Amateur Radio Station

WB2RCB

ANTENNA TUNERS & HEATHKIT SA-2550 PROJECTS


SPC Transmatch from A.R.R.L Handbook 1984

 

Here are some pictures of my homebrew SPC antenna tuner that I built in 1991. This tuner is built on a stainless chassis with stainless front and rear panels. Parts used in this tuner include: J.W Miller #2150 200pf variable, J.W Miller #2155 dual section 200pf air variable, teflon standoff's for both capacitor's, B&W turns counter, LaPointe 28uh roller inductor, Centralab JV-9033 ceramic switch, 3 Amidon T-200 torroid cores which form the balun transformer, James Millen insulated shaft couplings, Qualitykits 6:1 vernier dials, E.F Johnson feed-thru bushings, SO-239 chassis mount connectors with teflon insulation and stainless hardware.

 

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Link Coupled Transmatch modeled after a design by W1SE

 

Here is my latest project, a link coupled tuner modeled after a unit built by Lee Aurick W1SE from an article in QST from February 1982. See the article here. This tuner is housed in a case I found on E-Bay for a very reasonable price. Components include, an E.F Johnson 154-3-1 488pf variable capacitor, a Cardwell 250pf capacitor, 2 Daka-Ware dials, a B&W 2406T inductor and a 3 position ceramic rotary switch, all which were  located and purchased on E-Bay. Not bad for an $80 investment. The coax connector and the ceramic feed-thru's were in the junkbox. The components are mounted on a 18 gauge stainless steel chassis with stainless hardware. Fortunately I have access to a machine shop which simplifies the building process.  I finished the case with Krylon spray and it has been clear coated.  Built in 2002 but not yet completed in these pictures.

 

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Recent rebuild and upgrade of my Heathkit SA-2550

Complete rebuild of the motor driven capacitor and housing along with the construction of a new power supply/controller. This controller is not powered by the original walwart but by a transformer buillt into the enclosure. The picture of the supply (open) was taken prior to installing the final SO-239.pThis unit will be the heart of the shunt feed for my tower on 160 meters. It may require some additional capacitance to be added to the 500pf capacitor to be able to achieve a match at 160 meters. Currently I am using another SA-2550 as a matching capacitor at the base of my 160 meter inverted-L. That unit will be rebuilt and used in conjunction with the 3rd SA-2550 I have to form an Omega match for shunt feeding the tower on 80 meters. All the SA-2550's will be controlled from the shack.




Heathkit controller used with a walwart

My controller - heavy duty supply

 2010