Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: LDG AT-1000

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : LDG AT-1000
Reviews: 63MSRP: 599.00
Description:
This is an automated antenna tuner capable of 1000 watts SSB, 750 Watts CW, and 500 watts digital.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ldgelectronics.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00634.3
VK2RF Rating: 2005-12-17
At 1000 is a winner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this tuner since october 2003. I wanted a high power auto tuner and this was a resonable buy. However, it sounded like a bunch of marbles in a tin can when tuning. So much so that I had to wrap it in baffle material to pacify the xyl & harmonics..
I just upgraded the firmware for $US23 shipped (in dec 05) and it's really made it wonderful. It has so little change to make from one setting to another because it memorises 200 good settings. It's now fantastic. It used to take 6 seconds of rattling to get there. Now it mostly takes one or two seconds and relatively quietly. I thoroughly recommend this high power tuner.
73 de Raffy VK2RF
KD5SRL Rating: 2005-07-01
Great 1kw Tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Being a tech-geek I like things to work fast and simple. This tuner is it for me.

I drop the power to 10 watts on my rig for a CW carrier (being polite to others near frequency), then hold down the the tune button on the tuner, key up the transceiver and bada-bing... where there.

I will say one thing, on my 160 meter 1/4 wave, dipole wire I have to manually tune in 3.916 mHz every time. For some reason the AT-1000 chokes at that frequency. Not a big deal it works and works well. Not enough for me to devalue it a number.

I've had this tuner for over 1 year now. It's fast and simple. If you don't like to spend you time turning knobs but talking or catching that DX fast, either CW or Phone this is one for you.
KK4DW Rating: 2005-06-25
Exceeds my expectations Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My Icom 746-PRO has a built in ATU but as I keep an Ameritron AL-811 in series with its output, available on standby if I desired a little boost. I wanted to be able to tweek up its match to the transmission line going out to the tower. The internal tuner matches the interface to the input of the amp. I have found that the AT-1000 has exceeded all my expectations. As with any other piece of Ham gear, one needs to read and follow carefully the manufacturer's instructions. I feel most younger, inexperienced guys tend to think that they can dump their new toy out of the box, plug it up, and blast away. That isn't the drill with the AT-1000. You have to use low power, and hold the tune button in a couple of seconds to match, and then maybe even do a slight improvement manually if you want a perfect match. Afterwards, when the match is in memory, a touch of the tune button on low power will retrieve the settings.

It does make you a little nervous when switching to a new band, new antenna, etc. when it makes popping sounds and the needle bounces but that doesn't last long. That is just the way it tunes. Once it remembers the settings, and you keep power applied to keep the memory "hot", you won't go through that the next time.
AC2K Rating: 2005-06-13
OutstandingTuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I just completed a full year of operation with my LDG AT-1000. It has performed perfectly for the entire year. I upgraded the firmware a couple of months back. A very painless upgrade that added all the improvements noted in the prevvious review.

If your looking for a higher power autotuner, I'd highly recommend this one. It's a keeper for sure!
N0AN Rating: 2005-06-13
Confusion Resolved! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Having the right instructtions would have helped. It turned out that the addendum to the user manual had not been sent to me, and the commands for how the new firmware (version 2.5)worked were in that manual. It turns out that there are four key elements to the new firmware:

1. Firmware self-identification: If you have the unit unplugged from power and then hold the power button ON, while plugging in the 12 volt power, you will see 2 blips on the meter, followed by 5 blips ...indicating version 2.5. Also, if you have the power unplugged, and you plug in the power (with the unit having been off), the power LED will blink on briefly, and then shut off. This is a self-test showing that he newest firmware is in place. If, when you plug in the power the LED comes on and stays on, that is the old firmware. So from this we can tell version and old/new.

2. Operation of the TUNE button:

a. Pressing and holding the TUNE button for 3 seconds (while RF is applied) produces a full tune scan from scratch and places the resulting tuning information into memory automatically.

b. Pressing and holding the tune button for about 1 second recalls the last best match from memory.

c. Tapping the tune button briefly one time puts the tuner in BYPASS mode.

The new firmware also appears to allow you to store in the memory registers the "fine tuning" done manually. After doing a fine tune, pressing and holding both upper manual tuning buttons will write the current manual settings into the memory.

I have played with all these features since I got the correct instructions and they all work exactly as they should. This TUNER is a real winner, and the perfect mate to the Ameritron ALS-600 Power mosFET RF amplifier.

