How to Use a Ham Radio : How to PreTune a Ham Radio Antenna

[baznet]

you know what I like about Amateur Radio ?

no one swears

its so nice to be able to listen to people with out profanity

[TheZeke1974]

Cant we all just get along????

[BullJones]

Strange how many people are seemingly unable or unwilling to use acceptable language, or even check their spelling. Yet these same people complain about another person's fingernails? Amateur Radio is a very long-lived & respected hobby with very important functions in every single time of trouble and/or disaster. Sadly, there is that faction that thinks more money spent makes the hobby, (& them), better. The only thing this does is drive up the cost for everyone - except us home-brewers!

[93radiopro]

@bben95..the loser I was responding to car costs about 500 bucks and he talks crap about something he knows nothing about. If I'm paying for something that might be overpriced I'd rather for it to be a ham radio than many other things...like gas!

[namdogtag]

You Tube is obligated to eliminate comments with offensive foul language

[ezndatre]

@namdogtag -shut the fuck up!

[93radiopro]

@expertvillage- if you're such an expert, why are you transmitting on 14.350 so your signal can go outside the band..unless you live in Russia or something and you're bootlegging a US callsign. Tune up on 347.5 or 348 next time.

[93radiopro]

@ZXROMEO..I'm not a fat old white guy and I love ham radio. There is nothing to be embarrassed about because when the phones go out, you'll be looking to me to send your family a messege! And besides my radio setup cost more than your car if you have one.

[bben95]

@93radiopro "my radio setup cost more than your car if you have one." shows how much of a rip off ham equipment is.

[ZXROMEO]

Ham Radio...totally embarrassing, then again, if you're an old fat white guy, you probably don't care how idiotic you look and act in public.

[TheZeke1974]

LOL gotta love this hobby! Everyone claiming to be an expert and calling each other names and puting each other down.. No wonder the ham hobby is dying.

[kc8ntp]

fucktard!!!!!!!!!!!

[eogg25]

well after listening to all of the comments, this is what i do always tune at low power or take some time late in the evening or early morning and tune your antenna to the frequencies you like to use, write the positions of the tuner for those frequencies down, most times for solid state rigs close is good enough and for tube finals. QRL and then fine tune.no big deal This should bring flak i use an MFJ 993B and it works great.

[g7txu]

Made From Junk is the polite way of putting it. They actually work slightly better than they look but that still does not recommend them too highly. I speak as a reluctant MFJ-969 user

[Thisisveryreal]

Mother Fucking Junk = MFJ

[realfoneguy]

Te proper way to tune your radio is to switch to a dummy load. I have done this for years on lower power to tune my hybrid Kenwood. I KNOW it presents a perfect mach and so what. I then switch to the antenna and increase the power level and fine tune as I call CQ. The results are my signal will not interfer with those on the air. I am no idiot, I happen to be a good operator and Even for you, I will not transmit or tune up over your QSO. Just because I choose this way does NOT make me an idiot.

[realfoneguy]

You should never tune with a live antenna on the air, you should be tuning and testing into a dummy load.

[g7txu]

@realfoneguy idiot

[realfoneguy]

@g7txu

I have no idea why you would call me an idiot. I made one proper comment and this is what I get? What the hell have I ever done to you? I just remember where the comment came from so it is YOU who is the idiot as you don't even know who i am!! What the hell is your problem?

[g7txu]

@realfoneguy How can you tune for an antenna you're not even connected to? Operators always tune with a live antenna on air, it'e the only way to do it. You don't need to tune for a dummy load, it presents a perfect match. That's the whole point of it.

[realfoneguy]

@g7txu I realize that, I am not stupid, but I have always been taught to tune to a dummy load to get to the frequency you want, you then flip the switch to the antenna. Fine tuning can then be done. Tuning without an ID on the air is illegal. So tell me all you people out there that tune on the air, do you identify while doing so? I thought not. Look people, this is the way I do it with a hybrid. Just because I tune to a dummy load first does not make me wrong. I am aware of what it is and does.

[g7txu]

@realfoneguy So what are you tuning for with a 50 ohm transmitter through a 50 ohm feeder into a 50 ohm dummy load?

