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Reviews For: Palstar AT1500BAL

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : Palstar AT1500BAL
Reviews: 14MSRP: $695
Description:
DOUBLE L (TWIN BALL BEARING BELT DRIVEN EDGEWOUND SILVER PLATED ROLLER INDUCTOR)160m to 10m BALANCED LINE ANTENNA TUNER
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.palstar.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00144.9
KF4TOH Rating: 2022-11-20
Excellent tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Really this tuner and the
AT-1500BAL. Is all anyone
Needs
W8NLZ Rating: 2010-11-30
Must for MultiBand Doublets Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have only two wire antennas: two doublets (128' & 100') arrayed perpendicular to one another. A remote switch lets me select between them for optimum directivity. I use 450 ohm ladder line which comes into the shack directly to the back of a Palstar AT1500BAL tuner. I've predetermined settings for all bands from 75m to 10 m. Set the dials on the AT1500BAL and there it is ... SWR=1.0. I've never had an internal arc or other weirdness operating up to 1kW. The performance of this antenna "system" is so outstanding, I've quit looking at other options. Get a balanced "L" tuner and ladder-line fed doublets and you'll get out.
SV2BWM Rating: 2009-01-05
I like this tuner !!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I read the QST (Sept.2004) article and I was not pleased with the inside balun of Ten-Tec 224B in the lower bands 80m & 160m, so I thought to give it a try. A local store (Radio 741) had it, so I bought it. Wow! That tuner is really a TANK! Heavy constructed chassis, big slow-turning capacitor with precision knob, two coils with a belt, two RF relays etc. The reports for 80m & 160m were +5db more! Thanks Palstar...
WB7TDG Rating: 2008-09-12
Excellent!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I use my Palstar BT1500A to tune a 235 foot horizontal loop up 30 feet with about 15 ft of 400 ohm ladder line to just outside the shack wall and then use 600 ohm homebrew feeders from the ground to the antenna feedpoint, for 80 thru 6 meters.
I have even found settings that allow me to use the transmatch on 6 meters, and by strapping one of the output terminals to ground, can use it as an end fed top loaded antenna on 160 with fair results.
Despite the size...as big as some small linears..it's efficiency and tunability ensures that this transmatch will have a home in my shack for a very long time!
FRANK_CONNELLY_EX_W7ND Rating: 2007-11-24
Top notch tuner Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought this tuner used from a ham radio dealer. It was advertised as being mint. The tuner cover got dented due to a poor packing job. I called Paul at Palstar to find out how much a new cover would cost me. He insisted on sending one to me for no charge and he paid the shipping.

The tuner is great with ladder line. The balanced L design has ended my RFI problems. It's built like a tank. I am able to load my 40 meter inverted vee on all bands from 80-6, including WARC. I can use it with my Acom 1000 amplifier with no arcing.

If you need a tuner to use with ladder line, this is the one.
NL7W Rating: 2007-08-30
A True & Efficient Balanced Line Tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have enjoyed using this dependable tuner over these last three to four years. Without a doubt, it's a fine and sturdy design that easily handles my Alpha 374A on and between 80 and 15 meters. However, it will not tune my open-wire fed, 135 foot doublet on 10, 12, or 160 meters. I am sure those bands present impedances near or beyond the specified range of the tuner.

It has been and will remain a fine addition of quality American made gear in my shack. Moreover, when a nearby strike from a rather rare, Alaskan electrical storm took out the small signal diodes (1N914 or equiv) in its wattmeter/bridge, Palstar quickly answered my request for replacements -- free of charge. That's good customer service!

I look forward to purchasing other Palstar products.

73.
REEF2K Rating: 2006-05-14
very impressed... but !! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
bought a used one at a great price but noticed the inductor crank a bit stiff at times so removed the top cover and found that one of the contact/tracking discs that rotates around the inside of one of the coils had some segments missing which had broken off and were sitting on the bottom cover. ive e-mailed palstar but have yet to receive a reply, so i dont know if this has happened to other units or im just unlucky.im only using 100w at present so these bad contacts are holding up ok,but i will have to replace the disc before i use my acom amp.having had a good look at these roller inductors,and despite them looking well built,im not sure how long this design can last without service or contact disc replacement.
however,with the bad news out the way i must agree with previous reviews and say that the overall build quality is of a high standard with a nice attention to detail,like little plastic washers behind the case screw. the components used are alot bigger than on my AMERITRON ATR-15 so this thing is probably conservativly rated at 1000W/1500 pep. tuning is easy,smooth and precise,making it a pleasure to use. im only using it on a 80m doublet at present,but it'll tune 160-20m with ease and would probably tune the higher bands if i trimed the feeder.
overall im very impressed,its the best tuner ive owned and despite my issues with the roller inductors i would recommend this tuner as it must be one of the best around,although they dont come cheap here in the UK at the equivilent to around >$800.
K3KLC Rating: 2005-10-15
Beautiful Coupler Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This unit replaces a home brew coupler that used BC-610 (plug in) coils and a huge dual section bread slicer. The AT-1500BAL works wonderfully and adds a lot of flexibility to my shack. Someone said that it reminded them of early collins gear. I'll second that, and recommend it for anyone using tuned feeders with moderate to high power. I'm running a Ten Tec centurion and a 3.5 Mhz Dipole fed with about 70 feet of 450 ohm ladder line. I've used the AT1500BAL on 80, 40, 30 and 20 with excellent results. I can achieve a 1:1 SWR on any frequency on those bands. I highly recommend this coupler. It's a winner!
K0CWO Rating: 2005-10-05
Wonderful piece of equipment. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Very well built. I have used this tuner with a 160 meter doublet fed with 600 ohm ladder line on 160, 75 and 40 meters. Very efficient, with a wider matching range than my Johnson Matchbox. It now takes a back seat only to my Palstar AT5K. Customer service is second to none
AK2A Rating: 2005-01-03
Best Customer Service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I had a problem with a very early version of this tuner. paul REPLACED the tuner,he not fudge a fix. This represents the highest degree of honesty and pride in work/product. Paul and people like him give free enterprise a good name. Very happy with the new tuner and Palstar. Thanks Paul.