I've read and heard both sides of the argument about
antenna tuners being great, or not helping at all and are
a waste of money. I've been told they are only for shortwave
transmitting, and I've been told they work well to improve shortwave
reception on faint signals. I've had it suggested to me that I
get a pre-selector instead.

I can't find anyone who actually experimented with either a tuner or pre-selector... at least
none of what I've read and heard was stated as "experience"... rather
it seemed like theory or conjecture.

Does anyone here actually use a tuner or pre-selector for shortwave listening, and if so,
with what results? I'm looking at the MFJ-959C antenna tuner at
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...amps/2574.html
Note that it says "for receive only".

"Sanjaya" wrote

I've read and heard both sides of the argument about
antenna tuners being great, or not helping at all and are
a waste of money. I've been told they are only for shortwave
transmitting, and I've been told they work well to improve shortwave
reception on faint signals. I've had it suggested to me that I
get a pre-selector instead.

I can't find anyone who actually experimented with either a tuner or
pre-selector... at least
none of what I've read and heard was stated as "experience"... rather
it seemed like theory or conjecture.

Does anyone here actually use a tuner or pre-selector for shortwave
listening, and if so,
with what results? I'm looking at the MFJ-959C antenna tuner at
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...amps/2574.html
Note that it says "for receive only".


Sanjaya,

I doubt that anyone else's opinion about a tuner selling new for $15 is
worth much to you. Go ahead and try the thing for Pete's sake! Expect to get
$15 worth of product. Or, spend 5 times that much for MFJ equipment that
adds a noise-feed which a tuner can then be adjusted to null the noise, and
the tuner is then configured to make your antenna resonant for the given
frequency. That will definitely improve reception. So will a preselector,
and so will a step-attenuator, once you learn to use it. But for $15, what
have you got to lose? It might work, you can let us know if you try it.

Best regards,

Jack

"Jack Painter" wrote in message news:k5m3d.44727$Ka6.18669@okepread03...
"Sanjaya" wrote

I've read and heard both sides of the argument about
antenna tuners being great, or not helping at all and are
a waste of money. I've been told they are only for shortwave
transmitting, and I've been told they work well to improve shortwave
reception on faint signals. I've had it suggested to me that I
get a pre-selector instead.

I can't find anyone who actually experimented with either a tuner or
pre-selector... at least
none of what I've read and heard was stated as "experience"... rather
it seemed like theory or conjecture.

Does anyone here actually use a tuner or pre-selector for shortwave
listening, and if so,
with what results? I'm looking at the MFJ-959C antenna tuner at
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...amps/2574.html
Note that it says "for receive only".


Sanjaya,

I doubt that anyone else's opinion about a tuner selling new for $15 is
worth much to you. Go ahead and try the thing for Pete's sake! Expect to get
$15 worth of product. Or, spend 5 times that much for MFJ equipment that
adds a noise-feed which a tuner can then be adjusted to null the noise, and
the tuner is then configured to make your antenna resonant for the given
frequency. That will definitely improve reception. So will a preselector,
and so will a step-attenuator, once you learn to use it. But for $15, what
have you got to lose? It might work, you can let us know if you try it.

Best regards,

Jack



Thanks Jack. But I think you looked at the price of the power supply,
which is $14.95
The tuner is $89.95

"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message ...
Sanjaya wrote:
I've read and heard both sides of the argument about
antenna tuners being great, or not helping at all and are
a waste of money. I've been told they are only for shortwave
transmitting, and I've been told they work well to improve shortwave
reception on faint signals. I've had it suggested to me that I
get a pre-selector instead.

I can't find anyone who actually experimented with either a tuner or pre-selector... at least
none of what I've read and heard was stated as "experience"... rather
it seemed like theory or conjecture.

Does anyone here actually use a tuner or pre-selector for shortwave listening, and if so,
with what results? I'm looking at the MFJ-959C antenna tuner at
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...amps/2574.html
Note that it says "for receive only".



