| KF4HR |
Rating:      |
2022-09-18 | |
| Excellent! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| I own two TG-XL's and they are amazing ATU's which I use with my Flex-6700 and PG-XL amplifier. 403A hit it out of park with the TG-XL! (I've noticed some TG-XL owners seem to be having operational problems. Be aware you need to first pre-program frequency segments into memory, within each band, for the unit to work properly. Read manual.) |
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| W2PP |
Rating:      |
2022-09-17 | |
| I'd say Flex has got one of the best tuners ever made. |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
So, I have now gotten a replacement unit and the performance has been terrific. ( I had one of the first 25 units put out two years ago.) What I appreciate most is being able to ignore it. There are quite a number of other things going on in a room with four stations and the last thing you want to spend time on is the antenna tuner. So, I ran through the bands and tuned it all up and that's the last of it.
I can confirm the RF sense works perfectly, I don't use it however.
Operating remotely, yes it can be done, Just hook it up to some wimpy computer and use remote desktop or Teamvieewer.
Again, remember ETO Alpha amps from the 70's through the 90's and how bleeding edge they were, well you can have that same feeling again with this.
Keep in mind I'm not posting to show how smart I was to spend the money, when the products are no good, I say so plainly. I think you can depend on this unit to perform rather well with some disgraceful antennas.
By the by, once you get the antennas tuned with the TGXL the response going forward is instant. I mean instant. Not sure why their are fans because my unit runs ice cold.
The TGXL is a great partner for any linear, or pair of linear amps. I use the PGXL, see my 5 star review on that one, and the amp loves it. Runs cool, quiet and pumps out lots of power.
I would HIGHLY recommend the TGXL as its bleeding edge technology. I know of NO OTHER tuner that does TWO radios simultaneously on multiple antenna systems. The TGXL would be ideal for a context station and for sure any SO2R setup. If you have a solid state amp or pair of same, then the TGXL is a must as the tuning is precise, and most importantly, repeatable.
Other tuners use belts and motors, ugh run from that stuff. This unit uses toroidal coils and so repeatability is perfect first time every time.
Thus you'll be protecting those rather expensive transistor finals in either your radio or amplifier(s) remember it does TWO at once.
Communications with both my ICOM radios is ROCK SOLID. So the antennas are instantly tuned when I change bands. In fact the entire system clicks in place as I click on the station in HRD. Instant radio tune, amp, tuner and antenna in the blink of an eye.
Its this instant operational change over that makes this an ideal part of ANY system
REMEMBER WELL that NO OTHER TUNER on planet earth is capable of TWO radios, multiple antennas and works seamlessly with all the software you like.
Flex I think has recognized that the broader market is non Flex users. This review is really aimed at folks who are NOT running Flex radios,, Once again I can see this follows in the ETO Alpha line, this along with the PGXL will be as legendary as the ETO line is today. I can't see ever selling this or the PGXL, EVER. |
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| W2NER |
Rating:     |
2022-07-26 | |
| Great but.. |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I only just got this today, so take my review with a grain of salt. It works great so far, can't say anything bad at the moment. However, there is one thing I don't like, it will not initiate a tune with RF, you MUST hit the tune button on the tuner. Now, I do understand this is needed in OS2R operation but, this is a problem on a non-OS2R unit which I have. I've had other Auto tuners like, HF-Auto, MFJ-998 and a few LDG's, and they all start a tune sequence when RF is applied when no tune settings are in memory. Also, only 10 memory locations per band, that's VERY low. So, that's my only gripes so far.. |
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| KM4CQG |
Rating:     |
2022-01-24 | |
| 403a Tuner Genius is it really???? |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
SO2R Version
I received my Tuner Genius after waiting 8 months. Was it worth it YES does it work as promised NO.
1st the problem's is Software related. One day will all be addressed probably.
My setup includes the Antenna Genius so I can control 8 Antenna ports with 2 Transmitters hence SO2R. The Antenna Genius and the Tuner Genius have a good integration between them. WELL DONE!!
Myself and other Operators take issue's with the Tuner Genius not keeping up with the Active Flex Transmitter. I spoke with Marko the designer and he assures me this is already addressed and will be released shortly. However if your using MultiFlex for the other Transmitter Slice I am afraid there is going to be a long wait on a fix for this issue.
