I have an Icom 7200 and would like to find an antenna tuner. It doesn't have to be max power supportive but I'd like up to 500 watts? I'm not too familiar with antenna tuners, so if this is a stupid request, apologies!
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WTB: Antenna Tuner
- Thread starter TheRATT
- Start date
There are basically 2 types. Auto and manual. An automatic tuner is going to be more expensive, but they will get you in the safe zone much quicker.
I have 2 manual tuners, one is rated a 300 watts, and the other is rated at 2000 watts.
The latter is built like a tank and is what I use when I have my base up and running. I acquired the second after a friend passed.
The big question is what are you willing to spend?
This is like the one that I run, and this is a great price for a great piece of equipment. This will also allow you headroom for when you eventually upgrade in the future.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154755584559?hash=item240826d22f:g:AMUAAOSwW~5hnx-f
I have 2 manual tuners, one is rated a 300 watts, and the other is rated at 2000 watts.
The latter is built like a tank and is what I use when I have my base up and running. I acquired the second after a friend passed.
The big question is what are you willing to spend?
This is like the one that I run, and this is a great price for a great piece of equipment. This will also allow you headroom for when you eventually upgrade in the future.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154755584559?hash=item240826d22f:g:AMUAAOSwW~5hnx-f
It's not all that hard. What I will tell you is to tune on low power first and then fine tune on high power. I use an external BIRD meter with a 5W element in reverse after the tuner to get my reflect as low as possible.
The internal meter is good, but I just trust having the reflect meter always there in my face a bit more.
If your looking for something more modern and can get by with a 300 watt tuner, the MFJ-949E is a good choice for a manual tuner that has a built in dummy load which can be useful.
Not much of a learning curve to these. Just set the Inductance value A thru L and turn the transmitter and antenna knobs till you get the lowest SWR. If you can't get one low enough, select a different inductance vale and try again. The more you use it the more you remember which inductance values work best with each band.
Auto-tuners are nice and what I prefer. With your radio, you can have a radio brand specific interface cable between your rig and tuner which will semi auto-tune tune by the radio's front panel tune button.
They can also auto-tune anytime the SWR is over a user set limit. I find this to be annoying because it will auto-tune anytime during a QSO when there may be some kind of spike in the SWR.
I prefer using auto-tuners in semi auto mode meaning the tuning adjustments like inductance and capacitance is automatically done and the user initiates the tuning cycle via the radio's tune button.
Many radio's also provide the tuners power from the radio's tuner port so no external power is needed. LDG and MFJ make auto-tuners at 600 watt ranges.
Not much of a learning curve to these. Just set the Inductance value A thru L and turn the transmitter and antenna knobs till you get the lowest SWR. If you can't get one low enough, select a different inductance vale and try again. The more you use it the more you remember which inductance values work best with each band.
Auto-tuners are nice and what I prefer. With your radio, you can have a radio brand specific interface cable between your rig and tuner which will semi auto-tune tune by the radio's front panel tune button.
They can also auto-tune anytime the SWR is over a user set limit. I find this to be annoying because it will auto-tune anytime during a QSO when there may be some kind of spike in the SWR.
I prefer using auto-tuners in semi auto mode meaning the tuning adjustments like inductance and capacitance is automatically done and the user initiates the tuning cycle via the radio's tune button.
Many radio's also provide the tuners power from the radio's tuner port so no external power is needed. LDG and MFJ make auto-tuners at 600 watt ranges.
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I have a Palstar AT2K 2000 watt manual and it works great. They are not cheap but will tune anything I have tried. Buy good stuff first will save you in the long run.
Here is a link for the LDG 600 Watt tuner and notice below the Icom interface cable.
https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=D1-002700
https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=D1-002700
The MFJ auto-tuner costs a bit more but I like the real needle SWR/Power meter as opposed to a LED segment graph that the LDG uses. There is an external needle type meter you can buy for the LDG as an add-on accessory.
I once used a MFJ-998 1500 watt model for years and it worked just fine. I now use an Elecraft Kat 500 because I like the computer interface which I occasionally use when operating my station remotely.
https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-006906
https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-007173
I once used a MFJ-998 1500 watt model for years and it worked just fine. I now use an Elecraft Kat 500 because I like the computer interface which I occasionally use when operating my station remotely.
https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-006906
https://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-007173
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