Sooner or later you are going to have to connect to your antenna in order to tune to it. Good practice dictates that you do so slightly away from any common calling frequency and obviously any frequency which is currently in use. Naturally you'd do it at the minimum power required to tune and you'd give your callsign perhaps although it's not 'illegal' not to do so.

[eogg25]

@realfoneguy dont let it bother you, he is not a licensed ham anyway. it is just trying to get you mad

[eogg25]

@realfoneguy by using a dummy load, basically you are pretuning your tuner for a specific frequency but when you hook up your antenna, you will still have to tune on the air. the whole idea is to make your antenna look like it is perfectly cut or as close to it as you can get, now if you have a tuner tuner you dont have to be on the air.or take a look how ten tec does it.

[TheZeke1974]

MFJ stuff is ok. I have a few things and they work good.

I dont understand why hams like to look like crap. Unwashed, unshaved and unkept. A normal person takes dim view of hams that look like the guy in the video. We need to clean ourselves up if we want the general public to take us seriously!!!

[lukedoc12345]

0:04-0:19  WHA???????????????

[Iamcartmanxd]

@lukedoc12345 Makes total sense to me.

[lukedoc12345]

@Iamcartmanxd Then you have watched WAY too many videos of this lid. :) 

[Iamcartmanxd]

@lukedoc12345 No. I'm just a Ham and understand basic operating procedure.

[lukedoc12345]

@Iamcartmanxd Are you sure? Thats great...have fun.

[LA9BM]

@testplt

What is your problem? I did not criticize N7QJM so why mention him as a “clueless putz”? Why are you using a language like this? Looking at other comments you produce – “Cut those fucking nails, while you're at it” and “YOU should learn the phonetic alphabet, you putz”. Poor man!

[LA9BM]

I am fed up to see this video whenever I am surfing on YouTube. This video pop up all over when I am surfing for Ham Radio or Amateur Raiod etc.

[kc8dhv]

Kurt, I thought that this video was "How to tune an antenna?" All you did was check the SWR, you should have de-tuned the tuner and ACTUALLY tuned it on the video! You should have just called this video "how to check your SWR!"

[justicerobbie67]

do you have this  freq,

146.820

[mosinman100]

If you broadcast from someone elses station I believe you are to state your call sign and that of the base station ?

[billperk404]

Transmitting right on the band edge, 14350 kc, means he is really transmitting out of band, into a frequency where he should not be transmitting. Bad form for an expert.

[buzizzy]

@billperk404 hehe!!! Your dead right! USB on the top band edge! Even half his CW signal is technically out-of-band... How funny!! Oh well, he is an "ex--spert" of sorts and he does mean well... Just an appliance operator with no real technical understanding. This is typical of hammy ham radio, that is why they are "hams"... They are in no way very technically astute. It used to upset me, but I just dismiss it as status quo now and move on.

[8888888060580]

O god look at those fingernail talk about lazy someone is on the radio to much

[hrbear]

and frequencies "out" of the antenna cable length and the antenna's specifications? Then how one can tune? What part can be changed? The antenna's direction? The antenna's length? I know there is a rotor which can rotate the antenna. The problem is the reflected power, as the guy watches in the reflection meter, which shows him the analogy between watts / reflected power. So, is it possible to change bands and tune easy?

[hrbear]

I have some questions because the video did not totally cover me. One supposed to have a specific antenna with a specific cable length. This cable length must be a complete multiple of the wavelength (λ) which corresponds to a specific frequency range in order not to have reflections and to have the majority of the RF power go out. No, while you can not change the length of the antenna cable (the antenna also is been designed for a frequency range), is it possible then to tune to bands and

[melis256]

@expertcillage

WTF is this crap?!?!?!!?!

Any dummie can tune a radio and you did not even show how to tune it only how to read a SWR meter >:-( which is even easier...

expertvillage, sir you are fu***ng stupid!

[melis256]

lol "expertcillage"

I meant expertvillage

[N0rthwestRadio]

CBRADIOLOVER: My lady is a ham, and she is amazingly hot. Patty Loveless is a ham, so is her husband, and nothing needs to be said about either of them. If you think all Hams are fat old bastage with ulcers you are not paying attention. Alex Lifeson, Joe Walsh, Kenny G, Sir mix-a-lot, Larry Junstrom, Ronnie Milsap, Larnelle Harris, James L. "Lance" Bass, Paul W. Tibbets, Howard Hughes, Art Bell and Priscilla Presley were/are all hams. And they all have beautiful people in their lives. Foolish.

