A remote antenna tuner installed at the base of the vertical provides the best match to the coaxial
cable and will reduce SWR and power losses in the cable. Unfortunately, if you’ll be using power
levels above 200 watts or so, the choice of rugged, weather resistant tuners is almost nonexistent.
Yes, you can use an automatic tuner built for indoor use outdoors if you install it in a weather
resistant housing but it really isn’t the ideal way to go.
Another solution for QRO operation is to use a matching transformer at the base of the antenna
and put the tuner in the ham station. If you already have a good tuner available, this may be the
best solution.
Using the matching transformer
The matching transformer for multiband verticals should be used when operating this antenna on
160 through 10 meters. We supply a mounting plate for the matching transformer with your
vertical. If used, you can fold the antenna down without disconnecting the wires between the
matching transformer and the antenna. With a bit of planning you can set up your antenna so that
you do not need to disconnect the feedline, radials or matching transformer to antenna
connection to fold the antenna down.
We can supply you with the proper matching transformer for
your application. Please call for pricing.
ANTENNA TUNERS
A good quality antenna tuner should be used with this vertical.
The Palstar AT-2K is the tuner of
choice.
Most rigs with built in antenna tuners should have no problem with matching this vertical
on 80 to 10 meters if the radio power only will be used. Internal tuners in some radios may only
provide a match over a narrow range on 160 meters. If your tuner is in the ham shack and doesn’t
match the antenna on a particular band, try adding 10 to 25 feet of coax on the station end using
a barrel connector and try matching again. Sometimes, certain lengths of coax cable will cause
an antenna to not match on one or more bands. This is function of the length of the coax cable
NOT a design defect in the antenna itself. See almost any ARRL Antenna Book for a discussion
of feed line lengths and proper coax use.
Maintenance
One critical piece of maintenance on this antenna is to make sure the weep hole (located a few
inches above the green insulator at the base) remains open. This hole allows water (rain) or
condensation that builds up on the inside surfaces of the antenna to drain away.
Do not block
this hole with electrical tape!
In order to provide the strongest possible joint at the insulator, the
insulator is machined to precisely fit into the first tube of the vertical. The fit is tight enough that it
is essentially a water resistant joint. Water that builds up in the antenna can freeze in colder
climates and damage the antenna so be sure to keep the weep hole clear.
It is also a good idea to examine all the bolts and nuts every three to six months to make sure
nothing has worked loose. If your area is subject to frequent high winds examination of the
antenna on a more frequent basis is strongly recommended.
Also be sure to keep weeds and tree branches from coming in contact with the vertical portion of
the antenna. High voltages are present on the antenna during operation, even at the 100-watt
power level.
