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Reviews For: ICOM AH4 auto tuner

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : ICOM AH4 auto tuner
Reviews: 144MSRP: 319 street price 8/2000
Description:
small mobile/base wire tuner 160-6 meters. Remote control with ICOM HF rigs
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.icomamerica.com/amateur/hf/ah4.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
351444.8
VK5SN Rating: 2005-01-28
Super tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is one of my best purchases! I run it with my 706MKII and random wire antenna. Absolutely fanstatic with a good counterpoise / ground. I have had it for over 5 years now!
N8AVR Rating: 2005-01-16
Wonderful Time Owned: more than 12 months.
With all the messing around I've done with various tuners and antenna configs, I have been by far the happiest with the Icom AH-4 autotuner. I use one in my truck with an Icom 706MkIIG to a 17m hamstick and it tunes 80 to 6 no problem and with fine signal reports. I also use one at the base with an Icom 746PRO connected to 267' of 14 wire to form a Delta Loop (160m to 6, including 60m). Wonderful signal reports and I can usually get who I can hear, with 100watts or normally much much less. Normal operation is QRP. Nothing but kudos to Icom for another fine product. From a happy customer. 73 Brian N8AVR http://n8avr.us
KK5DR Rating: 2004-11-06
Easy Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I got one for FD and portable operation. With an ICOM AH-4 ready radio, the set up takes less than 10 minutes in the field.
Quick & easy is how I would discribe the AH-4.
For a more in-depth review, vist my web site.
www.qsl.net/kk5dr
AC6IJ Rating: 2004-07-13
Top choice Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have an Icom AH-4 powered by an Icom 706 MK IIG. I have them mounted in a Ford Explorer with a stainless steel ball mount over the rear right fender. Inside the Explorer in that area is a built in compartment that makes easy access to the ball mount. I decided to make a plate of 12 gauge steel on the inside of the ball mount that would serve two purposes. It strengthens the ball mount against swaying and mounts the AH-4 so that the antenna is only a 1/4" away from the AH-4 antenna feeder. The ground also mounts to this plate and is only 1" long to ground on the same plate.
I have my Icom 706 mounted on the outside of the compartment with the head mounted on my driver arm rest.
For an antenna I use a quick dissconect to variable length antennas that have quick dissconects that alow changing there lengths to 12' and each section is only 4' long for easy storage.
I cannot imagine any better setup or combination as they work just flawlessly. Bill
VA7CRH Rating: 2004-05-28
Flawless tuner Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After a dismal experience with an SCG-239 autotuner, the retailer kindly allowed an upgrade to the AH-4. I had thought the SCG-239 to be a "plug in and forget" tuner, but mine was a bit of a lemon. So after the outpour of a bit more money, the AH-4 had a home here.

Connected to an IC-718, the thing works flawlessly. Consistant SWR of 1:1.2 on an 80 foot random wire, 30 feet up, no matter the band. Something can be said about 'brand loyalty', the 718 has a setting that will tune the AH-4 automatically without the need to press the 'tuner' button.

If I can wire the thing with five left-thumbs on each hand, so can you.

There may be cheaper alternatives, but for a good 'plug-in-and-forget' experience this is the tuner for the next few years for me.
N8VB Rating: 2004-04-22
Great Tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My AH-4 is mounted on the handle end of a 5 meter vertical fiberglass fishing pole with 5 meters of wire taped to the pole. I also have three 5 meter radials running down the sides of the house. It tunes 80-6 meters no problem. I am very happy withthis setup which has been in service for more than a year.

N8VB
W3LBS Rating: 2004-04-13
Great Product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just recently purchased the Icom AH-4 automatic antenna to install in our new
motorhome. I also purchased an Icom IC-706MKIIG for the same project. I was able to
install the AH-4 in an area just behind the rear ladder on the motorhome, I also mounted a
102” SS whip on a bracket which I made for the ladder. The base of the 102” whip is
being fed with a 24” piece of jacketed number 12 copper wire directly from the tuner.
This makes the overall length of the antenna about 126 inches. I ran about 50+ feet of
control cable (shielded) and RG8X together (in the same wire loom) from the radio to the
antenna and the tuner. My installation did not seem to like the fact that I ran the feed and
control cables together. On 40 meters the tuner would tune but when transmitting for
more than a few seconds it would kick out the tuner even though the tuner light still
showed it to be in the line, and on 20 meters it would do the same plus kick off the 706.
All other bands were OK ( 17 through 6). My guess would be RF back into the radio
through the control cable, so I grounded the shield of the control cable at the radio end,
which made no change and I also tried an RF Choke in the coax line at the tuner that also
made no change. Ran another piece of coax from radio to tuner ( for test purposes)
outside the motorhome on the ground and everything fell into place just perfectly. To
solve all problems I ran a new run of LMR400 coax separated from the control line until
they get to the tuner and everything is great. The tuner tunes 6 through 40 and will also
tune all of 80 meters which it is not supposed to do. I have had a few contacts, the first
one was on 17 meters to Spain. The AH-4 does all it is advertised to do and a little more.

W3LBS 73’s
2004 HR Endeavor 40PST
K2WH Rating: 2004-04-12
Great Product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just installed the tuner in my Jeep Cherokee. I mounted my 102" whip on the side fender. Pulled the plastic inside fender out and hid the tuner in the wheel well. I had to remove the mounting brackets to get it in ok. The good part of this installation is the fact I was able to get the output insulator within 5" of the antenna feed point! Forget about Screwdrivers or any other loaded antenna. They are no where near as efficient as a 102" CB stainless steel whip. The tuner spec says it will tune down only to 40 meters. Mine will get this whip down to the lower end of 80 meters and all the way to 6 meters. Put the inside panel back on, hid all the wiring along the baseboards, put the rig under the back seat. The only thing seen is the antenna and the control head on the dash. The AH-4 in my opinion for the price is a no brainer best buy.

K2WH
AD7DB Rating: 2004-04-12
good for mobile, if you can figure out a way to mount it! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have mine mounted in the bed of my pickup truck, directly feeding an 8 foot whip. Good results on 40-6m. I also have a Hamstick for use on 75m.

I can't figure out why Icom has no support for this tuner with their new IC-7800. This automatic tuner simplifies the antenna setup so well, yet, if you want to use it with their new ten kilobuck radio, you'll need some sort of 3rd party interface. Rig the tuner up to tune a large dipole or loop and you've got 160-6m coverage.

K7FD Rating: 2004-04-12
Does the trick... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
After a quick mod to add an SO-239 input, I placed the tuner into mobile service. Antennas vary, but no matter what the brand I do attempt to have a resonant aerial to begin with. My choice lately has been the W6MMA MP-1 mini-screwdriver, with an inductive match to ground. That said, the AH-4 loafs along and matches any mismatch left over in a jiffy. I did add a 23' counterpoise for the AH-4 to run under the vehicle just for grins...

Seems very well built and it certainly does the trick for me...

73 John K7FD