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Reviews For: Flex Radio TUNER GENIUS XL SO2R model

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : Flex Radio TUNER GENIUS XL SO2R model
Reviews: 12MSRP: $2,499. USD
Description:
Tuner Feature Highlights: Integrates with any transceiver Designed to complement the FLEX-6000 series transceivers and Power Genius XL™ amplifier Seamless SmartSDR™ software integration Complete control and monitoring (over LAN) from an intuitive Windows™ application Contest ready – the ONLY single-radio SO2R solution in amateur radio High accuracy SWR and power meter measurements in bypass mode…and much more
Product is in production
More Info: https://www.flexradio.com/products/tuner-genius-xl/?sku=PREPYMT%20TGXLSO2R
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00124.8
WO2X Rating: 2021-06-29
Superb SO2R tuner! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received my SO2R version Tuner Genius XL three weeks ago. I am using it with a 6600m, Power Genius amp and 4O3A 2x8 antenna switch.

Amp arrived, packed well. I installed Power Pole connector on the power cable and connected it between the amp and antenna switch. The installation required four coax cables (A in & out and B in & out), DC 12 volts, ground connection, and a network cable plugged in my Ethernet switch.

I installed the latest Tuner Genius utility on Windows 10 and turned on the tuner. When I launched the utility I was prompted to upgrade the firmware, which is straightforward and simple.

Configuration of the tuner is very easy. Since I am using then Flex 6600m for both the A and B RF path I selected my radio in the Flex tab under device configuration. I entered the IP of my Antenna Genius and saved the settings. Then in band configuration the tuner imported all of my antenna settings from the switch, including available bands for each antenna.

A nice feature is the ability to have the tuner automatically go into bypass on user defined segments for each band and each antenna. This is useful if you have antennas that are resonant at certain frequency ranges on a band.

Next, I checked my antennas’ SWR. The tuner gives up 10 memories per band per antenna and supports up to four antennas per band. For 80 meters which has the worst SWR I performed a tune cycle every 50 kHz starting at 3.525. When the radio is changed to a frequency the tuner will use the nearest tuning value. I had no problems maintaining less than a 1.4:1 SWR anywhere on 80.

For other bands, depending on how wide the resonant range of the antenna is and how wide the band is, Iuse two to 6 tuning memories. Again, I also bypass the tuner in the setup for areas of a band where SWR is less than 1.3:1.

Once tuned operation is fast! Less than 20 ms for frequency or band changes. The tuner follows the radio TX antenna 1 or TX antenna 2. For my setup antenna selection is automatic. Perfect for remote operation.

I used the tuner at Field Day and used SO2R on 6 and 10 meters Sunday morning. Setting up WSJT-X to have 6 meters transmit on the odd cycle and 10 meters on the even cycle and radio in full duplex was fun! As one band was transmitting the other was receiving. My QSO rate increased quite a bit.

This tuner is a game changer as Steve stated in his review. SO2R with one radio, one amp, and one tuner. Clean interface, solid performance, and a lot less cabling!

Now time to go chase the Viet Nam station on 20 meters…
K9ZW Rating: 2021-06-28
Hitting out of the park, right out of the box Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The FlexRadio 4o3a team has greatly exceeded the vision and expectations I held for a FlexRadio integrated antenna tuner.

Mine arrived and seamlessly fit in between the Flex-6700 and the FlexRadio 4o3a PGXL Power Genius amplifier.

The three units work together something slick!

While I’ve done an unboxing blog post giving more detail, the quick review take is this is the quickest tuning tuner I’ve had in my shack, it works well in the SmartSDR ecosystem (and in the regular ham shack using BCD or sensing), is built like a tank, and I’m pounding out more QSOs using it.

Another FlexRadio “game changer.”