doesn't like. I wonder if there is a misconception or misunderstanding what the difference is between a SWR meter and a antenna analyzer? When I think of a SWR meter, to me that is a device you put between your radio and the antenna, but a antenna analyzer is something that you hook up to your antenna and doesn't need the radio to 'see' what and where (frequency) the antenna has the best match. I agree even with a 'store bought' antenna you can see if it needs some fine tuning before it it permanently mounted, and even more so if you build your own antenna, you can make adjustments, if needed even if your math is right on.

@kevingoshe4371

4 жыл бұрын

I'm hoping to buy an 857D later this year. Do u use a tuner, like the LDG YT-100, with it?

@dave_n8pu

4 жыл бұрын

@@kevingoshe4371 Yes but it is an OLD MFJ-944. I've used it with a loop at a previous location, now a 'random' length wire. I like my 857D, suspect you will too when you get yours. When I was able to use it, it worked great for me, it handled all that radio can put out. To much noise currently to use any HF. Just got a noise reducer but haven't tried to us that yet.

@kevingoshe4371

4 жыл бұрын

@@dave_n8pu thanks for the info, and best of luck with the noise reducer!

@dave_n8pu

4 жыл бұрын

@@kevingoshe4371 Thanks

Josh, do you have plans on discussing the high swr antennas? That seems intriguing. I also had maybe a strange idea. An any wire antenna box, a box with a diode hooked to an output, and a diode hooked to an input... When the tx is in use the rx is physically disconnected. Would there be a diode that could keep a radio safe against insane high swr? I may be crazy, but I'm new. 🤪

it very nice to have you can check your swr why you out side with out the antenna hook to the radio i have the AA170 I LOVE IT YOU IT MADE FOR HF AND VHF IF YOU WANT ONE THAT DOES UHF IT COST YOU MORE MONEY FOR YOUR HF DIEPOLE ANTENNA YOU CAN SEE WHERE YOUR ANTENNA WORK BEST AND ITS AT 50 OHM BECAUSE YOU GO UP HIGHER HAVE GOOD SWR BUT YOU MITE HAVE A 60 OHM

I got a NANO VNA last year. They are useful but not essential. For years I cut aerials slightly longer and then folded the wire back on itself to shorten the length. The only problem is you could go past the point you want and make it too short and waste time figuring out where you went wrong. An amateur band tx only has a narrow bandwidth and the SWR meter can't tell you which way to go if you pass the point you need. I did it yesterday on my 10m dipole but it's a wide band and I could see the SWR was better higher up in frequency. I didn't actually use the VNA as I had previously got it on 10m but I moved it yesterday so the resonant frequency was a bit off. The VNA shows where the aerial is resonant so you know whether to lengthen it or shorten it. I've used it on my 60m inverted vee and 20m and 17m dipoles and after building my 4 element 2m collinear to check it was okay. It showed a kink in the reading a bit higher up in frequency so I'm guessing some parts are not quite half waves at 2m. An SWR meter would not show this. I want to use it to make bandpass filters. For the price it is well worth getting one. A brilliant bit of test gear. G4GHB

Now to go find the swr info on a bofaung uv82hp when I connect it to a second hand diamond cr8900a to it.

Being a commercial radio engineer as well as an amateur operator I have used a lot of different analyzers. Imagine owning an Anritsu. I don't! The company was required to by the government. I am amazed at that cheap Chinese VNA that costs $50. It's great for tuning HT antennas.

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

It’s true!!!

Oh well, screw it! I bought one anyway using your discount code.

I would recommend that anyone who's running anything over a few hundred watts should have one or have access to one. An swr meter will read much different vs an antenna analyzer and won't show the information that a good antenna analyzer will. I'd recommend the rig expert, the MFJ'S readings are always questionable. I'll use the Rigexpert first to dial in the antenna, then compare to my Inline watt meter, lastly I'll switch to reverse power setting and modulate with amplifier on to see what's coming back. I talk on 11 meter, however the same is true for all bands. The Rigexpert has replaced my MFJ-259b.

Nice video. I do the same thing with my swr meter on my radio. It’s exhausting to go back and forth trying to tune your antenna. I have the super antenna mp1 as well as dipoles and end feds I’ve made myself. I know you’ve played with the xiegu g90. Is it’s swr sweep helpful for the super antenna or would an Antenna Analyser be worth it? TIA

The IC-7300's SWR meter is extremely inaccurate with a "couple of watts". It doesn't start being precise up until some 30-40 W. Below that, it doesn't have enough resolution, and shows lower value.

