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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
KG7DX Rating: 2004-10-04
Great for Portable Operation! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I take mine along on trips with the travel trailer, the FT-897 and a G5RV all-band antenna strung between trees... tunes quickly, the display is attractive (not always completely accurate, but attractive!) and the memories are great. Extremely fast retuning on all the bands I've tried it on. I added PowerPoles to the 12v leads for quick connections with the RigRunner power blocks I'm now using in several locations (RigRunners make mobile hookups easy, by the way!) -- all the station accessories are hooked up with these PowerPole/RigRunner devices... highly recommended.

In short -- great tuner for a small investment. Used it with my Icom 706MK2G as well, and it works fine.
N8SEX Rating: 2004-09-30
Finally, an Auto-Tuner that works as Advertised Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
How many times I have had a 3.0-1 match and enabled the ATU only to get a 3.2 match (doh). It will clink and clank around 1.5.1 and then always stop at a worse SWR than what you started out with.

If your not happy with the 2.0-1 reading, you have the capacitance and inductance fine tuning to make up the difference. Finally, an antenna tuner that is truly automatic and fast
OZ5ABO Rating: 2004-09-19
Nice tuner Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just "upgraded" from a AT-11MP. It works as advertised. Less noisy than the AT11MP and seems faster. It handles the 100W which my IC756Pro2 xmits on all bands incl 50Mhz. It also seems to be doing a very good job tuning a variety of unmathced antennas.

I like to 2 antenna connections with seperat memories. I use ant 1 for my home QTH and ant 2 for my holiday residence. Combined with the 2 sets of memory I get instant action no matter if I am home or /P.

Would have rated it a 5/5 if the PWR meter was more accurate - but it isn't! BUT who cares as long as you get the right match. Ones you are in need of a ATU you have already entered the world of compromises!
K4KWH Rating: 2004-09-18
Works exactly as advertised! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was quite impressed with the AT100 Pro. It is simple to set up, easy to use and an attractive addition to my shack. I found that once I visited any band (including CAP frequencies), the LDG remembered that frequency and tuned right up before you could say SCAT! With the interface cable on my IC706, control of the unit is beyond simple: turn on the radio, set the frequency and start talking! And I have had well-known tuners that "hunted" and hunted and hunted so more! Not this one! For the price and performance delivered, you can't beat it!!
K5ROV Rating: 2004-09-12
Great Tuner Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Upon receiving my tuner I immediately connected it to my Icom IC-706IIG. My antenna is an 80 meter dipole up 50 feet and fed with ladder line. The LDG AT-100PRO tuned my antenna to all bands with no problems. I checked my power output and SWR against both my Bird wattmeter and my WM-1 Autek meter. The external meters agreed with the SWR on the PRO but the power readings were considerably off. At the high end the readings were off by 40 watts, and at the low end by 15 watts. Since I always have an external wattmeter/SWR bridge in the line anyway, that does not bother me. I find the PRO to be an outstanding tuner and I am very pleased with it. I have been a HAM for over 60 years and have had many tuners during those years, both homebrew and ready built. But this is beyond a doubt the best tuner I have ever had, and the fastest.
VE7ALQ Rating: 2004-09-09
Paint it lemon yellow Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have an ICOM IC-706mkiig exciter, and have been using up to now an ICOM AT-180 automatic antenna tuner. I read the brochure on the LDG AT-100Pro and decided to replace the ICOM AT-180 with the LDG tuner because the LDG AT-100Pro was advertised to match a 10:1 VSWR (6 ohms to 1000 ohms). Unfortunately I discovered that although the indicator LEDS showed a 1:1 match had been obtained, the ICOM IC-706mkiig indicated a worse than 2:1 VSWR and the IC-706 started shutting down to preserve its final transistors. I removed the offending LDG tuner and replaced it with the original ICOM AT-180 tuner, and now I have VSWR 1:1 on 160 through 10 meters. Granted the AT-180 tuner would not match all of 80 meters and 160 meters, but then (surprise! surprise!) neither did the LDG tuner.

Anybody want a slightly used LDG AT-100Pro tuner, cheap?
N9VV Rating: 2004-07-30
Innovative and superb engineering Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The new LDG Electronics AT-100pro is a WINNER!

I unpacked the AT-100pro and hooked up the COAX and 12VDC in less than 5 minutes. On power up the unit does a sophisticated power-on-self-test and flashed the LEDs indicating it was ready for service. A simple push of the TUNE button on my JUPITER and I was tuned up on either my 80M loop or the HexBeam. The two ANTenna ports (ANT1 and ANT2) are easily selected with great visual feedback of the selected connector.

The AT-100pro tuned extremely quickly compared to my older AT-11MP. Tuning was over before I had reached back for my transceiver TUNE button. Once memorized in the 2000 memories per ANT connector (4000 total) the tuner tuned in less than a second on all bands. I moved my VFO from one end of the band to the other and the tuner snapped me into full operation immediately.

With the AT-100pro I don't have to be concerned about the band or ANT and just fire up the rig in CW or PSK31 knowing I have a great match. The AT-100pro shows the careful attention to both ergonomics and RF design. Easy to use and one of those pieces of gear that you rely on without thinking twice about it.

LDG takes care of it's customers in the old fashioned way - with SUPER SERVICE. For example, LDG has provided long-term support and engineering enhancements for the older AT-11MP and Z-11 with upgraded CPU chips enabling memories and faster tuning. The upgrades are very reasonably priced and deserve your consideration.

LDG is also known as the permier built-in auto tuner supplier for many of the Ten-Tec transceivers such as the Pegasus and Jupiter.

I am a loyal LDG tuner user having built the AT-11 and AT-11MP from kits and owned the Z-11 for QRP work.

The AT-100pro builds on the success of nearly 10 years of antenna tuner design and manufacture. I can recommend the AT-100pro without any reservations. This one is a solid addition to any shack.

de Ken N9VV
W4WB Rating: 2004-07-10
A Killer Tuner! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received the first AT-100Pro today. It is the preproduction unit and is essentially the same as the production units that will be available in a few more weeks.

I haven't finished testing it fully yet, but my first tests were most impressive.

First, the unit is a nice-sized metal box with a good display and control buttons.

Second, you can select between two antennas.

Third, the tuning performance is excellent. This tuner stores the frequency and L-C settings each time I tune. It has several modes I'll cover in a more complete report.

In the present test, I used a FT-1000MP with a 5-band Hex-Beam that covers 10-20 m. I tuned the AT-100Pro using a CW carrier, AM, and SSB at various frequencies. This included the 30 and 40 m bands as well, which both have a reasonably high SWR.

Once tuned, I could simply jump from band to band and simply speak into the microphone (or hit the CW key on 30 m) and the tuner almost immediately switched the correct L-C values into play. Yes, in the auto mode you can just start talking and the tuner tune so fast that the radio is happy and doesn't disrupt your audio. Simply as cool as
can be!

Appears to me that the AT-100Pro will rapidly become recognized as the tuner to have for the shack or when mobile. At SRP of $220 or the street price of $200, nothing comes close to this tuner.