Before buying my current main tuner, the MFJ 993B, I read some reviews, and did some tests, but there was very little in the way of actual subjective test information out there. As a result, I decided to do a few of my own, using the sort of antenna people in highly compromised situations might end up having to use. This particular antenna is a half size G5RV, with 10 foot extensions on each end, and centre loaded to provide some efficiency on 80m. It is supported at the centre at about 35 feet and the ends about 3 feet lower. Not a DX death ray, I'll grant you, but surprisingly effective... I got a 55 report from Philadelphia on 20m not so long ago. Most likely because the US station had a big beam pointing towards me, but a contact is a contact.
ATU: MFJ993B, LDG Z11 v1.4
Rig: Yaesu FT897D, 10W carrier
Antenna: G5RV Jr (with loading coils & 10' extensions)
Feeder: 10m Westflex
Band | Frequency | LDG Z11 | MFJ 993B | Actual SWR |
80 Meter | 3.645 MHz | > 1.5 | 1.0 | 5.7:1 |
40 Meter | 7.079 MHz | < 1.5 | 1.4 | 5.2:1 |
30 Meter | 10.105 MHz | < 1.5 | 1.0 | 5.8:1 |
20 Meter | 14.175 MHz | < 1.5 | 4.0 | 2.6:1 |
17 Meter | 18.125 MHz | < 1.5 | 1.0 | 8.6:1 |
15 Meter | 21.150 MHz | < 1.5 | 1.0 | 12.7:1 |
12 Meter | 24.930 MHz | < 1.5 | 1.0 | 12.4:1 |
10 Meter | 28.200 MHz | < 1.5 | 1.0 | 2.6:1 |
Lowest SWR: 1.1:1 @ 3.490 Mhz, indicates that chopping off a foot or two might be a good idea.
Good results from both, I think you'll agree.
Interestingly... the LDG sometimes found 12 and 15m difficult to tune, as I'd imagine the low point is quite sharp. If I tuned a higher band first, and then dropped back to the lower band... i.e. 10, first, then 12 or 15m, it tunes it without hesitation, but the other way round, it sometimes misses it and hunts for a while.
