Budget Bliss? A $35 Antenna Tuner for Ham Radio: QRP Z-Match

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In this review, we’ll show you a budget-friendly $35 antenna tuner for your ham radio, the QRP Z-Match Tuner. Is it perfect for beginners and experienced enthusiasts alike?
Whether you're a QRP operator looking to expand your capabilities or just want to experiment with antenna matching, this antenna tuner might be the perfect addition to your toolkit. Tune in, and take your ham radio experience to the next level!
NOTE: This tuner was sent to me free of charge, from Banggood.com, in exchange for this video review.
👉 Banggood QRP Z-Match Tuner: www.banggood.c... Z-Match Tuner
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Опубликовано:

27 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 75

@KeepEvery1Guessing 10 дней назад

The tuning bridge is there to protect the transmitter from high SWR before the tuner has been adjusted. It's action changes the SWR from what is seen at the input to the tuner parts, so, in tune mode the SWR indication on the rig isn't relevant. You have to take the bridge out by switch8ng to work/operate mode to be able to see on the radio how good a job dimming the LED did at matching the load. (If the resistor to ground isn't close to 50 ohms,, or if the other two resistors aren't close to each other if value, the match will be wrong. I believe that they are all 51ohms, but with what tolerance?) And if you value your finals, NEVER switch between work and operate with the carrier on.

@TheSmokinApe 10 дней назад

Thanks for the info 👍

@Swamp-Fox 12 дней назад

If I am not mistaken, those resistors are an absorptive bridge switched in line in the Tune position so your transmitter sees a ~50 ohm load while tuning up. Nice little tuner for the money!

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

That would make sense, thanks for watching SF 👍

@rjy8960 5 дней назад

@@TheSmokinApe I was of the impression that the Z-Match allows you to present a nominal 50R match to a transmitter during the tune cycle with the "Tune" position. I'm considering getting one for my QDX transceiver which are prone to letting the magic smoke out of the PA stage when operating into anything over an SWR of 1.5:1. I guess that changes if you start listening to the "SWR doesn't matter, dude....so long as you have at least 3dB loss in your coax" brigade........

@DominicMazoch 11 дней назад

The good thing about POTA is we are getting great QRP and FD stuff.

@TheSmokinApe 11 дней назад

That is true, thanks for watching Dominic 👍

@richysradioroom 12 дней назад

This is Based on a design that's been around for a long time. To build this on your own it would cost about $30 for parts and shipping. So this item is a very fair price. I recently built one from a kit that has a plastic case.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

Hey Richy, I saw a kit online but it was around 70$

@TerminalElement 12 дней назад

This tuner is amazing! I have used it to tune extremely bad antennas with atrocious SWR. I've even tuned a 2 meter antenna - with an SWR of over 20:1 - for use on 40 meter with this tuner! It takes a little getting used to, but with a little practice, tuning is quick enough. Thank you for making this video!

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

@@TerminalElement glad you liked the video TE, thanks for the comment 👍

@Siskiyous6 11 дней назад

QRP guys have a similar kit, I learned from that about LEDs being a one direction appliance.

@TheSmokinApe 11 дней назад

Hey LC, I think I looked at that one way back.

@KO4VNX 12 дней назад

Why do you keep showing me things that make me want to buy them? You have done it again!

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

Sorry, didn’t mean to! Thanks for watching 👍

@jameski5oeb668 10 дней назад

He is good that way!

@a_american_ 12 дней назад

I bought one of these a few months ago. My findings were the same as yours. I suspect the resistors in the tune circuit are the wrong resistance, but I never bothered to check. I just tune in work mode against the radios SWR meter. I use it with my 705 a lot and it tunes perfectly fine. I’ve ran it with 10 watts FT8/FT4 for hours and it hasn’t failed yet. They are so inexpensive I’m going to pick up a second as a spare. It packs perfectly into my POTA kit and I bring it all the time I go out and also use it at home.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

I like the size and it seems good for QRP despite the Tune / Work switch 🤷

@robertmeyer4744 11 дней назад

Interesting tuner. I have not used a Z match yet . I have used Pi tuner and LC matching as the T match. Not the greatest method of tuning led. A directional coupler will give better SWR but will add cost. You could test that tuner for loss with that VNA . 73

@TheSmokinApe 11 дней назад

Hey Robert, I’m thinking about building one now 👍

@Tom-n5tti 12 дней назад

I love mine... works great with my QMX!!

@fotoblanco 12 дней назад

same here. works great with my 817. LED works and at dimmest, the radio shows 1.5 or less.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

I didn’t know how popular these were.

@germanjohn5626 12 дней назад

The T match is popular but has a big draw back, it is in essence a high pass filter passing all harmonics and higher frequency spurious. Looking at the schematic, the resistors on the input actually form a crude return loss bridge generating the lowest voltage across the LED for the best SWR.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

I’d agree with you one the High Pass, thanks for watching GJ 👍

@WECB640 12 дней назад

@@TheSmokinApe The T-type tuner shown is also a "high pass" design. Very few companies make a Pi network tuner or a low pass T tuner. Modern radios are very clean of harmonics, unlike transmitters of 40+ years ago where a low pass tuner would be a very good idea to stay in FCC compliance.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

Thanks Hollywood 👍

@germanjohn5626 12 дней назад

@@WECB640 The tuner shown is a Z-match i.e. a tuned transformer and acts like a band pass filter.

