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Reviews For: Palstar AT5K

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : Palstar AT5K
Reviews: 41MSRP: 1195
Description:
The AT5K takes power handling to the next level coming in with a rating of 3500 watts single tone continuous performance with low losses & wide Z range. Bands 160m to 15m with limited Z range on 10m. The AT5K provides balanced OUTPUT with high power 5kW TEFLON cable balun at the INPUT of the tuner circuit for excellent balanced feed antenna operation.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.palstar.com/en/at5k.php
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00414.4
K5YY Rating: 2009-02-17
AT4K early units equal Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Just wanted to comment that the early LED bar graft AT4Ks were as robust as the AT5K.. Then it seemed that to lower the price to appeal to many more hams, the AT4K suffered a bit of quality in the components, not much though. Then the AT5K came out with HD components to satisfy the QRO boys. So, an early AT4K should give you the same satisfaction as the later AT5K, BUT they are few and far between. Palstar makes the best tuner on the market in my opinion and the service is great and emails answered promptly.

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Earlier 5-star review posted by K5YY on 2005-08-14

To those who have trouble loading a trap beam on some bands : Make sure you adjust tune and load such that you get a bit more capacitance on the tuning cap, nearer the top of the range. The earlier bar graft AT4K was built like the AT5K component-wise and much better than later AT4Ks.
The best tuner I have ever had. Just remember the internal DC actuated relay that activates the Lo-Z function. With the tuner in the "in" position voltage must be applied to this relay. If not, will revert to improper load setting internally. CLEARLY spelled out in the manual.
Still, much better than the Heath 2060A and Nye tuners I have used..
San K5YY
KA1CDE Rating: 2009-02-17
excellent tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned this tuner for a couple of years. The roller inductor takes a little time to get use to. I have been able to tune the swr down to 1:1 on all frequecies.
The manual explains how to get the most out of the tuner and how to properly tune your antenna.
After 2 or more years the meter light bulb burnt out, I requested a new one from Palstar and received it with any charges at all.

I have found Paul to be polite and informative.

I would recommend a Palstar anytime.
W6THW Rating: 2009-02-09
Great product Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had my AT5K antenna tuner for 2 years
and a Command Technologies HF-2500 amplifier for about 4 years and have had no problems with them. The tuner will handle anything i can put to it. I have never had a problem with Paul.
KX2V Rating: 2009-02-06
100% Reliable!! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had this tuner for several years.
I can tune anything with the AT5K.

100% reliable On ALL bands!!!
KF8KL Rating: 2008-05-22
Great tuner! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I must echo NV7E's sentiments--this is a great tuner and I also used to own an MBV-A which I sorely missed when I sold it a few years ago. I no longer miss it as the AT5K will do everything and more. I also have a limited antenna situation because of a small lot. That being said the AT5K has handled any match I've thrown at it with ease. I will also add that Paul is a real gentleman to deal with and I have the sense that he will never produce anything that isn't outstanding in its class. Bravo Paul and keep up the good work. K8LD
KE4BB Rating: 2008-03-21
Best Money I ever spent on Ham Radio Equipment Time Owned: more than 12 months.
You know that feeling when you get something and wish you would have spent a little more to get some thing else.

You won't experience that with this tuner.

It cost more but it's worth it. I have had three other tuners and they don't compare.

Before you buy a MFJ, turn the roller inductor. It feels cheap.

I've had my AT5K for almost four years. Can't think of a one better.......mmmm the 10K with digital readout.....(it wasn't available when I purchased mine).

One last thing. They must be practically indestructible because I have destroyed some stuff over the years. I wish I were kidding.
W3ZDF Rating: 2007-09-27
Great Engineering Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received the AT5K today, outside of the Rotary Inductor readout spline loose, and I fixed that. it performs as I expected. Thanks to Paul.... it is a great tuner used with my HT-18 Hy-Tower....
The quality is well worth the cost... as I have had several MFJ tuners.. and we all know what the initals stand for.... and this is a great product..... the AT5K....
N5GE Rating: 2007-06-22
Good top of the line tuner Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I like this tuner. It does a good job of matching just about any reasonable load. It really does well on my wire antennas (Slopers and Loops).

I have also owned an Ameritron ATR-30 which can't handle the turning of the inductor while running the amplifier without arching, which in turn, shuts the amp down :o(. The AT5K does not suffer from this.

It has limited range on 10m, but will tune there with a little playing.

Shortly after I received it I had to fix the inductor counter, but that was a very small inconvenience caused by the drive gears not meshing properly. Correcting the anomaly was easy enough and has stayed adjusted.

Some of the lettering has begun to wear off of the panel behind the antenna selector and behind the inductor turning handle. That could stand some improvement.

I work only CW and unfortunately some antenna manufacturers design their antennas primarily for phone use, so I use a tuner to tweek the SWR on some of my yagis that have less than desirable matches on the low ends of the bands when using my Alpha 87A.

This is a really heavy duty tuner. I think you would have to be trying to hurt it to do so.

Tom, N5GE
NV7E Rating: 2007-04-05
A new standard of excellence Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got the AT5K as a replacement for the Nye-Viking MB-V-A which has been my long-time standby and has saved me many times over the years when other tuners failed. The great thing about the MB-V-A is that you can be sure it will never arc, although it does have limited capability on 160 meters.

One reason I like Palstar is that you can make a special request and they will listen to you. I had to have the AT5K shipped in a smaller carton than normal to meet size limitations. Paul responded immediately that they could put one in the box normally for the AT4K to solve the problem. It was shipped out fast. It arrived in perfect working order.

The Palstar AT5K is an extra heavy duty tuner. It’s a big one, about twice as big as the MB-V-A. It fits nicely on top of the Yaesu Quadra System. The variable capacitors are much bigger than in the MB-V-A, 600 pf versus 160 pf, as is the roller inductor, 35 microhenries versus 23 microhenries. The AT5K manual does not make any claims about not arcing, and in fact hints it could happen, but I really can’t see this unit arcing or failing even at the maximum legal power level and then some.

Operation is a little different from other manual tuners. It runs on 12vdc and must be turned on to function when using the coax outputs. It has an internal fan which is not noisy but you can turn it off if you want. With its large L/C circuit capability, it works great on 160, 80 and 40 meters, where you really need a good tuner to do the “impossible”. In my cramped urban antenna situation, I use it with the Traffie HX-5Bi Hex-Beam to function on those bands. Palstar claims only limited capacity on 10 meters. My Hex-Beam functions at 1:1 SWR on that band anyhow so I just use the bypass function of the tuner on 10 meters. The manual explains how to tune to keep power loss as low as possible. The power meter seems accurate. Tuning settings are very reliable. You can return to them at the same frequencies with the same results.

I think the AT5K sets a new standard of excellence for manual tuners by which others will be judged and which would be hard to surpass. ZS6SIG
K5VY Rating: 2007-03-24
Worth the price Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Bought this tuner during the holidays 2006-07..Took a bit longer to get here. Well worth the wait! I've been using the MFJ's and Ameritrons without being very happy. The comments about "bullet proof", "a tank", "rock crusher" are all true! I've used it under some very severe conditions when it shouldn't have been able to make a match and it came right through. If you're matching several different HF antennas you won't go wrong with this one!