Swr meters can't check x n you have to do that before the swr N tune your coax ruffle but a calibrated station monitors are the BEST lid noon 73 n9prf

Thank you for your time. Do you think that I would need one for my buddy stick pro Deluxe?

Thank you for the video.... I'm just getting into amateur radio and listen to your podcast. I am studying for my General and have purchased a Yaesu Ft-891 and WRC TIA that I plan to use for both home and portable use. Tuning the WRC seems tricky and cumbersome to me as someone new to the hobby.... I hit up a FB group and as is typical I received varying responses..... Get a tuner.....Get an analyzer..... To me, the analyzer makes sense. Get the antenna correct, then get it tuned to perfection..... Does this sound right? I was lucky to purchase a Rig Expert AA-55 Zoom for a great price.... Waiting for it to arrive and get the WRC in the right place for each band....

even the 817 has indication of vswr.the qrp guys indicator kit works well. chrs 73

What can you tell us about Grounding and ground rods? Is there a limit on how many you should be using and how far they should be apart from each other if you are installing more than two? Also using copper wire or copper straps for grounding. The plus and minus of those. Anything you can tell us about grounding would be greatly appreciated.

Wouldn't one of those NanoVNAs be a better choice than an SWR or an analyzer, since they're only $50 or so and give a lot of info? Seems like in such a DIY and education oriented hobby, most people who would want to make an antenna would also enjoy learning to use a NanoVNA

I got the AA-55 zoom, hands down the most usefull tool for radio I got in the shack. Anyone that tells you you dont need one is just wrong.

Thanks Josh! New to HF and thought I needed one! I bought the yaesu 991a which I believe has one! Am I correct?

What about magnetic loops? From what I've read, they have VERY narrow bandwidth. Even tuning within a ham band (like 40 metres) may require you re-tune the antenna.

@HamRadioCrashCourse

2 жыл бұрын

Oh yeah. Magnetic loops are high Q antennas. They only have a space of a few kilohertz before returning is needed.

It helps to have an antenna analyzer. It helps. They were ridiculous money for awhile but now China had so many knockoffs it’s not $600 anymore. I had one I bought a decade ago, and it finally died so I bought the MFJ top of the line one after 5 years of not having one. It’s nice. I love it. But you don’t HAVE to have one, but it sure makes life easier.

An antenna analyzer gives so much more information than a SWR meter. And when setting up a repeater then it's also often not possible to get the data from the repeater itself about the actual characteristics of antenna and antenna in conjunction with the filter. It can save hours of headache if you have one. And sometimes when you have an antenna you could discover that it's actually useful also for frequencies outside what it's specified for. It may not be the best radiator at those frequencies but your radio won't barf either.

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

I’m not denying that. I’m saying new people don’t need to feel they have to have one. 🤣

You’re talking to me man.... I just got into building antennas and I’ve been operating under the assumption that I’m going to need an SWR meter

is there a inexpensive meter that can measure dbi on yagis I am getting into building antennas

I've come to the conclusion that the single most effective way to improve any ham station is to spend money on putting your antenna higher whether by simple telescoping fiberglass mast or even a tower depending on your budget and ability.

@imken2392

3 жыл бұрын

1/2 wavelength high is the best for angle of radiation.

What do you think of a VHF/UHF power/SWR meter? I think you might have used one in an older video. Thanks Ben KE0ZAJ

Hello, It depends. antenna analysers is an instrument of measure not for all people. If you think of buying an Antenna analyzer to see your SWR only you are wrong except you were a millionaire. Analyzers are tools and if you know electronics is a valuated tool for antenna and feeders adjustment and to find problems that no can't locate by another instrument.

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

That’s what I said in the video. 🤣

Of course one needs an analyzer!

My Yaesu FT-817 SWR meter is not accurate. It does protect against high swr true, but there's no way to tell if the swr is 1:1 or 2:1 or whatever. Plus being an Ham for almost 20 years now, it's time to really start enjoying making antennas and seeing how they work with an analyzer.