[KrellLab]

I thought that Ham Radio had been outlawed by Homeowners Associations.

Perhaps if you live in remote areas it's still allowed.

[CBRADIOLOVER]

They allow cbs tho cause women like cb'ers cause we're all hot but hams aint.

[buzizzy]

My buddy uses a radio just like Kurts here on Channel 38LSB. The mod was easy but he still did not like the radio as much as his Cobra 2000GTL.

[N0rthwestRadio]

How could he like it? One must operate a Kenwood. Not use it. He did not appreciate it because he didn't understand its capabilities and how to utilize them. And using AM on one takes a bit a smarts to make it happen correctly. Its a pain to some as one must "Insert" a carrier into a SSB signal. It takes some wisdom to make it happen correctly. Have a listen on 3870 Khz sometime. Now that is romantic. Using a TS-130 on CB band is really silly and very illegal anyway.

Take care.

[K9FON]

I used to own a Cobra 2000 GTL that was as close to mint as possible. I loved it!!! I wish i could find another, but most of the ones i see are modded with stupid knobs and switches mounted on the front of the faceplate. I do, however, have a President Madison that was my late uncles. Now thats a nice rig! :-)

[licencefreeham]

@n9qip errr...that's waht happens when you video a multiplexed display. There is notjing wrong

[kurt9399]

Comparing ham radio operators to cb operators generally speaking is like comparing a teacher to a student. (people that know what they are doing and people that think they know what they are doing.) Or a brain surgeon to some one that cuts hair.

[buzizzy]

Do you really think ham radio operators know what they are doing? Good freaking grief! About 1% of them really know what they are doing. The rest just fake it.

[kurt9399]

You may be right 1% or so are PhDs in a related field,and 70 to 95% are trying to increase their knowledge and enjoy the HOBBY. Good grief WAKE UP AND ENTER THE 70 TO 95 %! Stop faking it.

[buzizzy]

@kurt9399 I have never "faked it"... I know just enough to be dangerous. I was just putting the truth out there related to another persons comments. Take a chill pill you hammy ham...

[OH2FFY]

Cleanup aisle 3..

Buzizzy just vomited more crap out of his mouth again.

Cleanup aisle 3..

gregW:-) OH2FFY

[N0rthwestRadio]

kurt9399,

It could also be like comparing a Poet to a Comedian. Both have their talents and merits. I hold an Extra class Lic. and know a lot of Hams. However, I know more old timer CB'ers (some are hams as well) that actually know a lot about radio. More than most Hams. The CB environment is a bit more comical and bust a gut entertaining where ham is a bit more serious and technical. Still, all radio. Still all part of a great hobby.

[N9FE]

Still up to your same old shit hey AL. Using someone else's call sign. Same old bullshit from the 5 year old. What a useless piece of shit you truly are. Grow the fuk up and get a LIFE. Post under your true call KB9DRZ Al the useless piece of shit from madison wi...

[Iamcartmanxd]

@N9FE He lied about his Callsign and his Name? He must not own a gun or be scared crapless about someone breaking into his house.

[CBRADIOLOVER]

cb is way beter, go watch my videos, my band just did a new song about you hams

[CBRADIOLOVER]

cb is way beter than ham. I can prove it, my videos are awesome an show what kinda people them HAMS really are. My new band has a song about HAMS on my videos. CB RULES.

[CapnPuff]

@CBRADIOLOVER Hey douche bag, the only people who use the child band are REACT and truckers....so fuck off.....we are regulated more.....they shouldnt have made cb non-licensed

[CBRADIOLOVER]

Oh please, ham shit is overpriced JUNK, my cobra 2000 could drop the fuckin hammer on yalls 10,000 dollar piece of junk yaesus an kenwoulds....yalls antannas are junk too, an cbers have saved more lifes on channel 19 then any ham. You need to get a clue an watch my videos.

[CapnPuff]

Really? I thought REACT was on channel 9. Go and use your illegal amplifiers and crap. Are antennas are made to a higher standard. The reason ours are high priced is the fact that our operate on a frequency and this frequency needs more equipment to be able to use it. Junk, you must be mistaken for your "radios"....who the hell uses a yaesu...we all use icom .

