North Georgia QRP Club - NoGa

Build Day IV

The Hudson Tetra2 QRP Antenna Tuner

(Tuner for Electronic Transmitters and Radio Antennas Too)

In keeping with the Guppy project from BD-III

Clubs that don't have a Steve Hudson as a member are operating at a disadvantage.  Steve, AA4BW, has now sponsored, prepared for and hosted 4 "Build" days for our club.  And what a job he does.  His choice of projects, his design of the projects, acquisition of parts and documentation are just plain great.  He is the quintessential host and Elmer.  He spends his time during a Build Day moving around checking everyone's work as they progress.  At this event, he doled out parts for each section as each participant reached the next building stages.

We would like to publicly thank Steve's parents for letting us use their home and his Mom's arts and crafts studio for these events.  (we use their kitchen and other facilities also).

The Tetra2 is Z match tuner with an absorbtion bridge with an LED to assist in tuning.  Click here to see Steve's introduction.  This is a good illustration of the quality of his work.  Steve also prepared all of the front panels and the wooden chassis.  The kit included all of the electronic and mechanical components to provide a finished and useable project at the end of the day.

We would also like to thank Matt, WB6BWZ, and Ken, W4DU for their assistance in tracking down some of the parts for this project.

A makeshift balanced line antenna was thrown up at the end of the day to test all of the projects.  Steve's approach is that everyone has a working unit when they leave.

The pictures are presented in no particular order.   Thanks to Pickett, AD4S, Paul, K4HCM and Wey, K8EAB for the pictures.  If you have some more pictures from this event, send them to me and I will add them to this page.

Pickett, AD4S (I had been asked to increase the resolution of the big pictures so if you are on a dial up line.. they make take a little longer than usual to load)

Click on the small picture to get the big picture.   Use your back/return button to return to this page.


Parts and instructions ready to go.

Original prototype.  The switched, multitaped inductor seems a little too complicated.

Tetra2 prototype with additional capacitance option.

rear view of the Tetra2

Wey, K8EAB's Tetra2 and SS30 at home and on the air.  His first contact on the first try was in 9 land and he got a 479 report.

Jack, K5FSE, Jim, W4PDZ & Phil, K4PQC.  Phil is checking his "bagOparts".

Russ, AE4NY snapping some shots.  Also John, WB4GLJ, Norm, WA4ZXV & Bob AA4CX.  John drove all the way from Columbus to participate.

Russ, AE4NY.  Russ builds by the "prototype comparison" method so we always knew where the prototype was.

Host, Steve, AA4BW (He and Bob would have gotten their calls about the same time) introducing the project.

Steve going over the documentation.  L/R - Dave, N4DJS, Phil, K4PQC, Steve, AA4BW & Mike, KO4WX.

Norm, WA4ZXV, John, WB4GLJ, Bob, AA4CX & Joe, W4JHR.

Russ, AE4NY, Paul, K4HCM, Wey, K8EAB & Norm, WA4ZXV.

Jack, K5FSE, Jim, W4PDZ & Dave, N4DJS.

Steve, AA4BW reviewing the prototype Tetra2.  Mike, KO4WX & Russ, AE4NY.

Jack, K5FSE, Jim, W4PDZ, Dave, N4DJS & Phil, K4PQC.  Most are listening intently to the instructor.

Paul, K4HCM, Wey, K8EAB, Norm, WA4ZXV & John, WB4GLJ.  All are intently listening to the instructor.  Norm is memorizing the instructions.

The wire for the toroid in the absorbtion bridge was about #32 so you can see why a little magnification would help count the 23 turn secondary.

Jack, K5FSE


Wey, K8EAB, Norm, WA4ZXV & John, WB4GLJ.

Steve, AA4BW & Phil, K4PQC, testing Phil's Tetra2 with his AT-Sprint and a makeshift antenna.

Norm, WA4ZXV, Bob, AA4CX, Joe, W4JHR & Jack, K5FSE.

This page last updated on 11/25/2003