I've tried a variety of antenna tuners and preselectors.

If you're looking for more knobs to twiddle, they're great.

But I prefer impedance matching transformers.

No knobs to twiddle, no need for batteries or an AC adapter, and they
seem to work at least as well with my radios and antennas.


Thanks Mark : )

Sanjaya wrote:

I've read and heard both sides of the argument about
antenna tuners being great, or not helping at all and are
a waste of money. I've been told they are only for shortwave
transmitting, and I've been told they work well to improve shortwave
reception on faint signals. I've had it suggested to me that I
get a pre-selector instead.

I can't find anyone who actually experimented with either a tuner or pre-selector... at least
none of what I've read and heard was stated as "experience"... rather
it seemed like theory or conjecture.

Does anyone here actually use a tuner or pre-selector for shortwave listening, and if so,
with what results? I'm looking at the MFJ-959C antenna tuner at
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...amps/2574.html
Note that it says "for receive only".




I use an old Grove MiniTun3. It has all of 2 knobs one to select a
frequency range the other to tune for best signal. It woorks well from
500 kHz to 30 mHz. I find it most usefull on lower frequencies in
particular below 4 mHz. It use it with my 135 foot longwire that goes to
my ICOM and Drake receivers. It is not a cure all but helps

--
73 and Best of DX
Shawn Axelrod
VE4DX1SMA

Visit the AMANDX DX site with info for the new or experienced listener:

http://www.angelfire.com/mb/amandx/index.html

REMEMBER ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN HEAR FOREVER

Mark...Can you be specific on what type and/or impeadance of the
transformer you are using? Also what antennas are you using it on?
"Mark S. Holden" wrote in message
...
Sanjaya wrote:
I've read and heard both sides of the argument about
antenna tuners being great, or not helping at all and are
a waste of money. I've been told they are only for shortwave
transmitting, and I've been told they work well to improve shortwave
reception on faint signals. I've had it suggested to me that I
get a pre-selector instead.

I can't find anyone who actually experimented with either a tuner or
pre-selector... at least
none of what I've read and heard was stated as "experience"... rather
it seemed like theory or conjecture.

Does anyone here actually use a tuner or pre-selector for shortwave
listening, and if so,
with what results? I'm looking at the MFJ-959C antenna tuner at
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...amps/2574.html
Note that it says "for receive only".



I've tried a variety of antenna tuners and preselectors.

If you're looking for more knobs to twiddle, they're great.

But I prefer impedance matching transformers.

No knobs to twiddle, no need for batteries or an AC adapter, and they seem
to work at least as well with my radios and antennas.

"Sanjaya" wrote in message
ink.net...
I've read and heard both sides of the argument about
antenna tuners being great, or not helping at all and are
a waste of money.

IMHO..... for receive only I would not bother with one. If you want the
maximum signal transfer then a tuner will make the receiver see the proper
impedence... therefore more signal. Also more noise. Signal/noise ratio is
what matters for a receiver. I very rarely run my receivers without the RF
gain reduced 25-40% depending on noise.

In the last ARRL 160 meter CW contest I operated in....2001... I did not
have a beverage or any "special receive" antenna. Turns out a 5 element
Force12 Yagi for the 10 meter band @ 50 feet was the best.....lowest
signal/noise ratio....for most of the 1100 or so stations I worked. What was
the impedence mismatch? Beats me.... but it worked .

73 es DX Ken KG4BIG

Hi hi, maybe so Sanjaya, sorry if that's the case. For $89 maybe you need
some coaching, lol. I will add that I use a few MFJ products and have been
very happy with them. Not everyone is, as eidenced by the eHam rviews. Seems
some folks have bad experiences. But my tuners by MFJ work very well.

best regards,

Jack


"Sanjaya" wrote in message
ink.net...

"Jack Painter" wrote in message
news:k5m3d.44727$Ka6.18669@okepread03...
"Sanjaya" wrote

I've read and heard both sides of the argument about
antenna tuners being great, or not helping at all and are
a waste of money. I've been told they are only for shortwave
transmitting, and I've been told they work well to improve shortwave
reception on faint signals. I've had it suggested to me that I
get a pre-selector instead.