[TheUncleDougger]

You need to get a clue and realize that men should not sleep with men.

[N0rthwestRadio]

CBRADIOLOVER. that is a pretty silly thing to say. I can precisely bounce my VHF signals off glaciers extending my range. I can talk to Astronauts in orbit. I can place phone calls. Something my old Cobra 2000 could never do. It was a fun lil radio to tinker with, that ole 2000, but it just can not compare to the capabilities of a modern HF rig. PSK, EME, SAREX, AMSAT, and AM on 3970khz, where ground-wave (no skip) is 600+ miles average with 20 watts. Nice. CB is fun, but it just can't compare.

[CBRADIOLOVER]

You need to listen to channel 6 then

[N0rthwestRadio]

CapnPuff, You are incorrect sir. At least not where I live anyway. Some of the most entertaining personalities I have ever known were met via CB. Some I have had decades of friendships with. Maybe CB is boring where you live, but here its like a Comedy club all day long. Have laughed so hard it will make ya sore for days.

[vermontcreekbed]

Who wrote the preface!

[AstroTAC]

NB3K never ID'd on his video either. He kerchunks a few 2 meter machines, but never gives his call. He's on here preaching about no callsigns.

[zeldakix2007]

trim your nails!!!!

[hge1930]

Oh dear , we seem to be short of brotherly love around here . It's only a hobby for God's sake .

[matt9c1]

I hear you HGE1930 and agree, but some anal people just can't get it through their cop wannabe heads that they just need to get a life, and not let these little things bother them. Oh well. Personally, I could care less if the guy ID'd or not. I will not lose sleep over it.

[jortizj100]

Jim gives his call at both the start of the video and ending the video..LISTEN N7QJM...

[Longstreet77]

Good video. Thanks for posting.

[Silentwoody]

Good reflection going out ???????

How about always never

[ve3lty]

Thanks for all your videos ! and taking your own time to explain how this great hobby works ive been licensed now for over 5 years and enjoi it more and more theres so much you can do with amateur radio !! that CB cant compare in any way range shape or form 73 DE VE3LTY

[scottishsanny]

thats the same kenwood as mine...

[mts0628]

I love unidentified transmissions! So, if he was not using a dummy load, then the FCC has proof of his buffoonery. But in another video he cited the ARRL as the governing body so he really has nothing to worry about. And 14.350 MHz? Have you looked at the range (and the endpoint) of 20 meters? Well, to alleviate confusion, just stick to 11 meters. 10-4 good buddy and worst 73sssssssssssss to you. :o( Did dit.

[matt9c1]

Not totally true. I don't agree with what his video is about, but the claim he's making unidentified transmission's cannot be verified. So this fellow transmits a carrier in order to tune his radio...we all agree on that. However, the clock starts from 10 minutes and counts down. How do *YOU* know he didn't identify off camera? This video is not 10 mins long. Unless you have proof of this, your claim is null.

[NB3K]

Now you are being Anal retentive. He did not id during the video. So showing the noobies what he showed would not be the proper way. You sound like a lawyer. Always trying to find someway around something. You must be one of them 75/m quarmers.

[NB3K]

He never gave his call sign, nor did he say if he was using a dummy load. GREAT JOB AT TEACHING NEW HAMS HOW TO BE A LID AND SEND UNIDENTIFIED TRANSMISSIONS.

[matt9c1]

So you have never ever keyed an HF rig without identifying ? Bull. If your that anal to get your panties in a bind over it, I feel sorry for you , that your wasting mine and everyone eases time with petty stuff like this. We have a local asshat which jumps up and down over people kerchuking his repeater. You know what ? Repeaters get kerchunked...Big deal. Live with it and move on.

[NB3K]

I am not talking about those who tune up and talk on the frequency. This guy here did not do that. He should of told people IF YOU ARE MAKING TESTS, THAN USE A DUMMY LOAD. I think otherwise the men is doing a great job at showing people the way. We have very few hams that do that anymore. I had to learn everything by reading books and trial and error. I don't care about repeaters, I do not use 2m FM. I am mostly on 80/75, 20, and 10 meters.Most people that tuneup usally Id afterwards on HF.

