What's Your Favorite Big Tuner?

[Wire Weasel]

Big as in legal limit handling.....

I have owned a couple of the Heathkit SA 2060A's over the years and they always did an outstanding job. Large components, huge sliver plated roller inductor with extra range to go up beyond 30 mhz. I've always used an 80 meter horizontal loop for my all-band HF antenna, and the 2060 would always tune the loop up onto 6 meters at 50 mhz.

Their stoutness and capabilities is affirmed by the way they've held their value too. When last made, in the early 80's I think, they sold for right at $300 I believe....and they are still reselling for even over $400 many times these days. If you're looking for a big HF tuner and can find one for under $300....BUY IT !! You won't be sorry. Would be advisable to find out from the seller that it is 100% working with no issues. Some performance depends on that the original purchaser - builder, put the thing together well and correctly. Being a Heathkit after all, it was a kit and had to be assembled by the original purchaser.

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

My favourite tuner is the one I haven't built yet. A pair of Jennings vacuum varibles of 1000 pF each and a huge silver plated edge wound 3/8 inch ribbon inductor. :drool: I can't decide to build it right into my RCA BTA-1S converted broadcast transmitter or in a separate outboard cabinet.Here are the components I have to use along with some heavy ceramic switches not pictured.

 

[Moleculo]

Boy QRN, you sure have access to some neat stuff. Any time you feel like building something just for the heck of it and decide you don't want it, let me know. I sure I can find a use for it

 

[Captain Kilowatt]

That's OK mole. I am a "greenie" and like to recycle things including RF projects. I'm also greedy. That coil came from an antenna tuning unit at an old AM site and the caps are from a Continental 10 Kw AM transmitter that was scrapped.The roller inductors came from an old Harris 20 Kw FM transmitter that was also scrapped. I'm thinking I will built it into a separate cabinet and that way I can use it either as a regular tuner or cart it off to the basement and use it as the final Pi network in the RCA tx.

 

[W5LZ]

MOLE'!
You know better! I am the one who does the begging around here. You better watch out!
- 'Doc


And having made that clear...

I think I've had one of most of the older tuners at one time or another. The one that's still around is a 'Dentron' MT3000A. The second one actually, wore out the first one. I've found that with how I usually do things, bigger is definitely better. Not because of power levels, but because I make mistakes, sort of. I honestly haven't found anything this Dentron can't get at least 'close' with, sort of. Part of that is because I've made enough mistakes, wasted enough of them tuners, that I don't get as 'carried away' with dumb things... most of the time.
- 'Doc

 

[Moleculo]

What I have for "big" doesn't compare with what QRN has in mind I use an Ameritron ATR-30 for legal limit+

 

[74IN]

What is the loss with tuners?

Is it cheaper to use more wire for dipoles when able?

 

[W5LZ]

A tuner does have some losses, but in general, those losses are less than other methods of matching transmitter to the antenna system. It's exactly like using a transformer to change voltages to what's needed for some particular device. There are losses when doing that, but they generally aren't that much, and it certainly beats feeding 120 vac to a 9 volt DC doo-hicky. Using a tuner with one antenna to cover a wide range of frequencies is certainly better than not covering those frequencies at all, right? Of course, having an antenna for each range would probably be better still, if it's practical. And another thing about using tuners is that having a larger/longer than needed antenna is 'better' than one too short. that's cuz the capacitors in that tuner 'shorten' a 'too-long' wire, and if the wire is too short, there's probably not going to be as much 'coil' as needed. Large coils are... large, a matter of size, sort of, and probably ain't gonna fit in that box. [And, no, that isn't really how the capacitors and coil(s) work in a tuner, but it's one way of getting the idea across.]
Using tuners is a matter of restriction and convenience. They make things easier to do, if you don't have the room for everything you wish you did. There's always a 'cost', the 'cost' with tuners is the $$ to start with, and a little bit of loss of signal. If both of those things are within your 'budget', then why not? Tuners can't 'cure' everything, but they can sure make a lot of 'ills' feel better.
- 'Doc

 

[bioman]

i'm running a vectronics HFT1500 Vectronics that i'm pretty pleased with

scott

 

[Sniper]

Use a Dentron MT-2000A here. Tunes everything I have and does a real decent job.

 

[n8fgb]

Johnson KW Matchbox. Nuff said.
Rich

 

[W5LZ]

Please don't misunderstand, but the Johnsom Matchbox series of tuners are not quite as versatile as some of the others. They are limited to the 'regular' ham bands, no Warc bands, unless they are modified a little bit. Of course, when they were in production, there weren't any Warc bands so who would expect it, right? Several ways of doing that but the simplest is by adding a few switched capacitors to widen their range. They were especially good with parallel feed lines! Also a 'common' type feed line in those days. I liked the idea of that 'link coupling' instead of a balun.
- 'Doc

If you should ever decide to give yours away... that ain't gonna work, is it?

 

[HiDef]

Balanced Balanced tuna here.

Clip lead to the patio furnature.

Run a 1/4 wavelength dipole.

Works great if you use good components.

Not easy to set up initially but well worth the effort.

More people should build tuners. They are not too difficult and there is a lot of money to be saved.

 

[Lazybones1222]

dentron Super tuner here, but it is only good for a thousand at most.

S

 

[BJ radionut]

Tuners vs. The Antenna

There are good ones and bad when it comes to production made units.
I think the Antenna(s) you are going to use them with is the biggest factor in deciding what to buy or build.

1. What is the highest output power in continuous carrier you will operate through the tuner?

Tuners rated in PEP (like MFJ) can typically only handle about 50% of the total PEP rating in continuous duty...ie: slow speed CW or AM.
I have repaired several 300 watt PEP units that smoked with only a 150 watts and even less carrier put to them while op's have just been "tuning up"

2. Antenna(s) to be used...How a unit preforms diffidently is affected by what it is trying to tune...ie: random wire/dipole/loop/vertical/ using either coax or balanced feeders...etc...
If you say all the above a "T" match or Pi network with a Balun would be a choice...

Are the antennas feed with open wire feeders/ Ladder Line or Twin lead only...then best to pick a Link Coupled or a Double "L" configuration

I use a Double "L"...Palstar makes a dandy...but wooo pricey! I built mine
The Johnson Matchbox is link coupled but the tuning ranges are limited unless some modifications are done.
Johnson rated their tuners in Continuous Carrier AM service...this is why they are still very sought after these days.

Random wires and "vertical sticks" can be tuned very simply with an "L" network.
This is the simplest and lowest cost tuner to build...
I have even used an "L" for tuning coax feed antennas.

There has been many multi-purpose tuners produced, several have been noted here...

Heathkit 2040/2060...very nice and hefty if built correctly

Johnson/Nye Viking...very hefty...well constructed

Palstar...most likely the best on market today!

Dentron...MT2000A/3000A/Super Tuner 3K(one big box with a meter top center)

Murch(I think)....The ultimate trans-match(from ARRL handbook)...roller inductor...versions for coax or balanced line

Ameritron/Amp Supply...very similar...the KW+ versions and above seem to preform well

So many choices...so many antennas...gee what to pick?
Hmmm!

Qrn...I like it!!!

All the Best
BJ