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Reviews For: LDG AT-11MP Autotuner

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : LDG AT-11MP Autotuner
Reviews: 99MSRP: 239
Description:
Automatic antenna tuner kit
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.ldgelectronics.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15994.7
W1JPP Rating: 2022-12-12
Good solid tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have two of these tuners. They are relatively old, but perform well. I have one that I have in the shack and one I use for field day/potable operations. They do interface with my icoms, but I also use them with some older kenwoods - usually just press the tune button vs use the auto function (which if it senses greater than 1.5:1 will kick in the tuner...

I've owned other tuners, palstar manual tuners (which are good)...but for the type operating I do - 100 watts, moving around the bands - these tuners suit my operating much better.

Recently I had an issue with one - at least I thought I did. I sent it in, and the communication is excellent. They put its thru its paces and called me to tell me its all set...while there they added a rubber foot that was missing and also threw in a new bulb for the meter.

It's so rare these days to be able to speak with a live person, let alone a very good knowledgeable person.
I also have an older LDG RT-11 that still works great too..

Great products, great customer service.

W1JPP
AF5CC Rating: 2019-10-01
It handles 100 watts Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
For most of my ham career I have used manual antenna tuners, but once I got into remote operating, I needed an automatic tuner. I was using a MFJ929 autotuner which worked very nicely, but sold it when I bought a rig with a built in tuner. After a couple of months I replaced that rig with a Yaesu FT100D since it covered 2m and 70cm also. So I was in need of another autotuner.

Based on the reviews I read here, I decided to give the LDG AT-11MP a try when I found one at a very good price. Unlike the current crop of LDG 100-200 watt autotuners, this will will do 100 watts on the digital modes. The current tuners are rated at 30 or 40 watts for digital. That is a nice benefit right there. I want to do RTTY at 100 watts when in a RTTY contest or chasing RTTY or FT8 DX. The MFJ 929 handled 100 watts on the digital modes with no problems also.

The cross needle meter is also very nice. Much more precise than the current lighted bar meters on the newer tuners. The AT-11MP meter will also let you see both power and SWR at the same time.

I did not get the chip upgrade with this tuner, so it doesn't save tuner settings in memories. This means it does a full tune cycle when I change bands or make big frequency jumps in the same band. That is not a big deal as it tunes pretty quickly. The tuning noise isn't as bad as some have made it out to be. It seems quieter than the LDG Z100 is.

The MFJ 929 wouldn't really work on 6 meters since its frequency counter didn't cover that band and it would do a full tuning cycle whenever you transmitted on 6m. Some of the reviews for this tuner said it will work on 6 meters. With my setup, it will load up my homebrew G5RV type antenna on 6 with no problems. That antenna isn't very good on 6, though. I also have a TGM Communications MQ-26 miniquad which covers 6 meters but at a 3:1 SWR. Sometimes the AT-11MP will tune it and sometimes it won't. Haven't figured out the pattern to its tuning on 6 meters yet.

This tuner is also in a nice solid metal case, and feels well made. I have had no RF problems with it, even though I have RF flowing on the coax braid of my dipole. The reason I gave this antenna tuner a 4 is that it doesn't tune quite as well as the MFJ 929 did-there are some band and frequency combinations that it won't match without a little help from the manual tuner, where the MFJ 929 matched everything I threw at it-except for 6 meters. I have found a way to set the manual tuner so the AT-11MP will tune the dipole on 80, 60, 40, and 30 so I can change bands when doing remote operating.

If you find one of these for $100 or less it will most likely meet your needs for an autotuner.
G7MWH Rating: 2016-10-13
great piece of equipment Time Owned: more than 12 months.
had one since new, bought to go with the IC 706 mk11g when new. both still working great. this one really would tune a piece of wet string.
K7TCE Rating: 2014-02-09
Excellent tuner Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
This tuner has tuned everything I've hooked to it. I've used it in the automatic mode, as well as pressing the tune button. Call me old-school, I just like having meters to view SWR, and the cross-needle meter is the cat's meow.
KG8Q Rating: 2013-11-28
Flawless mobile / portable tuning Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Ok so I purchased the AT-11MP for my "go" box. It has sat in a water tight Pelican box for 10 yrs. or so. I use it perhaps once a year maybe every other year when I go on a camping trip or a occasional scout outing. It has always performed flawlessly. Just connect it up and hit the button- bing! Lately though I've been spending a considerable time in the car going to and from work. Running a Hustler 40m coil and 7' stainless steel mast connected to a ball mount, this antenna/ mount combo works btw, I wanted however to be able to work the whole band.

