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With proper system design, an antenna tuner or transmatch can allow a non-resonant antenna to operate nearly as efficiently as one that is carefully cut to resonance.  These articles and links will help you understand what needs to be done to  make and use effective an antenna system using a transmatch.

Additional information on this subject and related topics can be found in back issues of QST and the following:

The ARRL Antenna Book
ARRL Handbook for Radio Amateurs

Articles

Note: Some of the following articles are in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. To view and print these files, you'll need a copy of Adobe's Acrobat Reader program. (Version 7.0 or later required). More information here.

• The Ultimate Transmatch (Beginner and Novice) (805,614 bytes, PDF file)
  QST Jul 1970 pp. 24-28, 58
  Lou McCoy, W1ICP explains why everyone should use an antenna tuner.
• Do You Need an Antenna Tuner? (815,428 bytes, PDF file)
  QST January 1994, pp. 70-72
  Maybe yes, maybe no. It all depends on the type of antenna and feed line you're using.
  
• Antenna Tuners: Are They Necessary?
  QST August 1989, pp. 43-44
  A complement to the previous article
• A Transmatch for Balanced or Unbalanced lines (542,588 bytes, PDF file)
  ARRL Handbook 1995, pp. 22.65-22.66
  A construction project.
  
• A Balanced Balanced Antenna Tuner (1,689,343 bytes, PDF file)
  QST February 1990, pp. 28-32
  Build the right antenna tuner to use with your balanced, open-wire-feed antenna.
  
• An Automatic Antenna Tuner: the AT-11 (1,657,492 bytes, PDF file)
  QST January 1996, pp. 35-39
  This easy-to-build, fully automatic tuner.
  
• Getting the Most Out of Your T-Network Antenna Tuner (416,200 bytes, PDF file)
  QST January 1995, pp. 44-47
  Here's how to adjust this popular tuning circuit so it transfers maximum power to your antenna.
  
• How to Evaluate Your Antenna Tuner - Part 1 (584,099 bytes, PDF file)
  QST April 1995, pp. 30-34
  With some simple low-power measurements you can learn a lot about your antenna tuner. There may be some real surprises.
  
• How to Evaluate Your Antenna Tuner - Part 2 (3,818,635 bytes, PDF file)
  QST May 1995, pp. 33-37
  AI1H shows data taken using a low-power SWR tester and his simple load boxes to evaluate several antenna tuners.
  For information on a different but related subject, see Transmission Lines/SWR
• The EZ-Tuner Part 1 (379,231 bytes, PDF file)
  QST April 2002, pp. 40-43
  This could be one of the most versatile homebrew antenna tuners ever created.
• The EZ-Tuner Part 2 (427,544 bytes, PDF file)
  QST May 2002, pp. 28-34
• The EZ-Tuner Part 3 (184,215 bytes, PDF file)
  QST June 2002, pp. 33-36

Note:

Contact information for suppliers mentioned in the above articles should first be confirmed using TIS Address Database Search.

Bibliography (Members Only)

ARRL Periodicals Index Search - This database contains the QST index from 1915 to the present and the QEX index from 1981 to the present. For QST issues from 1970 to the present, and some selected articles back to 1922 (when construction articles featuring tubes began in earnest), identifying keywords have been added to the technical articles. By entering keywords (ANTENNA) or combinations of keywords (CONSTRUCTION ANTENNA VERTICAL HF) into the Title words: field, you may create dynamic bibliographies.
Technical article KEYWORD list. Hints for more successful searching

Suggested keywords for more articles like the ones on this page are: TRANSMATCH

Web Links:

Article Reprints:

You can get a photocopy of any ARRL published article for $3 ($5 for nonmembers) for each article requested. Contact the ARRL Technical Department (reprints@arrl.org ),  or 1-860-594-0390 between Noon and 5PM, Tuesday through Friday, if you wish to get photocopies.

This information was prepared as a membership service by the American Radio Relay League, Inc., Technical Information Service, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111 (860) 594-0214. Email: tis@arrl.org (Internet). ARRL HQ is glad to provide this information on the Web free of charge as a service to League members and affiliated clubs.

If you have any questions concerning the reproduction or distribution of this material, please contact:

TIS Coordinator
American Radio Relay League
225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111
Tel: 860-594-0214 Fax: 860-594-0259
(email: tis@arrl.org)