An Easy Trap to Fall Into (when using an “antenna tuner”) #hamradio #learning #tips #hf #antenna

Note: This is a video from www.PATREON.com/N4HNH. It was available to Patreon team members over a month ago. It is now being made available for public viewing. Patreon team members have access to exclusive content. Some content is eventually released for public viewing. There is an easy trap to fall into when it comes to the use of an “antenna tuner.” If you have watched many videos on my channel, you know that I prefer to call them “antenna matching units.” An antenna matching unit (aka transmatch) is an impedance-matching network. It cancels reactive components (capacitive or inductive) presented by the antenna + feedline combination and transforms the resistive part to ~50 Ω. This allows efficient power delivery from the transmitter. Reflected energy from the antenna is mostly sent back to the antenna (via re-reflection at the transmatch), where a portion gets radiated on each pass. The net result is that most of the transmitter's output power eventually radiates (minus normal feedline, tuner component, and antenna losses). Without the tuner, you might deliver less total power and/or risk damaging the radio. The trap? It has happened to me. It happened when I was on the phone helping someone troubleshoot, and I couldn’t see their radio. This video will show the trap and hopefully it will save you the frustration of falling into the same trap. Note that most of the operating techniques I show and teach on my channel can be applied to other transceivers, even other brands of transceivers. Some knobs or buttons might be labeled differently but the function is the same. I have no allegiance to Yaesu. No manufacturer makes a perfect radio. They all have strengths and they all have weaknesses. I like to point those out. Yaesu thinks that I am targeting them, but I am not. In fact, they generally have the fewest weaknesses. It’s just that I want my viewers to know the good, the bad, and the ugly, so they can make informed purchase decisions. I am able to be objective because I have no allegiance to a particular manufacturer. My work is supported by private donations, via www.PATREON.com/N4HNH. These are people who have supported the channel via Patreon membership. I call those who have supported the channel on a long-term basis “Long-haulers”. Without their support, I cannot bring my viewers uncensored content. Most videos are visible to Patreon team members long before they are released for public viewing. Some videos are never released for public viewing. S7 (Executive) and S9 (VIP) members who subscribe yearly have access to the menu optimizations guides I’ve written for the FT-891, FT-991A, FTdx5000MP, FTdx101D/MP, FTdx10, and FT-710 AESS. S7 (Executive) members who subscribe annually can request one menu optimizations guide. Annual S9 (VIP) members can request multiple guides, plus my FT8 configuration guide for either the FTdx10 or the FT-710 AESS. The guides are copyrighted. They shall not be divulged to anyone else without written permission from Doug McAlexander, callsign N4HNH. N4HNH Radio has a Web site where you can purchase T-shirts with some of the sayings you might hear in the videos. Some of the more prominent videos are featured there as well as a page geared toward ham radio training. Go to: https://www.n4hnhradio.com Another great way to help support this channel is to click like and subscribe. 73, de N4HNH