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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
KD5IVP Rating: 2003-03-02
Great! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I've used an AH-4 in my van with an IC-706mk2g for 6 months now. Antenna is a 102" stainless whip from RS. The thing tunes in the blink of an eye and performs better than my friends "famous brand" screwdriver antenna. Use to have it mounted under the eve of my house driving a 100' foot random wire against station ground. Yes, it will do 160m with the right length of wire.
WB2DEX Rating: 2003-03-01
Looking To Buy One ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Giving it high marks cause it seems to be the way to go. Can anyone recommend where to buy a new one at a good price in the USA. Much appreciated. Thanks guys/gals.
G4REK Rating: 2002-12-28
ex. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Cant fault my ah4 and now ive modified it to work with any radio its very useful, and yes it works on 160m just make sure youve got a decent length of wire out................

Jim g4rek.............
VE3YES Rating: 2002-12-08
This tuner appears to load up just about anything. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It was with great anticipation that I waited for my new AH-4 tuner. After receiving the unit, I thoroughly read the installation and owners manual - this took about 3 minutes as there are only four pages. It was a dark and stormy winter night, about -13C I might add, and I gripped the flashlight in my teeth as I attached the unit to my tower and ran a long wire through the back yard. I fired up my IC-706, spun the dial and pushed the Tune button. It beeped for a second and refused to tune. Same thing on all bands! Hmmm!!! I had a long cable run on the coax and also the control line so I thought that maybe there was too much attenuation (or resistance) causing the grief. I fired up the tuner in the house (actually lying on the floor with wires hanging out of it) with my coax and control cable fed back through the windw and it worked perfectly. Problem? This tuner is rated to -10C and it would appear they really mean it. Thankfully, we don't have too many of those kind of days here in Toronto but enough that I would've taken this into consideration (if I'd thought of it) before purchasing. Other than that, this tuner appears to load up just about anything. It will tune all bands (including 160m)down to <1.5:1 VSWR without any problem. A friend tells me that it will even load up a metal fence. It is well built and nicely packaged. I work in digital microwave and outdoor active electronics are typically rated to -30C (and tested to -40C) so the Icom's -10C is a little off the mark.
N5TN Rating: 2002-07-15
Can't ask for more! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have been using the AH-4 with an IC706MKIIG for five months now.
It's mounted on the car roof on a frame of aluminum strips mounted on four magnets. The ground connection of the AH-4 goes to the frame, and the frame goes with straps to the car's body.
The AH-4's output goes to a CB whip mounted also on a mag mount.
I get reports mostly on the S7 to S9 range, from stations that I copy the same, even when many of them are operating with beams and several hundred
watts. QSO's are world wide on 20 meters and up.
I am frequently asked what rig/antenna am I using
since the signal is so strong for a mobile.
Would get it again if I needed to assemble a reliable mobile antenna system.
KG4OXP Rating: 2002-07-15
Great for mobile Time Owned: N.A.
I am using the AH-4 mounted in my trunk (Toyota Avalon). I'm using GTO-15 wire (about 4 inches) to feed a shakespeare 8 foot whip (this whip is actually a LORAN-C whip for marine use - the antenna is lightweight and breaks down into 2 parts so I can store it in the trunk - it's connected with a quick disconnect). This was a good option for me as I wanted multiband use, and an antenna I could take down and store quickly. I did not want to use a CB whip and the ah-2b seemed pricey for an 8 foot whip.

I found a good ground close to the ah-4 and used a ground strap to connect to that.

Seems to be a good, well made product.

N4VNV Rating: 2002-07-09
So-So Tuner Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the AH-4 to run a 220' end fed wire. It would not tune it on all bands at 100 watts output. (10-80M) I tried six different ground wire lengths and three different grounds. This was hooked to my Icom 706MKII. Then I purchased a SGC-231 "SmartTuner". It worked fine and I've used it two years now. I sold the AH-4.
K3DWW Rating: 2002-07-09
Great for GOTA Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Mast mounted the AH-4 feeding an old Swan Bugcatcher about 15 feet above ground. Tuned 6 thru top of 80M with bugcatcher coil set for 20M or 10 thru 80 with bugcatcher on 40. Big advantage was ease of operation. Tune a "CQ", punch the 'tune' button and talk when you hear QRZ. Gave several Techs the upgrade bug last field day.
K8CJY Rating: 2002-07-09
Sailboat Installation Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My AH-4 is installed on our Catalina 36 sailboat. It is mounted in the lazarette (rear cockpit box) compartment and it feeds a 50 ft long wire that runs from the stern pulpit up to the top of the mast. The tuner is grounded to the engine, the keel and a copper grounding plate on the hull, All three are bonded together with AWG 4-0 Wellflex cable and tied to the AH-4. The ground is very important.

With an Icom 706 MKII feeding this antenna, I have worked all states and about 30 countries. Most of the activity has been on 40, 20, 17 and 10.

The antenna does not load on 160M. On my vacation this summer, I am going to try adding a loading coli at the lower end of the wire to gain 160 operation.

The AH-4 has been very reliable. The one improvement that Icom should consider would be the change to non-volitile memory.
SV1ENS Rating: 2002-05-24
Good portable tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My AH-4 is installed on the roof of my house tuning my homebrewed vertical. It tunes fast with not too much RFI. I'm happy with it but tuning 1.8 Mc is missing...
I installed the AH-4 with my IC-706MKIIG in my car using a magnet mounted K-40 antenna, the RFI was too much driving the car electronics crazy.
As a base or portable tuner the AH-4 is great, as a mobile a disaster in my case...