Your antenna timer becomes totally inoperative. What would you do to obtain operation on both 8 MHz and 22 MHz frequency bands?

Your antenna timer becomes totally inoperative. What would you do to obtain operation on both 8 MHz and 22 MHz frequency bands?

• A. Bypass the antenna tuner. Use a straight whip or wire antenna approximately 30 ft long
• B. Replace the transmitter
• C. Switch to another radio
• D. Use only one band temporarily

Answer: (A)

When the antenna tuner is not working, you still can get operation by using a simple, non-tuned radiator rather than relying on the tuner to match the antenna to the transmitter. A straight whip about 30 feet long is chosen because it is close to a quarter-wavelength on the 8 MHz band, which helps present a more acceptable impedance to the transmitter and allows efficient radiated power without the tuner. On the 22 MHz band, that same length becomes a longer, non-resonant wire, so you’ll have higher SWR and lower efficiency, but transmission is still possible. This approach lets you operate on both bands without the tuner, whereas replacing the transmitter or switching radios wouldn’t address the tuner failure, and using only one band wouldn’t meet the goal of operation on both bands.

When the antenna tuner is not working, you still can get operation by using a simple, non-tuned radiator rather than relying on the tuner to match the antenna to the transmitter. A straight whip about 30 feet long is chosen because it is close to a quarter-wavelength on the 8 MHz band, which helps present a more acceptable impedance to the transmitter and allows efficient radiated power without the tuner. On the 22 MHz band, that same length becomes a longer, non-resonant wire, so you’ll have higher SWR and lower efficiency, but transmission is still possible. This approach lets you operate on both bands without the tuner, whereas replacing the transmitter or switching radios wouldn’t address the tuner failure, and using only one band wouldn’t meet the goal of operation on both bands.