Why you ask because the real issue is in the Flex SDR software and the way it communicates with the Tuner Genius.
Other issues the Maestro can't control the Tuner Genius at present NO fix time.
Bottom line without a Computer in front of you and the equipment physically in the Shack this Tuner won't work.
RF Sensing like the Palstar HF Auto I was unable to confirm this feature working at present.
Potential the Tuner Genius is very advanced and remembers all it's tuned frequencies in a given bandwidth. It's extremely fast at tuning. Both Watt and SWR meter are highly accurate. Power on switch located at the rear unit uses almost no DC current at idle.
Unit does have a front display screen Specs says it's touch sensitive however I can't confirm this as these features currently aren't utilized.
Would I buy it again at $2,500 dollars probably while feature packed it's missing some key features that were promised from the beginning. |
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| AB6A |
Rating:      |
2021-11-14 | |
| A big thanks to 403A/Flex Radio |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I purchased the SO2R version although no immediate plans for SO2R. I work digital modes across multiple bands and will jump around bands based on stations I observe.
A Flex 6600 -> TGXL -> Genius HF-1K Amp.
Normal operations will have me jumping between 20/17/15/12. This was difficult for me to do before the TGXL as I had to wait for my old tuner to match to the band and frequency.
The default mode of standby for either of the two antennas means that the tuner is not acting as a band pass filter for any band I am monitoring yet it switches in the tuning solution in less than 20ms. The manual is not 100% clear, but you do need to set 20ms TX Delay in radio settings.
Just in the week I have had it, my operating has significantly changed for the better.
Out of the box support for Flex Radio, Elecraft, Kenwood, Icom, and Yaesu so its definitely not a Flex specific product.
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| KC2TN |
Rating:      |
2021-07-14 | |
| Best tuner I’ve owned! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I can’t imagine setting up a tuner can get any easier. This tuner perfectly compliments my PG-XL amp, Antenna Genius 2x8 switch and my 6600. My station has now reached total remote Automation capabilities.
With these IP based components, operation has become seamless.
Along with my USB controlled switch box, for selecting VHF/UHF Xvtrs & antennas, I can now run HF with the same automated FLEXibility. Selecting different antennas or changing bands is a breeze without concern for mismatches given the tuner’s memory capabilities.
The onscreen utilities,for each device, allow for quick changes and monitoring without having to look at the hardware devices. I would however, like to see ALL these utilities embedded in SSDR like the PG-XL utility so they’re all accessible when logged in remotely via SmartLink.
So what did all this buy me?
I’ve owned the HF-Auto, a good tuner, but I prefer the tight integration of the TG-XL into my station.
Literally moments after installing the amp and tuner, I was monitoring on 6m and saw the best opening of the year. Midwest, West Coast AND then Hawaii! My last needed state for 6M WAS. I punched the button for the amp, the tuner followed right along and Hawaii was in the log after chasing it for 20+ years. An hours worth of time setting up and dividends being paid already.
Thanks FLEX!
Patience pays off! |
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| WA0JIM |
Rating:      |
2021-07-09 | |
| Perfect addition to your station |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I recently received my XL S02R what a great addition to my Flex station. All integration between the Flex 6700, Flex PGXL power amplifier, Flex TGXL antenna tuner and Flex Antenna Genius switch is by Ethernet. In just a few minutes of setup everything is working together.
The tuner follows the Flex radio so it knows what band each slice is operating on. It tunes in seconds and if it has tuned the frequency before it remembers the frequency tuning and is ready to transmit.
Combine the TGXL tuner with the Flex Antenna Genius software defined antenna switch and moving around the bands and frequencies are fast and effort free.
S02R operation with this tuner is awesome! Different bands on two slices no problem the S02R tuner has the tuning ready for each slice.
My Palstar HF Auto now has been retired and has found a home with all my other auxiliary transceivers.
Pictures of the operating screen and equipment is available on my QRZ page.
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| W9JJB |
Rating:      |
2021-07-09 | |
| TGXL is in operation and is unparalleled. 160-6 m 1500w+ |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I first learned on a very high power antenna tuner at Dayton a few years ago. It was obviously a concept prototype. Two weeks ago I received the tuner and was thrilled with the final product implementation.
