The Signal Report | Operator Stories, Antenna Physics, Field Reports | Greyline
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N9VJY: A 20-Foot Flagpole, 100 Watts, and the Tuner That Looked Like the Antenna
Jim Scholz, N9VJY, put up a 20' DX Flagpole near Milwaukee. When 40, 80 and 160 wouldn't tune, the problem turned out to be in the shack, not the yard. He fixed it just in time for CQ World Wide SSB, then let 100 watts do the talking.
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A Match Is Not A Result: What 1:1 SWR Does And Does Not Tell You
A perfect 1:1 match proves your power left the radio. It does not prove it left as signal. Maxwell and Zavrel on the difference, the dummy-load thought experiment, and the one question to ask any antenna maker who says the word efficient. -
Why Your Tuner Cannot Fix a Jumping SWR
A good tuner, a clean match, and the SWR wandering from 17 meters down. The tuner is fine; the antenna is moving. The three usual suspects, the physics of why low bands suffer first, and the free fix to try before you buy anything. -
LDG RT-100 Remote Tuner: Why We Bundle It
The 125W weatherproof LDG RT-100 lives at the antenna base, powered over the coax, matching 160-6M at the push of a button. Why the bundle puts the tuner where the physics wants it, and when high-power stations should choose differently. -
Can I Use A 4:1 Balun On A Vertical Dipole?
A 4:1 balun often makes the SWR meter happier without making your signal stronger. Real analyzer plots from N3EQF show why -- and where the match should actually live. -
Indoor vs Remote Antenna Tuner: Where the ATU Belongs
Ask ten operators where the ATU belongs and you start a decades-old fight. Both camps are right -- for their own stations. Three architectures the published physics supports, the one combination it does not, and the free calculator that settles your case.
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NO4ON: Flex Aurora, 13 QRZ Awards, 39' Greyline
Bill NO4ON is 78, a new Extra, and running a flagship digital station from Pensacola: FlexRadio Aurora AU-520, 4O3A Antenna Genius, 4O3A Tuner Genius XL, Q5 transverters — with a Greyline 28' DX Flagpole plus 11' extension as the HF antenna anchoring it all. 13 QRZ awards. Master of Radio Communication on two continents. Seven bands of confirmed worldwide DX.
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KE6TT Review: 20' to 24' Greyline, SWR 1.0-1.3 on Low Bands
KE6TT started at 20 feet, added the 4-foot extension to reach 24, and measured SWR of 1.0-1.3 across 40-160M - then worked Europe and Africa on 100 watts.