I can't find anyone who actually experimented with either a tuner or
pre-selector... at least
none of what I've read and heard was stated as "experience"... rather
it seemed like theory or conjecture.

Does anyone here actually use a tuner or pre-selector for shortwave
listening, and if so,
with what results? I'm looking at the MFJ-959C antenna tuner at
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...amps/2574.html
Note that it says "for receive only".


Sanjaya,

I doubt that anyone else's opinion about a tuner selling new for $15 is
worth much to you. Go ahead and try the thing for Pete's sake! Expect to
get
$15 worth of product. Or, spend 5 times that much for MFJ equipment
that
adds a noise-feed which a tuner can then be adjusted to null the noise,
and
the tuner is then configured to make your antenna resonant for the given
frequency. That will definitely improve reception. So will a
preselector,
and so will a step-attenuator, once you learn to use it. But for $15,
what
have you got to lose? It might work, you can let us know if you try it.

Best regards,

Jack



Thanks Jack. But I think you looked at the price of the power supply,
which is $14.95
The tuner is $89.95

In article . net,
"Sanjaya" wrote:

I've read and heard both sides of the argument about antenna tuners
being great, or not helping at all and are a waste of money. I've
been told they are only for shortwave transmitting, and I've been
told they work well to improve shortwave reception on faint signals.
I've had it suggested to me that I get a pre-selector instead.

I can't find anyone who actually experimented with either a tuner or
pre-selector... at least none of what I've read and heard was stated
as "experience"... rather it seemed like theory or conjecture.

Does anyone here actually use a tuner or pre-selector for shortwave
listening, and if so, with what results? I'm looking at the MFJ-959C
antenna tuner at
http://www.universal-radio.com/catal...amps/2574.html Note that it
says "for receive only".

A tuner solves a specific problem. If you don't have that problem it's
not going to help much. The problem is selectivity. If your radio has
enough for your listening situation then the tuner will not do much for
you other than boost the signal a little that you are trying to hear.
The tuner will reduce the other signals above and below where it is
tuned to your radio.

There are various types of tuners that behave somewhat differently but
this is the GENERIC explanation for them.

You can the maximum benefit from a tuner if it is used to resonate an
ordinarily non-resonant antenna like a random wire Marconi type antenna.
For this to work well the wire is directly connected to the tuner and
then the tuner is connected by coax to the radio. The tuner changes the
ELECTRICAL LENGTH of the wire so it resonates at some frequency. The
boost from using the tuner to resonate the wire can make the difference
between hearing a very weak signal or helping to make it more legible if
it is next to a much stronger station on a nearby channel.

It is basically a DX'ing tool used to tweak the antenna situation in
order to get the weakest of stations.

--
Telamon
Ventura, California

Antenna tuners for receive have not been very useful in my experience, nor have
preamps. The exception is trying to work full duplex on marine radios, then you
need a good preselector so that your xmtr does not totally overwhelm the rcvr
that is tuned to a nearby freq. It is easy to be fooled by preamps, they make
things louder, but they normally amplify noise as much as signal so you are not
gaining in S/N ratio. Similarly, antenna tuners give you a peak and you get
excited, but compare it to an untuned longwire and you wont hear any difference
in most cases. In the case of poorly designed rcvrs, a tuner or tuned preamp
might help make up for poor front end design, but with a good rcvr, they just
dont do much in my experience. Read a good communications electronics book
about noise floor and what it really means. You'll see that there is no magic
bullet for reducing random incoherent noise. DSP can work wonders in removing
non random noise (hetrodynes, spectral notches, etc). Digital modulation can
also work wonders in giving noise free comms. But, when all is said and done
noise is random and random stuff is hard to remove. Its all about entropy and
electrons. Directional antennas... now there is a way to improve SN, big time
in some cases.