[matt9c1]

"I am mostly on 80/75, 20, and 10 meters" This explains a lot. You know, there is a fine line between having a hobby that is "self policed" and being so anal retentive old fart. So someone keys a radio without a dummy load, boo hoo. Instead of starting a internet tough guy war, just move on and polish your dummy load a few more times. If your pissed about someone keying up, then report him to your local OO. Otherwise, move on man...it ain't worth it.

[NB3K]

How old must I be to obtain "old fart" status? I just turned 30. I am not pissed, nor do I care. I was just agreeing and pointing out that the man is showing people not to ID. Whether or not he did is non of my cares. He just didn't add it to the video as proper procedure. You are ,making this more of a mountain than it needs to be. And talk about being anal retentive! are you sure you are not a cd'er?

[matt9c1]

Mr NB3K, The video is 2 minutes and 5 seconds long. Once you key your mic, you have a 10 minute window in which you need to ID. How do you know if he did it after he stopped the camera? You do not know that since you were not there. Hard for you to prove your point then. Show us evidence he didn't ID after the camera stopped rolling. CD'er ? Na, I have an iPod thanks. 75/m quarmers ? I don't have/want HF, people are way too high strung down and snobby there.

[NB3K]

I don't care how long the stupid video was. Apparently what I am saying is going over your head. I would of should that I ID'ed. If I were showing new people how to do something. I would have shown them how to do it like we're suppose to do it. Now he went on three separate frequencies and never id'ed. so does he remember each one to go back and id before his ten minutes were up? Oh he could use this video to help him. Experts should be Experts and not wannabes.

[matt9c1]

Jesus man, are you that miserable on the air and in person ? Are you one of those assholes who has to nit pick about someone's on air manners ? Yup, I am glad I am not on HF to have to deal with the people like you on 80 meters. I had a HF rig for 9 months, and sold it. I could not belive the amount of whining going on there, looks like it's carried over to here as well. Your making us all age just listening to you bitch.

[happymark1805]

How to use a ham radio, FIRST do not buy a More Fucking Junk (MFJ) product :-)

[jortizj100]

DAMN I AGREE WITH YOU ON MIGHTY FINE JUNK(mfj) OWNED AN ANTENNA (THAT FELL APART IN THE AZ WEATHER) AND A TUNER...NEVER AGAIN...OH AND NB3K HE DID GIVE HIS CALL SIGN...

[NB3K]

Yeah he gave it to the camera. Why didn't he show the noobies the legal & proper way for on the air. And if he ID'ed on the Air where was it because I missed it.

[royaltrux]

You really shouldn't suggest than Generals should transmit on the very edge of their privileges as some of their signal will go below. The same should be said for transmitting on 14.350. We have privileges UP TO that freq but not past it. Your signal is not so narrow as to stay legal that high up. Also, you didn't really show much more than how to read a meter. That shouldn't take this long. Thumbs down, baby.

[sweetgyy]

hmm would it matters if i'm drying my socks on my 20 meter bipolar antenna ?? and should I suggest that it consume some paxil ??

[kd5oldman]

Cut your finger nails! YUK!

[MagicJohn11]

Give me a break, any serious ham can tell the hams do not cut their finger nails. They need finger nails to practice CW on table tops. Just like real hams do not shave, they need some sort of a beard to catch crums while they eat; this allows them snacks while they are on the radio.

[K9FON]

Thats freaking gross.

Can you say major turn off to women? No wonder the hobby is filled with 50 something virgins!!!

[singercs]

You are not supposed to be tuning up on frequency!!!!

just hook it up to William's ears and you now have a dummy load.

[anglitoestebancito]

don't you suppose to place the swr meter as close as possible to the load(antenna) to get the most accurate readings?

P.S . and I do not mean physically close.

[20351MA]

Si, but not very practical to put the meter outside at the antenna. Besides, the real issue is antenna efficiency, not line losses. You can get a really good SWR reading on a really bad antenna. The radio will be happy, but you wont talk to anyone.

[mullahaliackbar]

You can bleed onto your neighbor's TV with these!!!! Even funnier to set off alarms with!!!!! Get a nice linear amp and BOOM!

[slartybardfarst52]

yes blood everywhere, like a butchers slab

[bossman380]

SWR Meters come in handy.

[blackowl6]

Believe JASON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[asre2001]

Cut your damn nails.

