| KA6OTJ |
Rating:      |
2009-04-03 | |
| has worked great for me over the years |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I have owned this tuner for over 5 years and it has done very well for me. It has never arked or given me any problems. It tunes my doublet and Marconi antennas from 10 to 160 using about 600 watts. The tuning caps are smooth. The roller inductor is fine. The antenna selector switch allows for great flexibity. Is it in the same class as a Pal Star or my Dentron MT300A? I can't say. I will say it does everything my Dentron did and if you find one of these used like I did and can get it for a good price it is worth a shot. |
|
| KE7FFM |
Rating:  |
2009-04-02 | |
| shoddy |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
| doesn't even compare to my palstar 1500 at the same price. flimsy, coarse jerky controls. light weight. tuning is very rough, spotty, like lots of poor contacts. put a couple of lights on it and anyone will buy it i guess. those who like this tuner must have only used mfj's and other budget types. if you have used a good nye or palstar, you'll hate this one. |
|
| K6ZB |
Rating:     |
2008-12-13 | |
| Good high-power tuner |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This is the best of three different tuners that I've used for a high power application. The unit sits outside inside a waterproof box and tunes an end-fed wire on all bands. The most challenging is 160 meters, where the wire is much less than quarter wave. It puts the roller inductor at the minimum setting (8), which corresponds to maximum inductance. Here, the SWR is minimum at 1.3. Still, this is acceptable since my amp can tune out the rest. On other bands, it achieves 1:1 easily. The roller inductor is easy to turn although there are points where I get a jump in the reading. This is probably because it's an older unit and there is evidence of pitting on the wheel that makes contact with the inductor. I like that it has both a bypass mode (to use a different tuner) and through positions as well. The metering is excellent - very accurate. I have not tried the peak power bar meter as it sits outside where I can't see it anyway.
So, if you need a kW tuner, then this one is a good candidate. |
|
| DPATEFIELD |
Rating:  |
2008-11-14 | |
| Sent It Back |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Had high hopes for the HFT 1500. Got the first unit in July. First thing I noticed, the roller inductor crank was just about impossible to turn without the unit moving. Second problem, the bar graph was missaligned. Cantacted AES and sent the unit back for replacement. Received the second unit approximately a week later and when I hooked the unit up, the cross needle meter does not function what is ever. Called Vectronics and went through a cleck list of things but still nothing on the meter. Sending this one back to AES and will look for a different tuner. |
|
| K9CTB |
Rating:     |
2007-10-03 | |
| Great KW-class Tuner! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I wanted to make a point to review every piece of ham gear I own. To sort of repay how useful I found others' reviews here.
The GOODS:
The HFT-1500 has performed wonderfully for me. I have always had only one or two HF antennas at each QTH. Usually they are a G5RV-type antenna. I like the ladderline fed antennas best, but I usually just throw up as much radiator as I have space. The bigger the yard between trees, the longer the antenna. But no matter the size of the antenna or the other particulars, the HFT-1500 would match it! At one time, I had a Hustler 5BTV (vertical) installed with radials. I don't wish to make anyone cringe, but during that time, thanks to the '1500, I was able to run 80 meter PSK-31 on the 75 meter resonator, which was tuned to work in the phone section.
The cross-needle metering is very nice. Vectronics has designed a nice little directional coupler, which includes some balance and compensation adjustments as well as calibration potentiometers. It reads pretty close to what my Bird 43 says. The "peak reading" multi-LED output indicator is very nice as a go-no-go power-out indicator.
The REAL GOODS:
Recently, I had an incident where a feedline shorted, right at the PL-259 connected to the HFT-1500. This occurred during MARS operation with Bertha, my Henry 2KD-5 amplifier, in operation. This was not pretty. I could see the light show through the gaps in the chassis of the HFT-1500. I had guessed that a length of shield on the RG-213 had somehow touched the center conductor on that PL-259 and - voila! - lightshow! I mention this because of the service I received. I sent the tuner to the Vectronics repair station, which is now MFJ down in Mississippi. My experience with their service was OUTSTANDING. The resident tuner expert down there, a Ms. Janet Brown, spoke with me at length by phone. She had explained that the roller inductor (the victim in my arcing problem) had to be replaced, and the new one was a bit different. Different mounting holes and insulating technology, so she had the tuner a few days. In that few days, she replaced the meter movement(s), the roller inductor and the directional coupler! The total service bill was MUCH less than I expected. Janet, if you're reading this, you're awesome!!! Although the review is about the HFT-1500, I could not help but include a note about the service, since nowadays it is always a part of the pre-purchase consideration.
