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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
WR2W Rating: 2004-04-05
One of the Best Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Don't forget you're using a Random WIRE antenna prone to interference...The tuner does it's job in tuning any length wire to fool the transmitter. How can you fault the tuner for receiving electrical noise?? Compare the prices of the other auto wire tuners, and tell me it not worth it...

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Earlier 5-star review posted by WR2W on 2003-04-27

The description here of this tuner states 160-6 meters but Icom does Not state 160 meters. I have found with a good length of wire, and proper grounding it Will tune on the upper part of 160m. I now live in an apartment, and only able to use a short length of wire (23 feet). It tunes just about anything on 80 through 10m with my Icom 718. I wish it was Designed to cover 160m with a short length of wire since most transceivers include 160m, and it is a "matching" tuner for all Icom HF rigs but I am still Very happy with it. My previous tuner was an AH-3 which did Not include 6m but tuned just about anything even on 160m.
KC4JPD Rating: 2004-04-05
Fair-to-middlin Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought one of these tuners in anticipation of going to Korea during Christmas 2003. Thought it would keep me busy with my hobby instead of being bored. I tried it out several weeks ahead of thre trip, good reports received and it tuned well with my ICOM 706MKIIG. The performance in Korea was a different matter, seems the country was electrically noisey and the 50 ft wire did not make for effective transmitting though it tuned perfectly each time. I was only able to make 3 contacts during the trip, though I heard many people. I don't think I would buy again unless I had a covenants issue. I appreciate ICOM having a real person to talk to, they were helpful.
ZS6SAI Rating: 2004-01-16
Excellent product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've been using the AH-4 now for about two months, with my TS-50, I built a matching control unit for it, because it cannot directly interface with the TS-50. I have it mounted in my bedroom, running a long wire through my ceiling to the outside, about 15m total length. I added the "untune" function, if I want to use it for receive only, I also added a knife- switch in the antenna line to ground the antenna during thunderstorms, and to protect the tuner. Operation is lovely and smooth, and it tunes the antenna on all bands upwards from 80m. Performs to all stated specs +++.
Really money well spent!!!
KA4KOE Rating: 2003-12-29
Transparent Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I second all of what everyone else says...this is a fantastic product. I have an end fed 130' wire with a couple of short radials and a ground rod, and this baby will tune everything from 160-6m on my IC-756PRO.

I am using CAT 5E network cable (about 100' run) for control purposes.

Technology that seamlessly integrates with the user is transparent and well designed.

BRAVO!
W8TRC Rating: 2003-12-28
Excellant Product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently purchased and installed an AH-4 ICOM Tuner for use with my ICOM 746PRO. I have a GAP Eagle 10-40m Vertical and wanted to have 80m and possibly 160m also with the addition of a long wire and a tuner. I used 150' of 14 gauge antenna wire in an inverted V at approx. 40' max height, but after reading some of the E-Ham reviews added 100' of ground wire with a 8' ground rod. (placed the 100' of ground around the foundation of my house) As soon as I finished getting it all together and went on the air I went from band to band with one good contact after another. I made contact on all bands, but the real surprise was 160m. The AH-4 handled 160m with ease just like the rest of the bands. Naturally it is slightly noisier than the GAP Eagle, but for not even advertising 160m it was a pleasent outcome. For the money and a few bucks worth of antenna wire you couldn't ask for more. With all these flowers the only minor thorn was the instruction sheet, it left a few things for you to figure out yourself in installing the unit and I do wish when the power is cut the memories would be retained, but those would not stop me from giving it a 5 rating. I live in an antenna restricted area and the 21' GAP and the inconspicuous long wire are all I can get away with, but no complaints, the combination of the two gets me on all the bands all over the world. I just wish when I got the IC 746PRO I had made it part of my antenna package from the start, great addition! Tom/W8TRC E-Mail SKC61673@AOL.COM 73's!!
W8OKN Rating: 2003-11-21
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I wish I had purchased one years ago. Works like a charm, and on 160m with my 95 foot half-box loop.
RFX Rating: 2003-10-31
No complaints here Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have used mine on several Icom radios and it has worked perfectly on all bands but 160. It seems to me if more than one tuner varies the SWR when transmitting there must be something wrong with the antenna setup itself, no? No complaints here.
W8OB Rating: 2003-10-24
Great tuner so far Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been using the ah-4 steady for the past couple of days and its quite a usefull attachment to the station. I had thoughts of just using the coupler for out in the field but due to some windy weather I lost a portion of my sloper standby and installed a l shaped long wire. The tuner works great provided you do the following, have a good ground connected to it, and in a fixed station get the wire trimmed so it works on all bands. I was playing the 80 works but now 40 shows low swr but the rig won't output over 80 watts. I ended up trimming around 9 feet off the total length of 235 feet of wire I had and now its tuning on all bands except ( yes I lost 160 with the trimming, but icom states the tuner is not designed for 160 anyway). I operate cw only and have not yet noticed the vswr changing with extended use. I started out with the unit in the shack, moved it outside but since a large portion of our winter weather exceeds the units low temp rating I decided to move it back into the basement. So far so good
WE1X Rating: 2003-10-23
Excellent ...even on CW Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Been using the AH4 with a variety of Icom rigs (706 MKII, 718, 746) over the past few years at home qth and at a vacation cabin. In each instance the antenna was a random length of wire hung in a tree with 4 long radials. Operated QRP and full 100 watts on various digital modes (including RTTY), SSB, and CW with no problem. The AH4 did just fine.

Harry WE1X
NY3A Rating: 2003-10-23
not so good for cw Time Owned: more than 12 months.
You will be very happy if you use ssb only or qrp all modes with this tuner. Also, you will probably be happy if you use it with a long antenna i.e. at home in any mode.

I operate almost all cw from my car using either a 102" whip or hamsticks and this tuner with a 706MIIG. I have found using a 17 meter hamstick will work 40-10m quite well. The problem is on 40 meter cw. As I operate the SWR gets higher and higher and then goes way up. What is probably happening is the toriods used in the coils are heating and changing inductance. Hiting the tune button will again lower the SWR but it will slowly increase while xmitting again. I think the unit needs inductors that can handle more power.

By the way I had the same problem with a LDG tuner used on a 40m zepp at home until I increased the size of the cores of the toriods a couple of sizes. All is well with it now.