[patchcords]

Is the frequency in use? How about teaching operating practices FIRST??? If your a licenced Amateur Radio operator, you'd know to ask if the frequency is in use FIRST before checking SWR and tuning up. Great video but you could have stepped on an important rescue communication QSO.

ALWAYS ASK IF THE FREQUENCY IS IN USE !

[salebowwow]

You dont' want to transmit on an untuned antenna due to the fact that the high SWR can damage your rig and/or tuner. Other than that, asking if the freq. is in use should be used before you start calling CQ, or calling a friend out there you might have a pre-arranged schedule with.

[jasonfish07]

KCOTCH mate it sux to be you!!! we dont get tornados in sth australia to blow our sorry butts away so i dont give a rats bum!!!!! keep the argument going you nerdy wind chaser its a bloody laugh..... OOPS GOTTA GO NOW IM TURNING PASTEY WHITE!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHA

[jasonfish07]

To put this in simple terms YOU NERDS NEED TO GET A LIFE!!!!!!!!!! I cant believe you are all arguing about a bloody hand radio!! this cracks me up, I come on youtube for entertainment & who would have guessed id get it from typing "HAM RADIO" hahahahahaha by a car and fix it up or something just GET OUTTA THE HOUSE YOUR TURNING PASTY WHITE!!!!!

[KC0TCH]

jasonfish07 its "ham radio" not "hand radio" and its "buy a car" not "by a car"

BTW us nerds are the lunatics who go out into severe storms and relay actual storm conditions to the National Weather Service so that you can get the conditions for yourself and know when to take cover before a tornado blows your sorry butt away.

[cswilsn]

fourfortyroadrunner are you smoking crack? You sound like you are smoking crack....

I'd never wish this addiction on anyone, but I seriously hope you are smoking crack, this would explain why you are such an asshole.

Crack is bad for you, STOP.

We as hams should help and correct people towards using good radio practice, what you are doing sir is exactly the opposite.

[spammebaby]

Nice violation of FCC Part 97 for "BROADCASTING" out of band.

This guy is an Expert LID.

New or soon to be Amateur Radio Operators... this person is what you want to NOT become when you get your license.

[fourfortyroadrunner]

Someone thinks we should "get back to respectful." I think we should get back to tossing tools like you off the air. Jesus, tuning on the band edge, you were out of band at least ONCE, because your CW carrier is either above or below the indicated frequency. Also, did you really listen before you "tuned up?" Guys like you are why I spend less time on the air--guys like you have no clue, and evidently don't want one.

[jakeharvey]

You, sir, are an internet-ham-BADASS!

[fourfortyroadrunner]

I am nothing of the kind, but at least I'm not an internet shithead. People like you--ignorant spreaders of mis-information, and ill thought out "hints" are THE problem with amateur radio. Amateur radio is not a video game, getting drunk on Saturday night, or lying on the couch farting. Amateur radio is e a technical service whereby people learn something about electronics,

[jakeharvey]

The situation you described is the ham equivalent of accidentally leaving a gym sock in a public gym locker. Why would anyone want to get involved in amateur radio if they are made to think it is full of high strung unforgiving assholes like you?

[fourfortyroadrunner]

Your analogy is not only irrelevant, but stupid as well. You sir ARE the asshole. "Unforgiving?" Why must I forgive you for spreading untruths, outright false information, and worse, sloppy, ill thought out practices. Your 2 meter beam antenna "installation" is the very type of thinking that ends up getting people killed.

Go fuck yourself. Oh I forgot, you have a cunt, so you actually cannot

Happy now? You've totally pissed me off. T

[jakeharvey]

I think ham is too stressful for you. Maybe you should take up aviation.

[y00n1x]

LOL !!!

[THEBEASTOFOLD]

Well i have to say. There are A LOT of high strung ass holes in amateur radio these days......you know this as well.

[perritokiko]

be honest..... there are hundreds of pirates in these years, that, sincerely, to ask if the frecuency is in use, sound to me waste of time , nobody care anymore...qx9zz

[myradioroom]

One should never, ever put out a signal right at any band edge. Part of Your signal will be outside the band:-(

[mrpchead]

First of all, thanks to the author for presenting ham radio to the YouTube community. The presentation was friendly and the camerwork was nice. I do have to agree with several posters that there were a number of faux pas re: tuned frequencies and lack of ID and in-use requests. However, the negative tone of some of these comments is a much worse representation of ham radio than any erros in the video. How about let's get the hobby back to being respectful, OK?

