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Reviews For: ACOM 04AT Automatic Antenna Tuner

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : ACOM 04AT Automatic Antenna Tuner
Reviews: 11MSRP: 1200
Description:
The 04AT is ACOM's 1200 Watt automatic antenna tuner, designed to complement their 600S and 1200S solid state HF amplifiers. It is unsurpassed in its degree of automation and level of protection.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.acom-bg.com/products/antenna-tuner/acom-atu04at
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15114.6
K6KV Rating: 2017-06-12
The Tuner of the Future Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It's my first week of using the ACOM 04AT autotuner and I'm 100% delighted. The tuner is designed to work with ACOM's 600S or 1200S amplifiers, and is so fully automated as to feel like you're operating a very high power transceiver, not a collection of boxes. Such convenience never existed before. The tuner gets its power and data via the antenna's coax cable, and can be placed anywhere to keep the operating position uncluttered. Final installation is a matter of connecting a CAT cable between the amplifier and the transceiver, and then using an on-screen menu to specify the type. In operation, all important information is shown on the amplifier's screen, and it's interesting to watch the antennas and tuning segments being automatically switched when the transceiver is tuned.

Besides being the easiest to use, this tuner is probably the most indestructible. Other tuners may be automatic but they are not foolproof. If a user forgets to reduce power before changing bands or QSY'ing widely, such tuners may try to tune at high power, risking damaging their relays or roller inductor. The 04AT is different. It continuously monitors the situation, and whenever tuning is needed it removes power for several milliseconds while it switches its gold-contact relays. I often leave my amplifier at 600 watts, and change bands or QSY with impunity. Contesters might choose the 04AT for its speed but I chose it for convenience.