Short answer is no you do not "need" an antenna analyser, an SWR meter is tried and trued. In tuning or building an antenna you'd save a lot of time with and antenna analyser or vector network analyser, but good SWR meter is just irreplaceable in your tool kit. I honestly don't see the value of an expensive antenna analyser now, when a cheap VNA will do what you need. My little cheapo $70 VNA does exactly what I want to tune antennas lightning quick, and I follow up with an SWR meter check with any radio I use with it. You wont regret a VNA, but an SWR meter is a must have. This is a HOBBY, not a job. Save your money for good radios.

I bought a NanoVNA and am testing my antennas. I don't fully understand the Smith Chart though, because I'm using 75ohm coax to my dipole, and its calibrated for 50ohms 2:1 SWR is till only 11% power loss actually. Not enough to really be worried about. It's more to worry that excess voltage will destroy the output amplifiers. But power loss isn't a huge thing

@JaronActual

4 жыл бұрын

You should be able to calibrate the Nano to whatever ohm test lead you want. However, if your radio is set for a 50 ohm load, I'd calibrate the Nano to that so the Nano will show what your radio is experiencing. And it's always best to test the entire antenna system, that includes the feed line. The 50-75 mismatch of course means some loss ( an ideal case would be 1.5 : 1 SWR ) but if you have a proper balun or choke at the dipole feed point, the feed line itself shouldn't radiate or cause any other nastiness. You can also use a matching network to mate the 50 and 75 coax if you want the SWR down and boost antenna efficiency. I think a twelfth-wave transformer is the easiest way to do it, but that only works for a single frequency range. When you say you don't understand the Smith chart, do you mean you don't know how to read a Smith chart, you don't understand how to read the chart as displayed on the Nano, or you don't know how to set the Nano to display it?

@researchandbuild1751

4 жыл бұрын

@@JaronActual at first i didnt understand fully how to read it on the nano because the nano displays R+ and the a C or L value and not j values (like +j34). At first made it look like the capacitiance value was backwards, higher valies towards the centerline but then i realized i guess that is correct because higher cap means less reactance. To me made it harder to understand my antenna system I actually am testing a the feedline, so i get a 1.5ish swr "circle" on the swr chart to begin with (the values move in a ring centered on the center 50ohm, because my feedline is 75ohm). I THINK i know how to read it. My homebrew CW 7mhz transmitter is hitting stations 600 miles away so it seems to work well enough (my antenna). Nano says my resonant freq is about 7.150mhz right now and i can go down to 7mhz and up to about 7.280 before i hit swr of 2.0. At 7.1mhz it says my antenna is 48ohms with 1.1nf capacitance. At 7.050mhz or so it says 36ohms with like 450nH. My dipole is only 5 feet off the ground so the true impedance is low

WHAT IS THE ORANGE CLOCK, THX

yes please talk more about all the “stuff” out there. as a nube. ( have had my ticket for years but not on the air. seeing all this stuff. kinda makes rethink why. do i need all this junk just to work a radio?

I'll point out it's only on newer radios from the last 10-15 years from major manufacturers. The cheaper Chinese radios & used gear often does not have it.

Super antenna..what range of operation does one or two radiate ?

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

It’s an hf antenna. I believe 6-80 meters.

Did you like the super antenna? Hav you done a video on the super antenna yet, I’m thinking about buying one?

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

I don’t have a super antenna. A few friends have had it and did not like it.

Yea I just smacked my forehead and was like I bet my ft2dr has one. Lol

Did you just call me a squirrel? haha

Could you also agree that an antenna analyzer wouldn't be needed for a basic 2m/70cm or even just single band setup with an antenna that is pre-tuned and designed for the band you need? Every time I talk about putting an antenna up somewhere for a ham setup I have a friend/fellow ham that insists I would need an antenna analyzer. To my knowledge, a basic SWR/watt meter would do the trick for a basic tech-class setup.

@HamRadioCrashCourse

4 жыл бұрын

If you’re using off the shelf antennas and radios on vhf/uhf yeah absolutely. You don’t need an anlyzer

@gsaldana22

4 жыл бұрын

Ok, as I expected. Thanks for the reply! I'm from Avalon and frequent the Catalina 2m repeater. CARA links their 2m, 6m, 220, and 440 repeaters from 6-9am every morning. Drop in and say hi if you get the chance! 73, K6GLS