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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
N3XN Rating: 2018-10-07
My AH-4 is Cookin With Crisco Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This tuner is made for a random length wire antenna, and it works. However, my wire wasn't working so well because it wasn't high enough. I decided to try the tuner with a ZS6BKW antenna, although this is not what it was designed for. I hooked up one side of the ladder line to the post for the single wire that it was made for. The other side of the ladder line goes nowhere, but I think I will attach it to my ground strap. I saw this in one of the reviews here on eHam.net reviews. This thing works 80 meters on up--all frequencies of of ham all bands. It's a winner for me.
K0KS Rating: 2018-02-12
Going for a 3rd one! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
One of my AH-4s was completely submerged by Hurricane Harvey flood waters for 2 days. After removing the shield covers I washed it with deionized water and dried with a fan for 24hrs. It works like new! The shield covers were badly rusted before the flood, they aren't plated well. I have an AH-4 mobile and one on a 33' vertical but have 4 Icom rigs so it's time to order another. The submerged AH-4 is at least 15yrs old. It DOES cover 160M too.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by K0KS on 2016-08-21

My 2 AH-4 tuners are >12 yrs old and still do daily duty. One mobile and one stays home. I've used them on a number of antennas, some with baluns, and had great results. I have tightened and re-soldered a couple of things in the mobile unit with the severe environment. This is an Icom orphan with little support. There doesn't seem to be a list of compatible transceivers or that it will even work 160M. The AH-4 is the perfect companion for the IC-7300 and ideal for those new guys getting on HF. The cheapest all band antenna that can be many configurations and the price just came down.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by K0KS on 2004-01-27

An AH-4 drives a cheap CB whip and spring from 80 thru 6 Meters for my mobile operation and it gets the same reports as the Screwdriver with a lot more convenience. At home, I use a 140' dipole fed with ladder-line and 4:1 Balun. The AH-4 tunes this dipole from 160 thru 6 Meters including the WARC bands. The 4:1 Balun places the dipole at DC ground and with the AH-4 well grounded, ligtning is kept 30' outside the shack. It's so handy to switch bands with only a couple of seconds tune time. Icom doesn't provide any real specs for the AH-4 and I'm sure many hams overlook it's real possibilities.
The AH-4 is so good that it sells for above retail price on E-Bay. What am I missing?
W5MCU Rating: 2017-02-03
Easy to use with IC-7300 Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Not a hitch in the get-a-long. Tunes fast with my 43 ft vertical Zero5 antenna. Running 100watts my adage is: "If I can hear them, they can hear me."
W6SWO Rating: 2016-12-30
Great with R7 Vertical! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this based on everyone's reviews here saying it was great, and it IS!

Here are my observations and installation notes:

1) There have been many people here who said they had problems with getting the gasket between the top and bottom covers to mate properly, but I had no problems whatsoever. Maybe ICOM improved the gasket design or mounting, but it has pins and spacers that it mounts on and it went together very easily for me.

2) I bought this to use with my Cushcraft R7 vice a long wire. To make it work, I put the center conductor of my low-loss coax leading to the to the ceramic insulator designed for the long wire. I then took the shield of the coax going to the antenna and made a jumper wire to the bottom of the AH-4's ground terminal. My thinking was, if the transceiver, antenna and shield of my coax is all supposed to be at ground (ie: zero potential), that should work fine.

3) I then grounded everything to the galvanized mast that the R7 antenna is mounted on.

When you plug the control cable connector to the radio (in my case, an Icom 7410), the radio automatically understands that the AH-4 tuner is connected and uses the AH-4 instead of the internal automatic tuner.

Results: The AH-4 tunes to 1:1 on all 80-10m quickly and easily. It does WAY better than the 7410's internal tuner, and better than the external manual MFJ tuner I've used on this rig. I am THOROUGHLY impressed with this tuner, and it makes operating so much easier than the other tuners. Tune to your desired freq on any band, hit the "tune" button on the radio, and you're in business in a second! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
KI7AAR Rating: 2016-09-15
Works without issues. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I've been running this tuner on a IC-756 Pro III and a 130' non resonate inverted L (insulated wire.) It quickly tunes 80 to 6 meters every time without a glitch. My antenna isn't set-up for 160 meters and it won't tune 160. That is to be expected but, I had to try.

The only improvement that I can think of is adding weatherproof connectors outside of the enclosure. The stock design requires the removal of the lid with several screws and a seal that must be carefully realigned.

I've extended the control cable to 30' with sprinkler wire. Also running chokes at the tuner for both coax and control. No RF in the shack and it getting out a great signal. I'm looking for a second AH-4 for the 7300 and mobile ops if that ever happens.
KN4RA Rating: 2016-06-27
A Great Investment Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Purchased the AH-4 as a stealthy compromise and it works surprisingly well! The unit is mounted on a 4x4 about 18" off the ground with a 58' wire sloping into a tall pine. I have had great success on all bands 80-10m. Four 1/4 wave (for the 40m band) radials are snaking through the back yard attached to an 8' ground rod. The tuner is grounded there as well.. The control cable is connected to the rear of my IC-7200. Just find a frequency, press tune, and you are all set. The tune process is unbelievably fast. If you are unsure about the purchase (as I was), don't be. Just read the brief manual and familiarize yourself with the ATU. I have had rigs in the past with internal tuners and rest assured this AH-4 is 10x better. However, with this arrangement the tuner will not tune 6m. That's okay for now. I have a ground plane for that band... Remember to keep your power around 100 watts. Enjoy! :)
KW1K Rating: 2016-05-01
Used it over 15 years Time Owned: more than 12 months.
First installed mobile with 102 inch whip and worked everything bu 80 & 160 without ever an issue. Couple years latter used at home station with long wire; again no problems. Moved to a different QTH and a new vertical pipe, flawless operation. Tunes quickly and seems to match a wide range of impedance. Survived heat, humidity, rain, and snow for years now. Could not ask for more.
G4OER Rating: 2016-03-03
Top value for money Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Easily the best auto atu I've ever used. Highly recommended. Using an 85 foot wire which slopes up to a pole on the gable end of my home. Take time to install a good ground plus either radials or a counterpoise.
Icom's service in the UK second to none.

Dave
ZL1PB Rating: 2016-02-07
Very good Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Can be easily interfaced with any transceiver. I have a K3 and built the JA1GAC interface. Very easy to build and works perfectly, just remember to reduce power to below 15 watts when tuning. I use it with an as suggested 23 foot vertical, grounded as per the installation manual. it tunes 3.5 to 28mhz. The AH-4 is a great bit of kit, highly recommended.
KE6K Rating: 2015-03-01
The single best tuner I've used Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought the AH-4 to use with my new IC-706MkII in 2001. It was in my truck for 9 years running into a 102" whip and worked like a dream. I took it out when I sold the truck and forgot about it. I just hauled it out because I have moved into an HOA controlled area and can have antennas only as long as "they cannot be seen from the street or the neighbors back yards".
I now run a 60' 24 gauge speaker wire over the roof of my 2 story home (about 35' high) and use 5 counterpoises of various lengths. Works like a dream again. Only problem, as has been mentioned many times, is the 100 watt limit.