JR,
I have also run the FC-40 as well as SGCs' and SEA couplers. One
thing I have noticed is that the couplers sometimes have a problem
with 1/2 wavelength wires. I would either take off about 10' of wire
or add about 10' of wire on the radiating element. I have run the
FC-
40 with a 9' whip and also with 48' of wire with pretty good
success.
Let us know how it works
out.
Thanks,
Mike-KB5OZE
--- In YaesuTuner@yahoogroups.com,
"jay_hendershott"
wrote:
>
> Thanks for all
the helpful information. I have found a combination
> that works pretty
well although I still cannot tune 75/80 meters.
I
> am really
baffled though about the current ground setup. The
ground
> I have
in plave is the original 4' long rebar. It is approximately
> 15 feet
away from the tuner with a 12 guage wire running from the
> tuner to
the rebat. I am able to tune 160, 40, 20 up to 6 meters.
I
> can
not tune 80 or 30 meters. I thought the rebar was to far from
> the
tuner so I drove a 5 foot chunk of copper pipe into the ground
> right
below the tuner. Testing afterward showed that I could only
> tune 20
meters through 6 meters. I am baffled by this. Clearly
the
> copper
tube and shorter ground wire should function better that the
> rebar
and 15 feet of wire or is the long ground wire to the rebar
> acting
like a counterpoise? I tried running counterpoises with the
> copper
pipe but they seemed to make no difference. I am limited on
>
counterpoise because the tuner is located in my crawl space. It
> would
not be easy for me to move the tuner outside. I made a few
> contacts
over the weekend, one being a station in Tokyo, Japan so I
> cannot
complain but I would like to get 75/80 meters back. One
> poster noted
the addition of a capacitior in series with the output
> wire. How
should I determine size and rating of the capacitior?
> Again thanks
for the help, it has been a learning experience so
far.
>
>
--- In YaesuTuner@yahoogroups.com,
"wb0m" wrote:
> >
> > Is there anyway to move
the coupler outside the house? Your
antenna
> > starts at the
coupler, which means you are probably getting RFI
and
> > such
from a couple of thing: your antenna is radiating next to
all
>
the
> > wires in the house and your ground my not be sufficient. Is
the
> ground
> > rod driven into the dirt? And copper will
work better than rebar.
> > Your long wire antenna sounds fine in
length, but you still need a
> > counterpoise of some sort. Also,
there my be high voltage at the
end
> > of the antenna so if
anyone can come in contact with it, you might
> > move it up out of
the way. - Jeff/wb0m
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --- In YaesuTuner@yahoogroups.com,
"jay_hendershott"
> wrote:
> > The antenna
starts off at the corner of my
> > > fence which is about 5' up
from the ground. It then runs
> straight to
> > > the top
peak of my house which is about 30'+ high. This run is
> about
>
> > 65'. The wire passes through a ceramic insulator then it comes
> down
> > > to the left corner of my house were it is
looped in a ceramic
> > > insulator. It then passes through the
wall to the tuner which
is
> > > inside the crawl space. The
tail from the insulator to the
tuner
> is
> > > about
14 inches long. I have buried a 4' long piece of rebar
> into
the
> > > moist dirt of the crawl space. I attached a ground rod
lug and
a
> > > piece of 12 guage wire from the tuner to the
lug. One question
I
> have
> > > , does distance from
ground rod to tuner matter? After some
> testing
> > > last
night I confirmed again that I cannot tune 80 or 30
meters.
>
I
> > > have also picked up rfi in one tv and the surround sound
of
> another.
> > > This was not a problem with my OCF.
Hope this helps, I will be
> > > experimenting more today. Thanks
again.
> > >
> > > 73
> > >
> >
> JR
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hi JR,
> > > > You shouldn't have to do anything to the tuner. This
tuner,
> or more
> > > > accurately, antenna coupler, is
a great tuner when used
> correctly
> > > > (similar to
Icom's AH-4. and SCG couplers).
> > > > We need more info on
your antenna. You said you're have
about
> 90'of
> > >
> wire, but how is it set up, i.e. long wire, inverted L, etc.)
>
and most
> > > > importantly, what are you using for a
counterpoise?
> > > > And the coax is fine. The SWR from the
tuner to your radio
> will
> > > > (almost) always be
around 1.5 to 1 so loss should low, even
with
> > > >
longer lengths.
> > > > I will also e-mail a PDF on antenna's
from the SCG company.
> It's very
> > > > good reading.
I use an AH-4 with a vertical loop, about 200'
of
> wire.
>
> > > Keep asking questions and we'll help. 73, Jeff/wb0m
>
> > >
> > >
> >
>
