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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
NY4DX Rating: 2011-12-02
Works Very Well Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Works well on both OCF and Vertical Antennas.

You will be happy with this unit.

WA7ZBO Rating: 2011-10-03
Read the Instructions Plz Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had an AH-4 in my truck since 2005 with very few problems. I had it mounted under the fender with 6 inches of RG-8 center conductor feeding the whip. The only problem I had was sometimes it wouldn't tune up on 40. I was running it into an AH-2b ( the icom 8' whip that looks like it's off a tank). Switching gear to a newer truck I decided to switch to one of the small tuners and coax feed back to the antenna. I was thinking about sending the AH-4 back to ICOM for service but I thought I would give it one last shot.
Benching the unit and hooking up a 706 I connected it first to a dummy load then a long wire with ground. In both cases it worked perfect. breaking out the manual I read over everything and found this info: The unit comes with 3 feet of wire to feed the antenna. It says I can shorten it but not any shorter than 20 inches. I thought I was really being smart with 6 inches of feed cable and so must others reading their reviews.
I just installed it under the new truck bed only this time I used the full three feet. I used the RG-8 minus the shield and wrapped it with some of that pipe insulation noodle stuff. First 1/2 inch then one inch so it can't come close to the truck body.
Results; Perfect tuning not only on 40 but now it locks in a tune on 75! Never did that before.
N0FPE Rating: 2011-09-12
A+++++ Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Mine is going on 9 years old and has worked perfectly with my 706 in my truck for that long. would buy another one in a heartbeat if need be!


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Earlier 5-star review posted by N0FPE on 2011-06-17

Its easy to review! "I LIKE IT"!!!
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Earlier 5-star review posted by N0FPE on 2008-03-27

I have used on on my truck for almost 3 years with NO problems. I would buy one again for mobile installation. I have no experience using it as a base tuner but since it is a long wire tuner GROUNDING would be a high priority just as it is in mobile use.
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Earlier 5-star review posted by N0FPE on 2007-05-13

TVI is NOT the tuners fault...I have never had a problem with mine. I use it mobile with a 706 and it works great! I did have to add a couple of toroids to the control line to keep the RF from locking up the rig. easy fix. The station blaming the rf and TVI on the AH4 needs to check his grounds and remember that TV sets are wonderful stray RF catchers!!! The AH4 is a long wire tuner and a long wire can generate some wild RF patterens. Dont blame the tuner for the televisions crappy design.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by N0FPE on 2005-01-16

This tuner is the bee's knee's!!! I have it mounted in my truck and use it with a 706MK2g. what a system!! If I can hear them I can work them!! Keep it up ICOM!!!


Dan/NØFPE
G4XRO Rating: 2011-09-12
Superb Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought this tuner 2 years ago, I use it to tune a 7 meter length of wire in my roof space in a inverted L configuration. This will tune from 80 - 6 meters with a 1:1 SWR on all bands. I use the IC-7000 with 50 watts output and have had excellent results. See my QRZ Log.
W4LI Rating: 2011-06-17
Frankly, Great! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased the AH-4 a few months ago. I use it to tune my rain gutter system on the lower bands. The tuner will tune my rain gutter system from 160 through 6 meters.

My gutter system has a few bends and turns that don't help, the ground system is marginal, but this tuner got me on the air. The integration with the icom rig is seamless. The tuner gets to a 1:1 match (no movement on the SWR meter) very quickly, anywhere I go.

Since you need to open the unit up to connect control/coax cables, you get a good look inside. This is a solid piece of gear. Although reasonably priced, it is constructed well.

I plan to migrate to other antenna configurations, but look forward to having this tuner as a tool in my barefoot arsenal for the long run.

Great work ICOM!
N4KZ Rating: 2011-05-27
This tuner works Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my AH-4 nearly 4 years ago when they were on sale. But I didn't install it right away. It sat in its box in my ham shack for nearly two years before I decided to install it in my car. Thus, it joined my already installed IC-706 MKIIG in the car. I put a mobile ball mount on the side of the SUV. I installed the AH-4 in the rear of the vehicle and that allowed me to use only 6 inches of coax from the tuner's output to the base of the ball mount. On 40 meters, I use a Workman 40m whip, a knockoff of the Hamstick. I don't really need the AH-4 on 40m but it allows me to QSY from one end of the band to the other. I get great reports and have worked a substantial amount of DX on 40m SSB from the car. Meanwhile, on the higher bands I take off the Workman and replace it with a 8 foot stainless steel whip that easily loads from 30 through 6 meters. Actually, the 8 foot whip also works on 40 m but the signals are about 2 S units weaker than the Workman. Reports with the 8 foot whip are excellent from 30 up to 6 meters. For years, I was on the hunt for the "perfect" HF mobile antenna but once I installed the AH-4 with the super short feedline (to reduce losses) I just decided I already had a good setup and my search for "perfection" was over.

