Ape, I have to commend you sir. I recenlty passed my extra, and I'll be honest 99% of the material is over my head and I defaulted to memorization of the answers. I did really well on the exam (49/50), but still can't grasp most of the covered concepts. With you, I have been slowly having more and more, "Ah-Hah" moments when things are starting to click! Keep up the great work!

Solid work, cited sources, not FUD off the internet. Good work, son!

Awesome info on SWR! It was confusing to me when I first got my license, but over the years I understand it better. 73!

I just picked up a FC-50 at ham fest yesterday for $200 for my FT-891 just an addition to my two LDG tuners

You (yet again) are at the rescue of a new HAM YL...thank you for this video!

Thanks for continuing to Spread The Word! Here’s my Literal Technical breakdown on Antenna’s, Feedline, Tuner’s and other matching circuits/components (based upon my readings of ARRL Publications back in the 70’s, and to date)… and the disagreements inherent in there use/misuse today... The Antenna is the Radiating (and intentionally added reflecting / directing when appropriate) element(s) that shapes its Radiation (/Reception) Pattern. You “Tune” an antenna by making its physical characteristics Resonant to a ¼, ½… wavelength before its feedpoint connects to attached or external Impedance Matching Device like a Balun or “Tuner”, or length of feedline (impedance transforming or not). If impedance matching is designed into the physical “antenna’s” design, as with a Yagi, G5RV... its an Antenna System (radiator(s) + additional impedance matching circuit(s)). IF the Antenna is Not sized in this way its NonResonant and therefore Does Not Need “Tuning”, it needs its Impedance Matched to the feedline and/or radio’s Impedance. NOTE: The G5RV “Antenna” is based upon the 102’ NonResonant flattop design that was used for years before Louis Varney added the feedline impedance matching section for Coax’s impedance that made it even more popular as a System. The term “Antenna Tuner” as typically used is a misnomer for an Adjustable Impedance Matching circuit. It in no way “Tune’s” an antenna. It could be said to make your antenna In Tune (as “In Harmony”) with your radio if you want to be Philosophical, not Technical, but I’m not naval gazing here. An UNUN is used to Transform the Impedance of an Unbalanced antenna to an Unbalanced feedline. A BALUN is used to Transform the Impedance of a Balanced antenna to an Unbalanced feedline. Your Feedline connects your antenna to your radio, and is Only part of the Antenna when it Radiates Signal changing/affecting the antenna elements Radiation Pattern, Unintentionally (like with CMC (common mode current)) or Intentionally (like by using a Current Choke at a distance from the feedpoint to Counterpoise your antenna (think an endfed’s counterpoise)). Your Feedline Is a part of the Antenna System as it can change the impedance's seen at the radio based upon its length and the frequency's of operation. The Antenna System consists of all of the Above (and other things not mentioned, external to the radio) that couples/connects, modifies, and/or radiates your signal after the radio itself. Confusion and disagreements come from Not using these Terms as Standardized. IOW Hams are usually arguing Definitions NOT Technical Issues. And that’s a shame. 73 mike Philosophical section… Dubito, Ergo Cogito, Ergo Sum. (I Doubt, Therefore I Think, Therefore I Am.) - Descartes

Nicely done Ape! Well explained and your dry sense of humour would go down a storm here in the UK. Best 73.

Nice work Sir Ape. I am one of them there ladder line users, I like tuners that take the open line directly.

Another great video! Always enjoy watching your stuff. 73! 😎

Some more great info Ape, keep up the good work!

Good stuff Mr. The Smokin Ape, thanks for sharing another very interesting and informative video. I always look forward to your videos because I learn so much from you.

Thank you so much The Smokin Ape! I really enjoy your videos!

Thanks. I've been working thru a lot of your videos, they help to clarify and reinforce what I'm learning as I progress up the Ham food chain! 🙂Currently studying for my General and enjoying my Tech privileges!

Another very informative video. Mr. Ape. Thank you for creating and posting it.

Awesome video! Thank you, sir. This came at the perfect time for me!

Good video, as usual. Thank you!

I appreciate how these videos are super informative and well-delivered, while still containing subtle humor.

Thanks! Great video!

LOL, I always liked to say the G90 is an amazing tuner with a 20W radio. Great explanations and overviews, Ape.

Ape, Great stuff here. Even though this is a technical discussion regarding a trans-match (ATU), you kept it very simple to understand. Thanks for your efforts and research on this subject. I just finished reading two books on impedance matching. You hit the nail right on the head. Bravo!

Big thumbs up for this. I for one call these matching units or make my radio happy.

Very, very good info

Good info Ape!

Love your intro. I agree as a new technician ham I deserve a quality,fun filled and fulfilling experience. I demand satisfaction and by golly I will have it! 73 😅

Just started using ladder line. Made a 1:1 Guanella (Choke) Balun to use with my tuner. Works great! Now, off to read that article!

👍Thank you sir.

Thanks!

Love my LDG-AT100ProII. It's a must have Tool if you work with Multi Band Antennas which are non resonant. Tnx for the Video, Ape. Happy Sunday & 73 de Your Friend Uncle Günter 🙋‍♂

Ape, A lot of this sort of thing comes from way back in the days of valve (tube) radios that were used on HF frequencies. Resonant antennas were extremely important, as they were not as forgiving as solid-state RF final amplifiers. You would have to tune your antenna and your final amp to prevent damage to your expensive Drake or whatever HF rig. Modern solid state transceivers just shut down with High SWR. I remember using an old HF rig in 1988 and all of a sudden, it was like a bullet went through the two final amp valves, after I'd changed bands and forgot to trim the grid voltage/current thing. Top video, mate.

