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Reviews For: LDG AT-100Pro Memory Autotuner

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : LDG AT-100Pro Memory Autotuner
Reviews: 88MSRP: 219
Description:
Low cost 1 to 125 watt autotuner (50W on 6M). 4000 memories, SWR and Power indicator, 2 position antenna switch, low power consumption, latching relays, interfaces for all popular radios and 160 thru 6 meter coverage.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ldgelectronics.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00884.1
AB2M Rating: 2009-10-20
Excellent and low-cost tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've used this tuner in several temporary field setups and now while deployed in Iraq. It's just like everyone has said - plug it in and get on the air. The "tune rattle" will scare the bejeebus out of you the first time, but after that, you'll love how quickly and easily it tunes just about any antenna you throw at it. I am currently using a sloper dipole cut for 4.4mhz (don't ask) and the LDG tunes up easily from 80-10. I've been working most of Europe, the US, and some of Asia with no problems.
VE6OXR Rating: 2009-10-18
Awesome Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This tuner is the greatest thing since sliced bread. I am using it with my Yaesu FT450 and custom designed Buddipole contraption I call an antenna. Does it work ? You better believe it .. and it is so nice to have it work as designed. I am only using it on 20M but it is doing its job and making ham radio very easy and enjoyable. I don't have to bother with anything .. just transmit and I know that the tuner will do its job and get me on the air. What more can I possibly ask for. It replaced an MFJ antenna tuner (which I hated) and now getting on the air is fun and not a chore as it was with the MFJ manual tuner.
WA2SOC Rating: 2009-09-25
Does it well Time Owned: more than 12 months.
My OMNI VII has a built-in auto tuner and I have it turned off to use the LDG instead. That should about tell the story. The LDG is faster (mostly because of more memories) and quieter. I'm running it with a homemade parallel dipole with wires for each band so this isn't a stress test, but it does the job on every part of every band.

The user interface is a bit spartan but once everything was set up I haven't used it again so it doesn't matter much.
NR7N Rating: 2009-04-05
Ugh Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Automatic antenna tuners are one of the items that amateurs have the most problems with. Unfortunately, the manufacturers themselves are mostly to blame. When driving low impedance loads (<10 ohms or so) RF currents in the tuner's matching networks can be quite high. both relays and toroid inductors can be destroyed by "high" power operation into such loads and probably are responsible for many ATU failures. In my case, I used an AT-100Pro tuner with a 20 meter monoband vertical. On 40M this antenna has an impedance of 6.7-j400 ohms, a real difficult matching case. Realizing that this was the issue I was operating my AT-100Pro at 20 watts on 40M Olivia (a high duty cycle mode). The tuner found a match but midway through the QSO I smelled smoke and the VSWR indicator pinned to the right. I took the case off and one of the toroids was almost incandescent (probably cracked but I couldn't see under through the potting compound which was now liquified. The associated relay was also hot. The currents were just too high. The relays were rated at only an amp or two, too low for low impedance operation at any but low power. Save yourself a great deal of heartache with electrically short antennas by buying the AT-200Pro. It has 10A relays and much larger inductors and only costs a few dollars more. (By the way the AT-200Pro also heats up like crazy at 40M but at least it doesn't burn up. I now operate only as low as 10 MHz with the 20M vertical where the antenna looks like 12-j182 ohms. Even at this impedance one of the inductors gets quite hot but not enough to damage things and i can run nearly 100W.) The only real way to solve this problem with short antennas would be to run a "1 KW" tuner at 100W for impedances <10 ohms. Manufacturers need to post warnings about driving low impedance loads with an ATU.
KI4VFX Rating: 2009-03-22
Great Tuner. No Problems Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I currently run an Icom 718 with an 80 meter Horse Fence antenna. I purchased the AT-100 Pro to use to tune the Antenna when it rained and the SWR would run high. I was amazed how well this tuner worked. It tuned the antenna anywhere I wanted to talk. I went down to 20 and 40 meters and it tuned up all the frequencies fast and down to 1:1 and 1: 1.5.
The tuner hooked up to the 718 fine and powered right up. I have not had any problems with this tuner and would buy it again.
N2RRA Rating: 2008-12-14
Great bang for the buck! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I won't ramble on because it's already been done for those who have rated it a 5.

My review basically is no different. The tuner is set for an Icom 7000. Very easy to install and has tuned just about everything I've thrown at it so far.