Lastly, I tried a couple torture tests on the tuner at low power to see how crazy I could get.

All the following experiments yielded a VSWR of 1.2:1 or better:

Tennadyne T-6 Eagle (13-30 mhz, 6 EL Log Periodic), fed on 6m, 30m, and 40m.

40m Inverted Vee fed on 3970.

Obviously these are not good antennas used this way. However, I find it remarkable that an autotuner could match such bizarre loads so well.

Overall, I couldn't be happier and the service from both R&L (dealer) and LDG (manufacturer) was FIRST RATE. All emails were answered quickly and I was able to talk on the phone with the LDG techs to quickly resolve the "instructions" issue.

Congrats to LDG for producing a real JEWEL.

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by N0AN on 2005-06-12

I am very impressed with the wide range of the tuning. It does a marvelous job with an Ameritron ALS-600 power mosfet amp (600 watts out).

I'm not sure the memory function works properly. The only way I can get a low swr every time I change bands is to press and hold the tune button, then release it. At this point I get a very flat match. If I just tap the tune button, after having changed bands, retuned and then come back to the previously tuned band, I end up with an SWR of 1.5 or 2:1. If I then press and hold the tune button for a couple seconds, then the tuner goes through the full matching cycle and I get a flat 1:1 swr.

Is my unit defective, or do I just not know how to use it properly?

As far as a tuner it is superb! As far as "memory operation" goes, I'm confused.

Unit was just purchased new from R&L. Good service so far.
WA3G Rating: 2005-03-17
Upgrade great! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
When I first used my tuner with the original firmware, turner worked well, but required manual adjustments on 80 meters. After installing the chip upgrade in September 2004, it worksd great! Had to touch up the 80 meter tune, put it in memory(200 memories), and ever since then 80 tunes in 1 sec.
AT1000 sold aftwer Sept. 2004 either has the new firmware, or can get the upgrade free from LDG.
G4VGO Rating: 2005-02-18
Good when it worked Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought the AT-1000 in the UK when a dealer was ending their relationship with LDG. It worked well here in 9V for a few months, within spec as far as the load it will match 160-10. It makes a bit of a racket when tuning but it makes the transceiver happy and that's what it is supposed to do.

The main switching relay failed during a contest so the double sized G5RV could not be loaded. The relay had burned big time and punched through the PC board. Dwayne at LDG sent a replacement as shipping from here is a hassle and the obvious fault was the smoked relay. Fast turn-around and very helpful.

Long story short, the relay didn't fix the problem so off the main board went to LDG. Longer story short, relay covered under warrantee, board (burned through) is not as I must have caused the damage. Sorry, the relay burned through the board when it failed, I don't burn through boards.

Anyway, out a bit of money but hey, you can't fight city hall and I need the ATU back so that's the end of the story.

When it works, it is within spec and handy. When it doesn't it gets expensive. Won't buy from LDG again.

Bob 9V1GO
K9YC Rating: 2004-12-28
Not ready for prime time, lousy service. Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought an AT-1000 after being very pleased with my AT100MP. The AT-1000 didn't work at all out of the box, so I sent it to LDG for repair.

Four months later I got it back. Now it tunes -- sort of. Quits at 1.5:1 VSWR. I'm really unhappy with this tuner, and with LDG's service. Four months to repair a brand new unit is unacceptable. A good company would have sent me a new unit immediately.

Oh yeah -- the excuse they gave me for keeping it 4 months -- "they wanted to update it with the latest software."
K6ZOE Rating: 2004-09-30
Great product and outstanding customer service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Had to send the AT-1000 for service, and a fast turn around time only 8 days.. it was within 1 week of the warranty. Not only did they fix it, they upgraded the chip inside at no charge.. Does not get any better that that.. Wish all company did that.. My hat is off to them, job well done.. 73
Bob
K5ADF Rating: 2004-09-28
Great product Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
After admiring this tuner for the last two years at Dayton, I finally bought the AT1000 tuner three months ago. It arrived in perfect condition. I connected it to my ICOM 756Pro and Ameritron ALS-600 HF amplifier feeding into a Hustler 5BTV vertical and a Cushcraft A3S beam. I turned the equipment on and the tuner worked the first time. I did not have to do anything other than supply one RG8 cable to connect it into the antenna feedline. The real test was on 75m. My vertical is tuned for 3.800, the bottom end of the band. The tuner will now allow me to use the entire band with less than a SWR of 1.2. The other HF bands produce the same SWR result. I am very happy with this tuner and feel its cost was well worth it.