As the title implies, as before I'm looking for your thoughts on a Tuner for my evolving EMCOMM Box.  I will be utilizing a Kenwood TS-50S for HF. Like the Previous Post cost is a continued factor, as well as portability and minimal draw on system.

.... thanks in advance!

Small and low draw means manual tuner to me, but it depends on what you want to tune.  I have one of these that I used before I bought an auto tuner and it works, it's just not as nice as an auto tuner:  MFJ 901B

Thanks HarryStone...shoulda mentioned the auto-tune factor...was browsing the MFJ site a moment ago

I think LDG is the king of small auto tuners.  I haven't used one though.  I'm thinking about that little auto tuner that SGC makes, I'll let you know how it goes if I end up buying one.

Many of the auto tuners have latching relays and only draw power while tuning.

In the planning stages of my own cool-guy radio box I've considered this problem at length. It would appear to me that the best tuner is no tuner at all. Why take the size, weight and power hit? Instead, why not deploy an antenna that can be tuned merely by adjusting it's size, like the Yo-Yo-Tenna? It's a nice, lightweight, dipole, just what the doctor ordered for such things. You can deploy it as a flat dipole or a vee. A little practice and you can mark the exact lengths to pull it out to for each band.

FWIW my initial planning stages envision some easy sheet metal work to hold an IC7000 with a battery behind it in sort of a pseudo man-pack arrangement that can be easily dropped into something like a Maxpedition Pygmy Falcon backpack. An AGM12-18 from Powerwerx should match the radio size nicely. I'm going to make it about an inch wider than the radio on both sides so the antenna and external power connections can be brought to the front, military style. I'll also create a matching box with a Samlex and Powergate as a base "docking station". Should be able to fit those in the exact same form factor. A few small rubber blocks on the back, handles on the front and some olive drab Krylon will make it stylin'

The small LDG tuners are low draw, work well, up to 10:1 SWR corrected down, and have latching relays.  Nothing when not actually tuning.  If the LDG won't tune, it can't be tuned with a manual either.  You won't find a manual tuner anywhere near as small as the LDG tuners.

Ive got the LDG Z100 and havent had any problems yet.



There ya go, you asked, I answered.

post pichers

SG-230.....tunes a random wire from 10 to 80 feet, or a dipole or loop. They're bulletproof and adaptable if one ever needs to set up a portable makeshift antenna that actually works.



I have an LDG 1000 Pro sitting on the shelf. It's less than adequate for my needs.

Kind of big for a go-box though.  That's why I'm thinking about adding a 237 to my collection

I have one in a case of it's own.

What's all that stuff on top of it?

cables.





 

Antenna stuff.  It's technical.  You don't need to know.

har har chuckleheads

Reckon LDG will win out!  Hamfest here in 2 weeks, gonna wait till I see what is for sale there, Unless PCSutton wants to send me his that is collecting dust on the shelf

Thanks Guys, More EMCOMM Box questions to come!

The black box is the seperator for the current over coax. It takes the power off the coax and sends it to the tuning circuit. I have it's counterpart in my case. It inserts the tuning power onto the coax.



The silver box is a polyphaser. It has a fusible link that shunts lightning to ground before it goes through the tunner. It drains static from the antenna elements too.

Where do you hide the flux capacitor?





 

That's 'need to know'.

Ben Dover.  

another vote for LDG

You LDG fans do realize that their 'tuners' merely fool your radio into 'seeing' an optimum load at the expense of your TX power don't you?



You also realize that an SGC unit like the SG-230 is an antenna 'coupler' unit and matches the TX signal to the antenna?

Antenna "couplers” are placed at the antenna and precisely match conditions of the antenna to the feed line.



Antenna "tuners,” on the other hand, are generally located at the transmitter output at the radio end of the coaxial feed line.



Do not be confused by the term "coupler” or "tuner.”

A tuner placed at the transmitter fools a transmitter into working correctly....at the expense of your radiated power.

A coupler installed at the antenna eliminates feed line losses by providing a proper match of the antenna to the feed line. The SGC Smartuner is a true antenna coupler.

Yep, and you can get sort of the best of both worlds by running balanced line from the SGC to a balanced antenna.  I have my 230 under the carport so it's out of the weather and use a short run of 450 ohm window line to the feedpoint of my loop.  It works great.  

Yes

I suspect every ham here realizes it.

Who cares.

I've talked to Russia on 5 watts

sometimes, an LDG is just what the doctor ordered.

I've had two, and they worked great.

OP wants cheap, and small to match his emergency TS-50

Well, OK. Fine. It's good of you to speak for every ham here.



