FT-857D and MFJ-945E - tuning a light bulb antenna
If you can't view this video, please insert this title URL into your browser search box: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM4Qjp3RFFQ. This is post #1062 in a continuing series of "Simple Ham radio Antennas." Radio amateurs have used just about everything as antennas, including rain gutters, balconies, fences, and even light bulbs as shown in this video. An ARRL antenna book published several years ago had described such an antenna as a fun experiment to see just how effective this extremely compromised antenna was. As described in this video, as long as an object (i.e. a light bulb) could radiate and not shut down the transceiver with a large SWR, contacts were possible. A few contacts were made with this "antenna" using a Yaesu Ft-857D, a LDG FT-meter, a MFJ-945E mobile antenna tuner, and a MFJ-911H 4:1 current balun. The light bulb antenna was configured as an end-fed antenna. The light bulb arrangement probably wouldn't be your first choice as a ...