[hoseaorb]

I like my turkey radios better.

[brewhoo]

Hello. I am new to ham radio. I would like to thank you for the information you put out, it helped me. 73, Joe kd0eix

[patchcords]

Is the frequency in use? How about teaching operating practices FIRST??? If your a licenced Amateur Radio operator, you'd know to ask if the frequency is in use FIRST before checking SWR and tuning up. Great video but you could have stepped on an important rescue communication QSO. ALWAYS ASK IF THE FREQUENCY IS IN USE !

[CWBESTMODE]

Darn right, our "Expert" LID here just made 3 illegal transmissions! You can't know the freq is clear unless you ask first, plus you threw out a carrier without any station ID, what about putting your call sign on the transmission? It's LID's like you who ruin a perfectly good QSO for the rest of us with your stupid tune-up carriers.

Boy, I can't wait to learn more!

[sparky42]

the tuner is simply tricking the radio into believing that the antenna is resonant.There is still a relative power loss however even though the tuner is showing a flat swr.Trimming the antenna is the answer or adding to it . nice video , good to see you . best 73, de _a3f_d

[crazybazgordontoyou]

does the antenna tuner , tune or just protect the pa stage, is power lost by not having a resident antenna . can any body let me know cheers

[sonick808]

sparky is right. The best antenna is resonant on your desired frequency. The tuner uses capacitance and inductance to "fake" a resonance to the transceiver. You can work a lot of stations with a tuned antenna. You can work even more with a resonant antenna. Best case scenario is a resonant antenna for the freq/band you're using.

[viking396]

crazybazgordontoyou,

Depends on if the antenna is an illegal resident or legal resident. Some antennas just jump the fence and mount themselves to your roof and before you know it 12 million of them have.... oh wait, you meant resonant? :)

[crazybazgordontoyou]

Thanks for your resonant comment , It would of been very useful to me 2 months ago when I asked however over the last 2 months I have collected more and more information and found that most hams are self important narrow minded pricks like yourself so sold all my ham gear and got a life

[patchcords]

....LID

[patchcords]

"is the frequency in use, this is XXXXX ?"

how about a call sign before a test of SWR

[IC2720]

yea, I was going th ask the same thing

[BlueCollarWorkshop]

Excellent and informative,,,Thanks for posting. 73's from BlueCollarWorkshop N7RUE AZ

[WP4KTF]

Hmm, Kurt. Very wordy but no substance. If I didn't know anything about ham radio, I prob would be lost with all your rambling along. Look at it again and you'll see. Now, if this is all for the sake of making a video, then continue to enjoy yourself.

[FatherJudgement]

Thanks for the education of those of us that are interested but know nothing of Ham radios....5 Stars

[MARKYMARK2222]

You didnt really tell us anything. if you made out you had a bad swr then tell us how to tune to a good swr it might be educational!!

[mikie2501]

Hey KiRunnerGuy, since you already think I'm a jerk then here's a few more commensts on the video. He's talking about tuning up as a General and does it on 14.225 and 14.350, tuning at 14.225 puts his carrier partly down in the old extra class section, out of license, and tuning at 14.350 puts his carrire out of the amateur bands on the top side completely :)

[zenradio]

14.350 is the top end of the US amateur bands on 20M. As a General he has privileges to use phone and image on both 14.225 and 14.350.

[originaltool133]

no he doesn't...ssb bandwidth is 6 khz, 3khz on either side of the center of the signal, so a general can legally transmit between 14.228 and 14.347. Check with FCC. I'm a 14 year extra, VE, etc.

[WV6Z]

Why yes, you really are an original tool, aren't you?

[mikie2501]

heh, sorry about the multiple post, some java glitch or something with Opera when I posted :/

[mikie2501]

Lol, didn't id your station. Sigh.

[KiRunnerGuy]

listen up, mikie2501, it is in the first few seconds...I will not tell you three times like you did...hmmm

[ka0ist]

video stops starts to many times .utube needs to fix this problem. this could be a great video .

[LazyGeek626]

Great Video,Very useful information.

73's