A tuner in the shack or at the base – what really changes? How much power is lost in the tuner, and how much in the feed line? What components are needed to properly match a full-wave dipole to 50 ohms? How long does a quarter-wave transformer made from a specific coaxial cable need to be for it to work – and what is the resulting loss?

Such questions are at the heart of the talk ‘Matrix Meets Smith Chart: How to Simulate and Tune RF Networks (a fool with a tool is still a fool)’. Mathias HB9FRV explains the necessary theory concisely and then moves straight on to the practical side: he presents software solutions that allow such questions to be answered quickly and without complicated maths.

What’s particularly fascinating is that he has written his own software to gain experience with AI code assistants (such as Claude). The subtitle, ‘a fool with a tool is still a fool’, says it all – the talk features accounts of his experiences from the perspective of a software engineer and university lecturer.

The event will take place on Friday, 2 October 2026, from 8.00 pm to 9.00 pm at Restaurant Ochsen in 5242 Lupfig. It is organised by HB9AG, the USKA Aargau Section. Admission is free.

Contact: Marc Balmer HB9SSB
Email: qsl@hb9ssb.radio
Website: https://hb9ag.ch

An evening for anyone who wants to get more out of their antenna – and understand how simulation, Smith charts and modern tools can benefit real-world operations.

Published by HB9HGH