ARRL  ANTENNA  MATCHBOX  SHOOTOUT

[Last Update: 16-JUN-2013]

For most people, a matchbox is a matchbox - (they are basically all the same.)

Joe Ham seems only interested in how much power it handles and how much it cost.

SELDOM do manufacturers publish the impedance matching range of their matchbox; and when they do, it is hidden somewhere in the fine print.

NEVER do they tell us how much power is lost in the matchbox.  (Efficiency?)

For the past 20+ years, the ARRL has published several comparison tests of popular matchboxes. They show the matching range, typical SWR and the power loss for the different impedances - all good information that should be considered when purchasing a new antenna matchbox.

PROBLEM: Each test included just 4 or 5 matchboxes. Potential buyers need a way for comparing many different matchboxes and matchbox technologies with each other.

I have created a single document showing the results of all of the ARRL test in one  HUGE  Excel Spreadsheet.  If you print it, it is spread out over 6 sheets of paper, which you must cut to size and tape together in order to see all of the results at one glance. The result is a simple, easy to use tool for comparing and evaluating different antenna matchboxes.

If you are a "Power User" in Excel and know how to work with split windows and hide rows, then it is also easy to work on-screen with this document. If you are unfamiliar with this technique, printing and taping may be the best solution.

MANY IMPORTANT FACTS cannot be shown in a chart or spreadsheet. This spreadsheet is useful as a tool for creating a "short list" of potential matchboxes for you, but it is not the ultimate answer. Once you have created a short list of your favorite two or three matchboxes, read the original test in QST, read all of the details and weigh that information into your decision process.

Since the tests were conducted by different people over a 20 year period, the reporting method is not always 100% identical from one test to another, though it is close enough to be useful. 

     EXAMPLE:  one test shows power loss of "less than (<) 10%" while another shows power loss of             "less than or equal to (±) 10%".  For this chart we will consider both to be the same, although               there could potentially be a slight difference.

[IN] ACCURACY:  I have typed all of the data into the spreadsheet manually. I am certain there will be a typo or two. Do your own due diligence.

Once you have your potential candidates, double check the numbers for each by reading the original ARRL test.

DOWNLOAD THE SHOOT BELOW:

This is a Microsoft Excel file.  Version 1.4 is in progress; it will add a test of three remote matchboxes.  Stay tuned.

Lessons Learned from the ARRL MATCHBOX SHOOTOUT ->