I, too, have made contacts on low power. To coin your interrogative, "Who cares?"



That's great if you can put up an antenna that allows you to get 5 watts effective radiated power out in an emergency. Ever work a real emergency?



The emergency scenarios I've been involved in seldom have convenient supports for stringing up a dipole. Most times one has to make due with whatever is at hand. That said, I'd much rather be able to run a random wire antenna in the best place possible and get on the air with 90% effective radiated power than worry about hanging a dipole from non-existent supports to get out 5 watts....and congratulate myself on how small the antenna tuner unit is.



I really wasn't trying to step on anyone's dick. I was trying to point out the differences in 2 pieces of equipment for emergency use. If I did step on somebody's dick....maybe they shouldn't leave it laying around.

Here's my unsolicited opinion... (tucks package out of harms way).
I have 2 tuners I use regularly.  An LDG IT-100 for the IC-7200, and the internal one on the IC-703+.  They both work well for me, operating QRO or QRP.  I'd like to get the most out of my antennas, but for me, the $550 price of the SG-230 is too cost prohibitive compared to the $170 price of the IT-100.  Both of these are Universal Radios current selling prices.  This is from a guy with an unnecessary $300 paint job.    

But de paint sooo sexxxyy!!

I have to vote for the LDG or similar.   Cheap,  easy to use.  A manual tuner may be a little cheaper but I think in an emergency simple is best.  I try to take antennas that are close to resonant. In a perfect situation a resonant antenna will work best, but you can't always put them up so they work perfect. The LDG will make your radio work with any small mismatch.  I know the equipment pcsutton has recommended is good.   But too expensive for most.  I have been using variations of offcenter fed dipoles for 30 years.   They will tune many bands without a tuner.  I don't think you will find any antenna that will tune all across 80/75 meters perfect.   A cheap tuner will allow you to match the impedance so you can use whatever freq may be needed.  Although I do use the IC-703 for a lot of my portable use I think my IC-7000 would be a better choice in an emergency situation.  



IC-703

Pluses, requires low power,  can operate for may hours on a7 AH battery,  Built in tuner that is very good.  excellent receive

Minuses,  power may be too low for tough situations.

IC-7000

pluses,  High power, excellent receive,  super noise blanker.(big help for mobile or generator operation)

minuses,  can't operate battery very long with full power.  cut power to 10 to 20 watts and can have many of the 703 benefits. no internal tuner so one more piece of equipment to carry.



These are the 2 rigs that I have that are excellent portable rigs.  Yaesu, Kenwood and others have some too so take your pick.  Only comment I will make about the choice is that in my experience I think that the IC-7000 has the best noise blanker of all that I have tried and may be best if you could be operating in an area with high ignition noise.  That being said,   get what you like and can afford.  I won't bitch about your radio if I need to work with you in an emergency.  but it is ok to bitch if I have to use it at field day and don't like it

Run a resonant antenna and be done with a tuner altogether.

I have the LDG It-100 and it works great.  

But with a manual tuner you also need a SWR meter in order to adjust the tuner.  With the LDG automatic tuner the built in circuitry checks SWR and adjusts accordingly.  Though it would be nice to know just what the SWR is, in reality you don't need to know, only that the tuner has tuned, and from the resulting LED flashes, whether or not a successful tune was accomplished.

I always hear people say this when discussing tuners, but particularly for a portable, temporary situation, that is not always possible, nor practical.  Particularly if there is a time element involved.  A tuner will allow one antenna to work on not only the whole band it is made for, but often it will allow use of other bands.  For example, using a 20 meter dipole on 17 and 15 meters, too.  A tuner will allow a dipole cut for the middle of the 80/75 meter band to work the entire band.  

Get the antenna close and touch up with the tuner.  

Particularly for a Portable / Emergency / Field Day application, a tuner is a must have item.

Here's my Field Day rig:



On the left, Samlex SEC-1223 Power Supply, and bolted to the top of that, LDG IT-100 tuner.  On the right, Icom IC-718 HR radio.  There are Anderson Powerpoles to also power the station from 12 volt gel cells (SLA).

Not to mention that a resonant antenna may not be so resonant when you take it to a completely new environment and install it however you can as quickly as possible.  Tuners are always a compromise, but if you know ahead of time that you're going to be forced into a compromise it makes no sense not to prepare for it.

Picked up a NIB/NOS LDG Z-100 today at local hamfest.  guy tossed in the remote cable for a IC703 (useless to me though) $80 cash.  

Ordered thru the WIREMAN: jumpers from radio/tuners to Bulkhead BNC connectors.