Why would I need an antenna analyzer?

I’ve heard hams say, “I’ve done just fine with my trusty SWR meter… why would I need an antenna analyzer?” Well, a good quality SWR meter will show you just that: SWR. But an antenna analyzer gives you so much more information about your antenna system than just the SWR. Many factors are important to having the most efficient antenna whether you are buying a commercially made product or building your own. An SWR meter will keep you guessing as to where your...

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4 Common Errors in Amateur Radio HF Stations

Maybe it’s a lack of training, or maybe ham radio dealers should make it easier for hams buying their first HF radio to understand what all they’re going to need to complete their HF station, but there are four areas of an HF station that are commonly neglected: SWR meter on an Icom IC-7100A 1) No SWR meter. A good SWR meter that covers the bands on which you operate is an essential tool and it’s not something that should be put away after the antenna...

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Do I really need an external antenna tuner?

A lot of amateur radio operators question why they would want an external antenna tuner if their radio already has one built in? A better question might be, “Why do radio manufacturers put an autotuner in the radio that will only tune an antenna that is already resonant?” That’s right: check the specs on your $5,000 piece of cutting edge HF technology and you’ll probably find that it will only tune antennas that have an SWR as high as 3:1. Heck, most...

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