What to do???? hey I've got the AT-11MP. I wonder if it would satisfactorily work mobile? Pressing it into service I mounted it at the back of the vehicle just a few inches from the ball. Using copper strapping to bond the AT-11 to ground and coming out of the unit with about 8" of #10 THHN solid wire to feed the ball, let's give her a try.

This thing works! It tunes a 1.1:1 swr top to bottom of the 40m band effortlessly. The resonant freq. on 40m with the coil alone is 7.235. Put on the 17m coil and it will tune the entire band expectedly however it will tune 15m also and 20m as well. ( I have a 20m coil but not a 15)It tunes 10 like a breeze too.

I am thoroughly pleased with the 11MP. It's a very versatile tuner, mobile or fixed station, it works like a champ.

K6SDW Rating: 2012-10-30
Still chugging along! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Built this kit some 10 years ago (I think it was about 10) use it for a couple of years, then a life change forced me to put ham radio on the shelf along with this tuner.

Well, about 2 months ago I ran across the tuner in box, plugged it all in on my K2 and its been great since then!! It easily matches my dipole fed through a 4:1 balun.

I wish it had memories, but I can live without them.

I can't see upgrading unless this unit takes a dive.

Cheers All....
AK7P Rating: 2012-07-08
Still going strong Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is my second review for my AT-11MP after nearly a decade of use. My initial review was made in 2004 with the same high rating. In my original post I had experienced limited use on some wire antennas subject to high wind and rain on the coast. Since then I have used my auto tuner on homebrew wires / verticals / fans / slopers / beams, etc... and it still performs flawlessly. It continues to tune anything I throw at it and sits right up on top of my Palstar (another great tuner) used with my backup rig and on field day expeditions. Like someone else mentioned, I'll never sell it but you might get it at my estate sale...
KO1C Rating: 2011-06-08
Never Let It Go! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I can't believe I got this when I got my General over 10 years ago!

This tuner was used daily with no problems with my Icom IC-706MkIIG until I got my Ten-Tec Omni VII. Now the 706 is used for VHF/UHF work but can always be pressed for backup HF work with the tuner if I ever need to send my Omni VII back to Ten-Tec for service.

I used to think this tuner was loud (and it was) but over the years it has softened up quite a bit in the amount of racket it makes. I have not modded it in any way so there's no memories, etc.

Sorry folks, if you want this tuner you'll have to wait for my estate sale!


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Earlier 5-star review posted by AB1XG on 2003-11-05

I love this tuner! I have a REALLY small lot. I wanted a dipole but could only put one up that was a bit over 54 feet long, from corner diagonally to corner.

Using coax to a 4:1 balun, and ladder line to the antenna, this tuner will tune the whole General portions of all bands with a flat swr except the 17 meter band, which stays below 2:1.

An undocumented/unadvertised featrue of this tuner is it can tune 6 meters, too, PROVIDED YOU USE NO MORE THAN 25 WATTS. You are completely on your own on this, but it worked for me! It might be helpful that my dipole is roughly 3 wave lengths of the 6 meter band, too.

Good luck, and enjoy!
W9DZ Rating: 2011-04-21
Never a problem Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had experience with two of the 11MP's, one in kit form and the other factory wired. The version 1.6 firmware is still available from W4RT and is a worthwhile improvement. It tunes faster than version 1.5 and remembers the last tuned configuration when last powered down. I especially like the cross needle power/swr meter. Most of the LDG line now uses LED indicators. I never thought the noise was that bad and now that it has 200 memories it tunes my R7 vertical and 40M delta loop in just a fraction of a second. I'm pleased!

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Earlier 5-star review posted by W9DZ on 2007-02-03

I built my AT-11MP from a kit and have put off the processor upgrade until now. The upgrades are now only $20 from W4RT. No processor swap involved and shipping was less than three bucks. I have only played with it a bit since installing the upgrade but so far I am pleased. Once your settings are memorized you'll hear just one or two clicks when you press the tune button.
PG00023016 Rating: 2011-04-10
Breaks/send back, receive and repeat. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Loud enough to awaken a baby sleepining in the next house. First time it quit I sent it in for repair. Second time I sold it. LDG? Never Again.