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write your own review of the ICOM AH-4 auto tuner.
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W4GZV
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 13, 2009 16:01
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Excellent
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have several AH-4s. I use one mounted back in my truck tool box and into a 6 foot whip. It works great on 40 through 10 mtrs. I have one at my shop hooked to a 400 foot loop...works fine. Here at the house I have one up in the attic that feeds a 75 mtr dipole simply running along the shingles of my roof ridge (center at 32 feet) and then running down the hips. I work anyone I can hear on most bands. They all tune really fast and have been trouble free for 3 years now.
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W4GZV
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 13, 2009 15:59
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Eccellent
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have several AH-4s. I use one mounted back in my truck tool box and into a 6 foot whip. It works great on 40 through 10 mtrs. I have one at my shop hooked to a 400 foot loop...works fine. Here at the house I have one up in the attic that feeds a 75 mtr dipole simply running along the shingles of my roof ridge (center at 32 feet) and then running down the hips. I work anyone I can hear on most bands. They all tune really fast and have been trouble free for 3 years now.
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ZS1JY
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 13, 2009 09:05
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Works great with a vertical wire
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I've been using the AH-4 for several years now on a half-size G5RV, but as the sunpots started thinning out, my success rate decreased since the dipole was not 1/2 wavelength above ground. I then hooked up a vertical wire of about 21 feet long, offset about 2m from the QTH wall, with the AH-4 at ground level, affixed to a 3 foot ground spike, plus the 4 wires from a 20m and 40m dipole as above-ground ground wires. During the 2009 WPX CW contest I made 50 Q's including with W7 on 40m, plus many European stations on 20m! This tuner is just amazing!
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K0JXI
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 5, 2009 17:42
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Great tuner w/706M2G
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I used the tuner at a rental house I was moving into. Had a old militay ground that was about 4 foot into the ground setting outside the window. Would take the 706 from the base location and set it up at the rental house several times a month. Ran a 60 foot wire from the roof peak out to the garage --- 20 ft vertical and 40 horiz. Sat the tuner 2 foot from the radio on a inside table and ran the wires through the open window. Sealed with a towel. One evening I set up the radio and hooked up the ground wire first. The phone rang and had a 15 minute converaation with a local ham friend. Later worked a 6 meter E skip station on six. Took a few tries but got him. Worked several friends on 80M at 0800 the next morning. They commented that the signal was not as strong as usual. Looked down at the tuner and discovered that I had never hooked up the antenna wire and was just running on the 5 foot ground rod wire. Not bad for six and 80. Worked a little better with the 60 wire attached. HI
Only complaint is some computer hash on the higher bands. Sure it had to do with the closeness of the radio to the tuner and maybe that the control wire is not shielded. Have not run it mobile yet. Waiting for new min van---73 Dale
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W3QJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 15, 2009 17:25
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Works well
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Have used one for mobile in the truck, used end feeding random wire & substantial ground plane. Also used with various loop configuration. Simple, easy, painless operation. Although interfaced with a number of Icom radios (I use one with 706, 7000, and ProIII) It can ne made to work with many other HF transceivers with the proper interface.
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KD0TRG
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 15, 2009 15:06
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ICOM AH-4 is Good To Go
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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ICOM AH-4 Tuner(antenna coupler) – I have been using this in the back yard to support a horizontal delta loop, constraints of the yard force me into this configuration. Hot end of the tuner hooked to one end of the loop, tune ground hooked to the other end of the loop. So far, I am impressed with the AH-4 ability to tune my loop and I am very impressed with the seamless operation with the ICOM 756ProIII. I’m using 18g sprinkler wire from the local home improvement center to cover the 100 feet between the radio and the AH-4.
I have a second one on the truck hooked to an 11 foot whip – so far it just works. I like things that just work!!
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K7MDO
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 17, 2008 13:20
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Workhorse
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I think I get to be the 101st reviewer of this tuner and would only like to add the following. I am certain a good antenna cut to the correct length and properly matched to the feedline will do a better job on any given band than the AH-4 does with a random wire. However, the incredible convenience of a simple end fed wire for all bands is just to good to pass up. A great piece of equipment when coupled with an Icom transceiver.
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K8RWH
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 24, 2008 08:45
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One-Time Tune per Band
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I started out with an Opek HVT-400 and LDG At-100 Pro autotuner 2 yrs ago to my 706MKIIG, and the usable frequencies were probably 15 Khz wide before SWR safety cutoff. Yuck! Then I found K0BG's website for mobile hams, removed everything but the 706MKIIG and followed his information. He used to couple his 706 to an AH-4, so I bought one, and am I glad I did!! Coupled to my 12-13 foot whip with a 2.5 inch connecting wire to the bottom of the ball-mount, I only have to tune once per band, because the SWR graph on the 706 shows 1.1:1 on 80 thru 6 meters, except the high edge of 6 is 1.4 to 1. Have gotten good signal reports, even on 80M. Amazing little device!!
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LA4UOA
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 16, 2008 14:17
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THE BEST
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Time owned: months
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Have it in my car, and it tunes up everything in seconds, with this tuner you cant go wrong.See some reviews here giving it 0, must be the operator there is something wrong with, and not the tuner.
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N6KIA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 1, 2008 19:02
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One of the Best
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Owned mine since 2004. Never a problem. It's fast quiet,and very efficient. Tunes a 517ft end feed long wire 6m thru 160m at 1.2 or less on every band. A 6 foot stainless steel whip on the mobile is no problem either. All in all worth every penny. Would definitely buy one again if I had the Need, and I recommend one for anybody new to HF that dosen't want a lot of headaches.
I wish it would handle a KW though.
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