Just to clarify, is it better to have the tuner in the shack, or remote (right before the antenna)? It would seem to be better in the shack to avoid any line complications that may exist if the tuner was right at the antenna input. Thanks.

Hmmmm just ordered one a week ago, tossed up which one to get. LDG or MFJ ? After much faffing about pulled the trigger on a MFJ 993b, after advice from other hams. Just hoping it does the business. A bit of quality control before firing it up. 😂 cheers for this video

So if an amp is used, where do you put the tuner?

Why would an SWR meter reading be lower and closer to 1:1 when a coax switch is put between the SWR meter and the outgoing coax to the antenna?

On my tuner, the reflected needle pegs out every time. I can’t seem to get it down.

So many factors affecting SWR…

THANKS Ape! 1st for not trying to sell anything but common sense brother! And thank you for not absurdly proposing reflect combines to increase my power output.... thats flat earth talkin crazy stuff. Or they been smoking the heavy ganja. Im old and lazy so my antennas are mostly not resonated for anything but absolute non resonant... an inverted L random wire that tunes up from 160 to 10m FM. Its at a height to let me get local skip at 40, DX at all the WARC and 20. My logic comes from physics and my lil ol tuner in the 991a gets me 80 watts before losses. Into LMR 600 and a good 4 to 1 UNUN. Thats from ciphering and great charts made with math, loving 86' with 25' up going N-S. 80 flat wont tune...suspect its from math. My logbook proves the math and physics just like you said and if the flat resonators object they can dig up Maxwell and Kirchoff and argue with their corpses. Opinions are like flatulence. We all have them and they all stink. Yet the hobby breeds the fools and trolls and the growing breed of salesmen disguising greed as hobby helping videos. You are an absolute rockstar and because of your integrity I would trust any buying advice, or mostly as you offer building advice. Tip of the hat to best tuber in the hobby. My used 949e is coming, paid 70 bucks and will watch your videos to understand it. We trust you brother! Craig

Rosetta Stone! lol 😂

Desperately waiting for FT8 comments......

High Swr High Grocery prices HIgh fuel prices HIgh Medication Prices Time to go hit the punching bag. lol

What is SWR? Standing Wave Ratio is a ratio. It's a ratio of the maximum power standing along the line to the minimum along the line. That's all it is. What is Reflected Power? It's a misnomer. Power doesn't go up or down the coax. Power is dissipated in the resistivity of the wires in the transmission lines, resistivity of the antennas, and hopefully the radiation resistance. Reflected power creates the SWR, but it is not SWR. Trees create apples, but trees aren't apples. Power only exists where it's dissipated. Voltages and currents travel up and down the coax. What is a resonate antenna? It's an antenna that, at a specific frequency, has it's inductive reactances canceled by the capacitive reactances. You will experience a 2:1 SWR with a resonate 100 ohm antenna in a 50 ohm antenna system. Matched Antenna? A resonate antenna where the antenna radiation resistance and resistive losses add up to the antenna system impedance. Remote ATU's are used to tune the antennas because ATU's only tune antennas. If you have a lot of uncancelled reactances on your antenna, then your ATU at the transmitter will tune your transmission line and antenna into one big antenna. The antenna with reactances will create an AC power factor like a big 'o AC motor. Capacitors are used on large motors to cancel the inductances and put more power into the motor by getting the current and voltage in phase. We need to do that at the antenna feedpoint to make the antenna dissipate maximum power into space and make more contacts. The diagram you show pretending there's a 2:1 SWR shows the antenna with the mismatch. Here's what happens. In an ideal world with a 2:1 SWR, you have a 50 ohm transmitter and a 100 ohm resonate antenna, 50 + 100 = 150. If we have an internal RF voltage source of 141V then 141/150=0.94A. I squared R = 88.36W. If we have a 50 ohm resonant antenna, that 141V reference voltage gets dropped over 100 ohms. 50 ohm antenna and a 50 ohm radio. No transmission line here. 141 divided by 100 ohms is now 1.41A. 1.41 squared multiplied by that 50 ohm antenna is just almost 100W. So that's about a 0.54 dB offset. This is where our reflected power exists. This is where we don't use a tuner. When you use a tuner, and it's tuned for a perfect match, there are no reflected waves. The coax will radiate to make up the difference but there's no back and forth bouncing. The back and forth bouncing has everything to do with not having a tuner in there. You are improving and you have a lot to learn yet, SA. I'm cutting this short. I've got pets to take care of and I need to enjoy my Sunday.

I would add . A tuner that can handle legal limits should be better made and able to handle more screw ups

I like resonant aerials, 5 h/b attic dipoles for 20m to 10m and h/b outdoor 60m inverted vee squashed into my tiny garden. Indoor h/b 2 element collinear for 2m. For lower frequencies I made an indoor Joystick copy with 26' of wire and an MFJ 160-10 tuner so the single wire goes straight into the tuner SO239 socket. I was given the tuner as not working, one re-soldered joint needed.The tuner MAKES the system work. Like if you had a centre or base coil loaded vertical to MAKE it work but I'd prefer resonant aerials, coils don't radiate well. Resonant aerials must be more efficient. G4GHB.

😂😂

I don't need any antenna tuners because I only use resonant antennas. (just messin with you)

FT8 operator and ruining ham radio”, 😂

Too damn high!

Ft8 operater and ruining ham radio. 🤣😂🤣😂👍