YES! you need an antenna tuner. Post #1397.

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To use or not to use an antenna "tuner" with your HF antenna--that question has bothered generations of radio amateurs as they try to squeeze out maximum performance while reducing SWR and RFI as much as possible.

According to this video's producer, Joe Laulima, there are several instances where an antenna "tuner" will improve station performance even if the antenna is resonant.  Joe goes against prevailing wisdom by saying "Yes! you need an antenna tuner" if only to compensate for environmental, space, grounding, and location issues--problems that can degrade any antenna.

Although Joe prefers to use "tuners" to maximize antenna performance, he's quick to note that these matching and coupling devices can't fix every antenna issue.  According to Joe, "An antenna tuner DOES NOT fix a non-resonant antenna--it just shows 50 ohms to the radio so all is good at the transceiver.  This allows you to transmit using the non-resonant antenna (to a point).  If there is a large mismatch, you will still transmit but you will have a lot of heat loss in the tuner so not so many watts will actually get out as RF."

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Views expressed in this video are those of the reporters and correspondents unless otherwise stated.

Thanks for joining us today.

Aloha es 73 de Russ (KH6JRM).