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write your own review of the Featuretech AT-3000 Automatic Antenna Tuner.
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JV257
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 28, 2007 16:46
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Send this review to a friend
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Excellent VAlue
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Living in a restricted space qth I have tried 1/2 size G5RV and trap dipole antennas with varying degrees of success.
I have been thinking about experimenting with an elevated vertical antenna for some time as I am being swamped by QRM on the horizontal antennas.
Having seen the Featuretech Tuners advertised on ebay I took the plunge and bought one. For around 360 bucks (AUS) I thought it was pretty competitive with other smart tuners available.
The instructions and specs stated that an antenna length of at least 8 metres would tune down to 160 metres.
Looking around the back yard I found an old "station master" 11 metre base station antenna and a couple of other pieces of aluminum.
With a bit of experimentation I found I could telescope additional pieces of aluminum into the old antenna and come up with an 8.3 metre total length. The original antenna had a loading coil at the base which I removed and jumpered the feed direct to the SO-239 socket in the base plate.
I mounted the Featuretech tuner at the top of a 3 metre (9 foot) TV mast bolted to the end of one of the house brick walls.
The elongated station master was mounted directly above this with a very short piece of copper wire banana plugged into the SO-239 socket and attached the butterfly nut on the tuner output.
Counterpoise! Counterpoise, what would I use as a counterpoise? - well the house was constructed with aluminum flashing around the eaves and gutters so I ran hard drawn copper wire directly from the tuner earth down to the flashing at a couple of points.
Results?
Well I figured seeing as I had never worked on 160 metres I would try there first.
Applying 15 watts of AM carrier I watched as the tuner brought the SWR down to 1.6 to 1. Hmm onwards and upwards - the further results were:
80m = 1.5 to 1
40m = 1.3 to 1
30m = 1.1 to 1
20m = 1.2 to 1
17m = 1.4 to 1
15m = 1.3 to 1
12m = 1.4 to 1
10m = 1.2 to 1
6m = 1.4 to 1
(the literature supplied with the tuner states that it is not guaranteed for 6 metres but what the hey - it worked!)
So there you have it 160 thru 6 on one antenna!
I have worked 3 states in VK on 160 a JA on 17 and the QRM is 3 S points lower.
I can certainly recommend the Fetauretech AT -3000
73's
VK1JPV
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