Most of the recent efforts here have been on transmitting antennas. You can see the progress by clicking here.

I enjoy amateur radio because there are so many things to learn. Amateur radio is also a great fraternity. You can learn a little bit about how I started in this hobby on my BOAT ANCHOR page.

All contents of this site are the property of W8JI, but links from other sites are welcomed. If you have a link you think valuable to others, please e-mail me.

If you copy something from here (and even if you rewrite it) please add a reference link here! Linking improves technical accuracy because articles on this site are sometimes corrected or expanded.

The most important thing any of us can do to make the web an asset is to help each other with review to insure technical accuracy IMPROVES with time! Let's work to make Internet a reliable source of information instead of a collection of folklore!!

For an instant check on USA mainland QRN click on Intellicast or Lightning Storm to a weather map of thunderstorms.

Some of this site's (W8JI.com) contents are listed below: TKO 600 transmission Shift Problems

Amplifiers

SB-221 Tank Voltages and the parasitic oscillation myth. The real explanations behind amplifier parasitic oscillations and alleged damage by HF amplifier parasitic oscillations. Look at voltage throughout the tank at frequencies between 1 and 300MHz, and decide for yourself. Related article at Arcs, what makes an amplifier arc?

Preamplifiers for receiving. Measurements of receiving preamps. Compare your favorite pre-amp (text corrections 4/27/03)

Arcs, what makes an HF amplifier arc? This explains causes of amplifier arcing in any amplifier, including the TL-922 amp, Ameritron amps, Heathkit SB220 amplifier, and any other HF power amplifier for amateur or commercial service. Simple failures and design or operating shortfalls are often explained as parasitic oscillations

Bandswitch failures the real causes and cures of bandswitch arcing and failures in HF power amplifiers that are often attributed to poor parasitic suppression causing oscillation

Relays how to speed and sequence amplifier T/R relays and how antenna transfer relays affect amplifier failures

Tank Circuits two models showing tank voltages, currents, loss, and phase shift

Vacuum Tubes how they work in RF power amplifiers and why vacuum tubes arc in amplifiers Includes details on 3-500Z and 8877 3CX1500 A7 tubes. Learn reasons tubes fail in amps

VHF Parasitics and general stability. Is your amplifier unstable? If you own a TL922, SB220 series, 30L1, or other amps with grid "negative-feedback" you will want to read this! (rev 5PM Feb23/03) Spice models. The resistor think might be non-inductive might not be what you think. Includes internal photos of various resistors.

ANTENNAS and antenna related topics

Cebik and other short dipoles. feed line and tuner analysis!!

EH antenna: the E-H and CFA antennas. How they work. See how my early theoretical predictions and descriptions compare to actual field measurements of this most recent antenna theory hoax!

If you think baluns at the inputs of tuners are a good idea, go to this W7EL link and read the section on current baluns. You might be surprised!

Another suggested tuner link is W9CF.

Balun and Core Selection: (mostly receiving) Contains information on core selection for transformers and baluns (it isn't a balum)

Balun, sleeve baluns: How a sleeve balun works and what is important

Balun, transmitting: Testing transmitting baluns and untrue folklore about choke, voltage, and current baluns. Dispelling myth that grabbing coax adequately tests a balun

Baluns: winding methods with toroid cores and debunking myth that a split winding improves performance

Baluns: Common-mode noise. How baluns can help reduce receiving system noise

BALUN TEST: Test data on transmitting baluns.

Beverages: Construction, Endfire Beverages, Broadside Beverages, Beverage Arrays for low band DX and other low noise receiving antenna arrays for 160 meters and other low frequency bands. Also see balun and core selection for Beverage transformers.

Combiner and Splitters: Contains information on Magic-T splitters and combiners, how they work and what they do

Curtain Array: Dipole evolution into Lazy H, Sterba, and other broadside curtain antenna arrays

Detuning Towers: A tutorial with an important correction of the common error that we adjust for minimum current!! (revised slightly Feb 17, 2003)

Gain. Stacking (Broadside) and end-to-end (Collinear) gain. How it works, dispelling the 3dB myth.

Lazy-H antenna: Evolution of the dipole into the Lazy-H and Curtain Arrays

Loading Inductors: A brief tutorial on loading coils (inductors) and inductor Q

Magnetic Loop Antennas: receiving

Mobile and Loaded Antennas: Loading coils, ground losses, and currents in the system. Related page: Inductor spice model

Power Stroke Diesel RF Noise: PowerStroke Diesel noise and how I corrected the problem in my 2003 F-250.

Noise and common mode noise. How it gets into the receiving system Power line and other noise sources

Omega and Gamma Matching: Contains technical information on Omega and Gamma matches, impedance limits, component selection, component failures

Phasing, Crossfire: Contains information on cross-fire phasing and why cross fire phasing is superior for broad bandwidth low-band receiving arrays

Phasing Systems: A quick discussion of phasing methods

Polarization and diversity: Think you can have the best of the two worlds of vertical and horizontal? Think again!

Radiation and Fields: Electric field, magnetic field, Fresnel zone What the terms we use actually describe

Radiation Resistance: A revised (as of Feb 14, 03) tutorial on radiation resistance and how it is used and misused

Receiving and receiving antenna pages: Relative ranking of antennas for Topband DX plus various articles on low-band DX receiving antennas...including low band receiving antennas such as Beverage antenna and Beverage antenna construction. Elongated Loops and other loop receiving antennas such as K9AY, EWE, and flag antennas, small Topband or HF low noise receiving Verticals , my receiving antennas (with a demo), end-fire or cross-fire Beverages, common-mode noise in low noise receiving systems, and more.

Rhombic Antennas Rhombic antenna: Models and theory of rhombic antennas and comparisons of the Rhombic to a standard dipole reference antenna.

Skin depth: The best explanation I have found

Transmitting: Contains information on my various transmitting antennas, including my eight direction four-square

Traps: Measurements and models of traps, including Coaxial and Tribander Antenna traps

Receivers

Diversity reception "diversity" receiving using stereo along with some sound file examples

Receiver Tests of some transceivers and receivers. Newly added 756PRO FT1000 MK V Kenwood TS870 (modified)

Key Clicks

Includes sound files of signals with excessive bandwidth, a technical description of what causes clicks, and mods for the FT1000(D) and FT1000MP.

Keyclick-MP.... An analysis and patch for the FT1000MP 's infamous key clicks

160 Meters	AMPLIFIERS	ANTENNAS
BOATANCHORS	FT 1000 MK V Mod Noise Blanker / Click	FT1000D Click Mod NB mod
Receiving Antennas	Cars and Automotive

Cars and Automotive

Some of this site's (W8JI.com) contents are listed below: TKO 600 transmission Shift Problems

Amplifiers

ANTENNAS and antenna related topics

EH antenna: the E-H and CFA antennas. How they work. See how my early theoretical predictions and descriptions compare to actual field measurements of this most recent antenna theory hoax!

Receivers

Key Clicks

Noise

MFJ-259B Alignment instructions and some technical information MFJ259B.

MFJ-1025 and 1026 phasing unit technical information.