Love it!
73!
N3GTO Rating: 2008-12-11
Terrific Tuner and Terrific Customer Service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just purchased my second LDG tuner. The first was a new Z-100 in 2004, which I use with my 706MK2G. It has yet to let me down. The second being the AT-100Pro, was purchased used last week. Upon hookup, I discovered a problem which was unforeseen by the previous owner. As luck would have it, I had to send it back to LDG. I sent it back on 12/06, and it was returned today, repaired, on 12/11. That's 5 days including transit time. All for a reasonable charge. That is customer service at its best. The tuner now works great, as expected. I especially like the "AUTO" tune feature. This mode allows the AT-100Pro to be used with any HF radio up to 125 watts, to automatically tune without an interface cable, or pressing any buttons. At a minimum, the only connections needed are the coax and a 11-16v power source. With the AT-100Pro, you can switch bands or frequencies and start talking. The tuner senses a mismatch and begins to tune if needed. I would recommend the LDG AT-100Pro to anyone.
KI6LO Rating: 2008-12-10
Great portable tuner with FT100D Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is my second LDG product. I still marvel at the capabilities of such a small tidy little box. 12VDC and coax is all there is too it. Took about 10 minutes with the user manual to understand everything I needed to know to be able to tune 160M thru 6M. The main reason I needed a small effective tuner was for portable operations with my FT100D. The AT100Pro is appx the same size as the FT-100D and makes a nice little base for the radio.

My first tryout with it was on my 135 foot OCFD which is flat across 40M but has higher SWR on 80-10M. A keydown on 80M and within 2 seconds -zing - done and near flat SWR. Same on all bands 80 thru 10M. Tried 160M with the OCFD but it has high SWR (over 10:1 normally) and the AT100Pro just could not get below about a 3:1. Even my big MFJ tuner has trouble doing 160M on this antenna.

Next trial for the little AT100Pro was tuning a simple doublet dipole (each leg 50' long) fed with about 35 foot of 450 ohm twinlead terminated at the feed end with the LDG 4:1 balun and another 15 foot of RG-8X to get out the window. The doublet apex was about 40' up in a tree with end about 10' off the ground at each end. The AT100Pro tuned 160M thru 6M with no problems at all on this antenna setup. Signals were fair that weekend and worked many stations on the little portable setup.

The size and extra features of the AT100Pro was why I decided for it over other LDG models. I like having a SWR and Power meter readout. LEDs are easier to read but I still would prefer an actual meter but to put that into the AT100Pro would mean using a small meter so it probably would not be as effective as the LED readout. Also the 2 position antenna switch is nice feature should one need such but usually in a portable operation, a single antenna is used.

All in all, so far, I have been well pleased with the purchase and am investigating the 1000W big brother for the home shack.

Gene KI6LO
WB5PDD Rating: 2008-12-09
It's a keeper Time Owned: N.A.


I am just getting back on the air after several years and this is my first autotuner so I don't have anything to compare it against other than my MFJ manual tuner.

I got it about 2-1/2 months ago and when I first started playing with it, I mainly just wanted to see if it would tune some of the junk I threw at it.

I first used it with a 4:1 balun on a 100 ft or so piece of wire thrown over a tree limb and tied off to the privacy fence in the back yard and I worked some 75, 40, and 20 meters with it.

Then I tried it on a 102" whip that I stuck on the ball mount on the back of my motorhome, and it seemed to be happy to tune anywhere except 75 meters. No real surprise there.

I put it on a coax-fed 10 meter dipole and that was the beginning of a multiband trap antenna that I was building, and it tunes 40-10. Again, no 75.

None of what I have done with it so far could be considered a serious attempt at a useful or efficient antenna, but I was curious and it seem to work fine, or at least it fools my transmitter and so far every time I have keyed the mic, I've gotten a response.

I like the memory that lets it tune almost instantly if it's "been there" before, but even if it's a new setting, it tunes quickly, no more than 10-15 seconds typically.

The full auto mode is especially nice so you can just QSY and just start talking. If the SWR is over 2:1, or whatever you program it to, it does the rest without intervention, which makes it instantly usable with any radio without any special interfacing or control leads.

I ordered it when I bought my new tranceiver just in case its internal tuner wouldn't handle my mobile antennas since it will only cover up to a 3:1 mismatch.


KE7HOP Rating: 2008-11-03
Nice Rig Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Excellent Tuner I use with my Yaesu ft897 in the mobile. Easily tunes my Hustler resonators and the g5rv covers mars freqs also.
Watt meter indications are not 100% accurate but close enough for my setup. Two antenna jacks in the back make even more convienent so I'm not constantly changing antennas. I would by another of LDG tuners in the future. Great job LDG!
73s all