73, N4KZ
K2EGJ Rating: 2011-05-27
Outstanding Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Been using the AH-4 for 5 years with outstanding results. End feed a 24 gauge 33' long wire stealth antenna. Ground is to a hot water radiator. Miles of brass and copper pipes in this 90 year old 16 story apartment building provide a superior counterpoise. Antenna is 30' up in a tree top about 15' from the window. Antenna hung in the tree using the Armstrong method. The AH-4 sits on the windowsill about 3' from the radio. Tunes up on 80-6M bands with less than 1.5:1 SWR. 40M SWR is 1.1. Does not tune up on 160M probably because the wire is too short. Have worked WAS and over 100 countries. Am an avid DXer and Contester. Do not hesitate to use the AH-4. I have read articles that some hms are using the AH-4 to feed dipoles with ladder line and choke baluns with excellent results.
VA7PL Rating: 2011-05-15
FANTASTIC Time Owned: more than 12 months.
USE IT ON MY CONDO BELCONY WITH 23FT OF NUMBER 30 WIRE VERTICLE. I USE ALUMANUM FOIL UNDER MY INDOOR/OUTDOOR CARPET AS MY COUNTER-POISE. I RUN 5 WATTS PSK31 ON 20-6 AND WORK THE WORLD. GREAT TUNER. HAS BEEN OUTSIDE NOW FOR TWO YEARS AND LOOKS AND WORKS AS NEW. BIT COSTLY IN CANADA BUT YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. RON VA7PL
KQ4BX Rating: 2010-10-12
Perfection Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've studied every document I could find on the AH-4, then read every review. I studied antenna theory until I was blue. I came to one conclusion, the tuner is perfect.
Those that gave it low ratings, no matter what class license they hold, did not study enough. If the tuner gets hot, it is your antenna that has problems, not your tuner. Or maybe you neglected the power rating, so how is that the fault of the tuner? If you can't tune 160 meters, it's your antenna that needs a longer wire. If you had other problems, you probably had a poor ground, or no ground at all. The AH-4 exceeds its specifications, and that was a wise move by Icom. How can anybody complain when the product surpasses its advertised abilities? Some have found a way. Before you condemn the AH-4, take a good hard look at your antenna and grounding situation. Of course, there is always the possibility of getting a lemon. That does not make it a bad product, it just makes you unlucky. If you buy the tuner used, you are trusting that the previous owner didn't over power it, or have a poor setup that heated the tuner excessively. Offer no reviews of used tuners unless they are good reviews. nobody cares if you bought an abused tuner and you want all hams to know that you got burned, so you are going to trash the tuner in a review. I plan to connect the AH-4 to a 1/2 G5RV. After a lot of reading, I see that many have done that, and gotten very good results. How many of you used a 1:1 balun between the G5RV and the AH-4? Isn't the ladder line a balanced line, and isn't the tuner expecting an unbalanced line? So my G5RV will have a 1:1 balun between it and the AH-4. I'm waiting on the delivery of this excellent balun. "Manufacturer: Balun Designs" 1:1 Balun 1.5 - 54MHz 5kw - #1115
SKU: 1115 Price: $66.95

They will make the balun with wire connections on both sides. Cut the SO-239 from your G5RV (the balanced output) and feed the wire into the balun. Then take the wire output of the balun (unbalanced) and feed it to your tuner. Bring the ground lead to ground, and be sure to have a good ground or you will have problems.
This looks like a good setup to me, can anybody agree?
VA7DXC Rating: 2010-10-03
Works Well Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I use the AH-4 with a 16m long wire loop folded around my condo balcony. Even with the folded elements, metal railing and steel reinforced concrete the coupler works great for 40 thru 6m. It will tune up on 80 and 160 but performance is of course limited with only 16m of wire!

I take the unit when travelling and have used it with fullsize quads and dipoles for 160-6m. Simple one button tuning on the front of my IC-7000 makes quick band changes a piece of cake.