I use multi-band dipoles 40_10 m and L on 160-40 m. 6 m too. As I move up and down the bands theSWR is less than 1.2:1. The PGXL AMP loves the low SWR like it is running into a 50.0 ohm load. I have has the amp for two years.
The internal wattmeter is exceptionally. The tuner is a PI network that provides band filtering on TX and RX. Since I use multi bands on each antenna I can bypass tuner in RX on A, B or both with a check mark. Nice feature.
All control is on one LAN ethernet. The remoted tuner application utility allows me to put TGXL and PGXL at the exit wall of my home.
It was well worth the wait as it will be a workhorse for years to come. Any improvements and be easily downloaded.
73
Bill
W9JJB
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| W0GJ |
Rating:      |
2021-07-09 | |
| Amazing |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Amazing. One word will describe it. EASY to install and EASY to operate. After the first tune, it remembers where it was and almost instantly you have band or antenna changes. I have a Flex 6700, PGXL amp, TGXL and AntennaGenius. All are remote to the operating position and each is controlled from desktop applications....and they "talk" to one another as they are all connected with a single CAT5 cable to the LAN. SO SIMPLE to install. The operating desk is uncluttered. I have yet to find a spot where the TGXL cannot find a match. THANK YOU FLEX!!! |
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| N5ZC |
Rating:      |
2021-06-30 | |
| Great Addition to my XL Line |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
The TGXL is a great addition to my Genius XL line. It's currently on the desk with a Flex 6600 and PGXL amp. This combo replaced a KPA-1500 (which is a very good amp in its own right).
My current need for the tuner is to flatten the SWR on my 40m Yagi's. I have a JK 404C on my tall tower and a F12 Delta 230/240 on the other tower. I can select either yagi on its own or combined together with a Array Solution stack match.
I combine both towers for contesting so i can spray my signal in 2 directions which is quite useful for domestic contests.
In order to be able to use different antennas on the same band you must have an antenna genius(AG) antenna switch on your network. The AG lets the tuner know which antenna you are using.
I won't go into a lot of detail here so if you have questions email me directly (my email is on qrz). I currently use Green Heron antenna switch's on each of my towers. Each antenna on a tower are fed to a green heron antenna switch which in turn has a single coax leading to my shack entrance panel. I have a 2 antenna stack match at the entrance panel so I can select either tower by itself or combine them.
I have the following possible 40m antenna solutions.
1 - JK 404C 4 element yagi on tower 1
2 - F12 2 element yagi on tower 2
3 - both yagi's combined using the stack match
I have an antenna genius on my network configured so each antenna (or combination) is assigned to a port on the 8x1 antenna genius. In my case the JK yagi is assigned to port 1, F12 to port 2 and both to port 3. When I'm on 40m I select which combo above I want to use via the Green Heron software then select the same combo on the 8x1 AG so the TGXL knows which tuning solution to use.
Here's the trick, I don't have any antennas physically connected to the 8x1 AG, I just use it to let the TGXL know which antenna combination I'm using. The AG just sits on the back of my operating desk, powered up and plugged into the network via an ethernet cable.
I have not worked out the details but I will probably replace the Green Heron antenna switches / relays (which control the stack matches) with AG's once I figure out how to control them at the tower. I need to bury an ethernet cable to each tower or setup a WiFi point to point setup to each tower. I also have an AG OM module that connects to the AG which I will be able to use to control the stack matches.
If you have a single antenna per band you won't need to add an AG to the system if you don't already have one. However, I would recommend an AG which really makes things seamless. The AG is a powerful antenna switch and has many options. One of the options is connecting an OM relay module so you can control stack matches or a 4 square etc.
Once I figure out how to control the AG's at the tower I'll have an antenna switch system using one software application vs the current two. I'm in no rush for the change as it's a couple clicks of my computer mouse and I'm ready to go.
Back to the TGXL itself.
Once you have pre-tuned the TGXL with tuning solutions for your antennas you are good to go. The TGXL tracks the frequency as I tune my 6600 so a tuning solution is ready to go BEFORE I transmit. The tuning is quick and precise.
I have not had a chance to connect a non Flex radio to the TGXL. That being said it can support most any other brand of radio as it has a CI-V, serial and band data connections.
I'm looking forward to adding more antennas to my system to see what the tuner is capable of. I want to install a temporary end fed half wave (EFHW) just for the fun of it to see how the tuner handles it.
Rich - N5ZC |
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