The box does what it says it will. Up to and including 6 meters, It matches all sorts of bad antennas. Works with good ones, too. Although the HFT-1500 is rugged, it is enclosed in a very flimsy chassis. For the money - about $450 - I'd like to see a more substantial chassis. But that would be the only real downside to a nice, capable tuner.
I've just never been very good with antennas, and the HFT-1500 never seemed to mind helping me out.
It is definitely a keeper. |
|
| K3ICH |
Rating:      |
2005-04-05 | |
| Nice Modern Tuner |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| Likewise, I like the HFT-1500. The LED output meter is very handy for tune-up and I've never had any problems with it. It tunes smoothly and seems to have a wide matching range, although I haven't used it with balanced line. An earlier review down-graded it because an input connector was "zorched" by a previous owner! This hardly seems fair. |
|
| LA5SJA |
Rating:      |
2005-04-05 | |
| Good Tuner |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I Have had the HFT 1500 for over 6 years now and it has performer very good no errors using it on a Fd4 Windom antenne and a inv L and to flatten the swr for the beams never used the Balanced input It works great on High Power im using it with an Ameritron Al-82 BX
great tuner
73 de
LA5SJA/Geir |
|
| W3PH |
Rating:      |
2004-10-14 | |
| Wide range, easy to tune |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Hadn't used my HFT1500 for a good while, but dug it out when I put up a new antenna with open-wire feeder that neither the LDG Z100 or built-in tuner in my TS-940 could handle.
After being in storage for several years, I found that the contact between the rolling coil and the contact that moves along it was flaky, so I opened the case and cleaned the coil with a paper towel and alcohol. Turned the paper towel dark, the coil shined up nice and bright, and the tuning was smooth again. While inside the case, I found the construction to be very good - clean layout, quality components.
Once you've figured out the right coil position for each band, tuning is very quick, and the built-in meter works well even at 5 watts so you can turn power way down, do your tuning, then crank the power back up. I can change bands and tune up within about 5 seconds after cranking the coil to the right position. Seems to have a very wide range of impedance-matching ability.
Haven't used it with more than 100 watts, so can't speak to what happens when you feed a tricky antenna with a KW, but at 100 watts it's very reliable. |
|
| WA3VJB |
Rating:   |
2003-12-30 | |
| Build One Instead |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I was in a rush to get a wire tuner together for the "Heavy Metal Rally" this past weekend featuring the specialty of AM on the shortwave ham bands.
AM, with modulation peak voltages twice that of your plate voltage, and a continuous carrier during transmit, places the toughest demands on antenna tuning components. Consequently, I searched for what I hoped would be the most rugged contemporary wire tuner around.
I also realized it would not compare with anything I might build, had there been more time, nor would any of today's tuners stack up to the Johnson KW Matchbox that I also have. The matchbox however does not have 160, which is an essential part of the "Heavy Metal Rally."
With my operating circumstances now presented to you, imagine my disappointment when I unboxed the Tucker-labelled Vectronics (purchased used) and saw the main COAX 1 feed SO-239 zorched from center conductor to the outer ring !
I've been afraid to open it up. I also felt a clunky sort of action in the roller inductor, and had to rock the crank back and forth to find a conductive spot to take a reading while matching the antenna to 50 ohms.
Bottom Line, build your own out of salvaged coils and capacitors from junked broadcast transmitters, and get a sheet metal shop to make a nice box for it all.
|
|
| WB7G |
Rating:      |
2002-07-05 | |
| Very happy so far |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Have had the tuner for a week now. Can tune up any HF band and 6 meters ! Most bands tune to 1:1 but a few 1.5:1. The antenna is a 80 meter size G5RV fed with ladder line all the way to the tuner.
Repeatablility is very good. Took the cover off and it looks good inside. The balum is well built. Will try 800 watts very soon. I had a MFJ 969 and its roller was clunky and jumped windings. |
|