@WECB640 12 дней назад

@@germanjohn5626 Yes, I know. The T-tuner (high pass) I'm referring to is shown at 3:50 Sorry for any confusion. 73 OM

@Thump2030 12 дней назад

Nice little tuner.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

Should be fun to mess with

@tomking8597 12 дней назад

The circuit that it uses for tuning is called a Wheatstone Bridge. Where one leg is the antenna and tuner. The other 3 are 50ohm resistors. When the antenna is tuned to 50 ohms (100x2 in parallel )the 2 legs are equal and no current is through the led. Also the 10watts is when you are tuning because of the parallel signal paths. I just received mine and I haven’t had a chance to to try it yet.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

Thanks for that info Tom 👍

@Tocsin-Bang 11 дней назад

The one I got, from Aliexpress, was so poor I'm planning on ripping it apart for the parts!

@LouiseBrooksBob 11 дней назад

Maybe rebuild it better?

@Tocsin-Bang 11 дней назад

@@LouiseBrooksBob that's possible, but right now I have to repair the PA stage of my truSDX, I'm gong back to my modified AT-100!

@TheSmokinApe 11 дней назад

I’m sure you will figure out something to do with it 👍

@hazer72 12 дней назад

Void all the warranties! :D

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

Right

@don_n5skt 12 дней назад

Thanks Ape. That seems like a clever way to match. I don't think I have used a Z-Match. Are they any good for matching Ladder line or does it matter?

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

From what I read if my feeble memory serves me, Z-Match are somewhat popular with the open line folks. I’m pretty sure I saw a video where some ham modded this tuner specifically to use on open line 👍

@LouiseBrooksBob 11 дней назад

Some tuners come with an internal 4:1 balun for use with ladder line.

@TheSmokinApe 11 дней назад

And that’s a topic of hot debate 😮

@johnnorth9355 7 дней назад

Man with G90 needs a tuner ? Seriously for a QRP SDR these are a must if you don't use a resonant antenna. Most of the autotuners seem to not like below 5 watts ?

@TheSmokinApe 6 дней назад

Hey John, thanks for watching 👍

@TrevHolland 12 дней назад

Near the end, you're talking about the SWR light being brighter when the SWR is lower. I wonder if that's because you're in WORK mode and not TUNE mode. 🤔

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

Could be 🤷

@DafyddWalters 11 дней назад

I'm puzzled how the LED comes on *at all* when the Tune/Work switch is in Work mode. Unless I misunderstood the circuit schematic, I think the absorption bridge and reflected power indicator are meant to be completely bypassed in Work mode.

@Embarking-on-a-new-adventure 12 дней назад

So a cheaper version of the good old Emtech ZM-2 Antenna Tuner

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

That sounds about right

@LouiseBrooksBob 11 дней назад

I can't find the ZM-2 in the UK.

@TheRealEtaoinShrdlu 10 дней назад

"especially", not "expecially". 😂😂😂

@TheSmokinApe 10 дней назад

Is that how they say it in your mom’s basement?

@DominicMazoch 12 дней назад

MFJ knock off?

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

It might be, I’m not familiar with an MFJ pocket Z-Match 🤷

@germanjohn5626 12 дней назад

Nah, this schematic has appeared in ham radio literature long before MFJ. It's a very basic 100 year old design.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

@@germanjohn5626 I believe

@Hank_W6IR 12 дней назад

Gee, for the price of 2 of these you got yourself a legal limit tuner. Maybe not quite as portable though.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

I suppose I never looked at it that way 🤔 can’t wait for that one to get here 😮

@MichaelLivesInIdaho 12 дней назад

1500W tuner for $70? Where?

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

TO. Grabbed me one at a hamfest yesterday 😮

@jerryKB2GCG 12 дней назад

Sorry, yes cheap, but not adequate at all, it does not perform as advertised, which you proved yourself.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

I don’t disagree with what you are saying BUT 1) it’s 35$ compared to the MFJ which is about 100$ and it seem you could correct or mod this with little effort AND 2) Is the tune feature really necessary?

@karlmadsen3179 12 дней назад

Did you say go watch someone eat a cat on a video!? That will wreck my appetite, for sure. Hard pass on the tuner.

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

I though I said watch cat videos but you have me thinking about it, thanks for watching Karl 👍

@kevin-pk6hd 12 дней назад

Got one because i couldn't buy parts for the 22$ delivered when it was on sale 😂

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

Haha, sounds like you have a project planned 👍

@nevellgreenough404 11 дней назад

About that LED glowing in the "work" (operate) setting: The LED is only supposed to be active in the TUNE mode. Stray capacitance in the switches may (will) cause it to glow in the operate mode. Call it a "feature" RF output indicator. Nice review! --72's, N2GX

@TheSmokinApe 11 дней назад

Haha, thanks Nevel 👍

@BurtonChristmasLites 12 дней назад

So with this Z match, can you adjust for the most noise and it then be close? Ignoring the LED. As your did not work completely right at the end of the video. Thanks, Robert KD4YDC

@TheSmokinApe 12 дней назад

Yeah, it’s a tuned circuit so the premise is the same 👍

@tinwhiskerSC 11 дней назад

I bought one of those a few months ago for QRP POTA work. It is very easy to use and works well. The best part is that your radio will never see anything greater than a 2:1 SWR. Lately I've really fallen in love with manual tuners over automatic after I had an automatic malfunction and damage a little QRP radio with infinite SWR.

@TheSmokinApe 11 дней назад

Thanks TW, glad you liked it 👍