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Reviews For: Elecraft T1 Miniature ATU for all Low-Power Transceivers

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : Elecraft T1 Miniature ATU for all Low-Power Transceivers
Reviews: 63MSRP: 135
Description:
This may be the world's smallest high-performance, stand-alone ATU. At just
4.4 x 2.5 x 0.9 inches, and weighing only 5 oz., it's about one-fourth the size
and weight of other compact automatic antenna tuners.

The T1 has 7 inductors and 7 capacitors to provide a wide tuning range. It
can be used with any 0.5 to 20-watt transceiver or transmitter, and can be
tuned in any mode, even SSB voice. Many L-C settings are saved in the unit's
EEPROM for quick re-tune (typically 1 to 2 seconds).

An internal 9-V battery powers the unit, and battery life is excellent thanks to
the use of latching relays and auto power-off after each use. There's zero
power consumed except when actually tuning.

There's a "smart" adapter cable available for the Yaesu FT-817. This
convenient accessory allows the T1 ATU to track band changes made at the
transceiver, recalling per-band L-C settings without the need to transmit.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.elecraft.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15634.7
KC2GYP Rating: 2006-03-28
Amazing lil tun-r Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I built this tuner over the last two evenings and all I can say is "WOW!" what a great little tuner. I bought it to use with the FT-817 to make a nice compact station (even more compact than the FT-817 LDG Z100 combo). I built a VERY simple center fed Zepp (using very efficient 450 ohm ladderline to keep losses as low as possible) and Erickson Engineering's 10w 4:1 balun (http://www.geocities.com/qrp_baluns/ which he sells on Ebay) and the combination is killer. First time out I sent an incredible signal to Jupiter Florida from New York on 20m. The guy in Jupiter was really impressed with my 5w signal.

Tuning was simple and quick. Although you have to hum or mumble into the mike to set the unit in motion.

I was able to tune to less than 1:1.5 or better on all HF frequencies no problem.

As for building it, well I've had some experience mostly with Elecraft kits which I think are superb. But this one presents a number of toroids to wind. They're really simple to do, you just have to make sure you tin the leads properly. They use enameled wire to wind it and there's a tricky tecnique that's not all that hard to 'bubble' the paint off while tinning the leads. Just make sure you double check by using a DMM for 0 resistance after you've installed it to insure you've done the tinning right. Other than that, there is a warning about static charges frying an IC. So be careful with that as well. But don't panic, most people should have no problem. The chip is really robust. They just want you to be aware of the possible damage if you handle it with high static around (just touch any screw on a wall light switch to discharge yourself like I did). The kit for the most part goes together VERY easily. The directions are superb.

Of course if you don't want to build it, Elecraft also has 'assembled' models as well for a slightly higher price. It runs on a common 9v battery used in smoke detectors everywhere.

In short, a great tuner. A great kit. and I think if it was presented the load it would tune a paper clip.


Highly recommended.

73
Peter
W8HQ Rating: 2005-12-13
Very Small, power frugal, unique and expensive Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
A simple fun kit to build, but you better have a good magnifier !

Overll the smallest, best and lowest power tuner on the market for 20 watts of RF.

The relays are amazing and fool proof to install.

Through hole parts are getting rare these days so it is amazing that they can still provide them.

Case and packaging seem poorly designed and not up to Elecraft standards....for a $135 kit you would expect better than a Ramsey style plastic case.

Electronic's design and the simple operation and firmware are delightful.

Elecraft needs a good mechanical and packaging designer that can deliver as well as their electronic designs.
N1KSN Rating: 2005-12-13
Excellent, as expected Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I built the kit version, with no problems except for one 330pf cap I broke trying to mount it to the bottom of the main board (and which Elecraft quickly replaced). The instructions were what I've come to expect from Elecraft.

My home antenna is a 100' multiband inverted vee fed with 300 ohm twinlead via a 4:1 balun. I could not tune this antenna with two LDG autotuners I own (one in my Jupiter, the other a Z-11). As a consequence I had built a manual Z-match tuner for regular shack use. However, while performing the final tests on the T1 I found that it could tune the antenna just fine on 80, 40, 30, and 20 meters.

This is more than I expected, so needless to say, I am most pleased with the unit. I can hardly wait for warm weather so I can try it in the field with my favorite portable antennas plus a short end-fed wire I've been planning on experimenting with as part of an ultra compact station.

Bravo Elecraft (again).
K7VO Rating: 2005-11-23
*THE* antenna tuner for the QRPer Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought the factory assembled version of the T1 directly from Elecraft at Dayton. Over the past six months I have been very impressed with the little tuner. It seems to tune anything I throw at it with no problem. The small size, low power consumtion (the 9V battery lasts a very long time), and ease of operation make it ideal for portable operation. It is also just fine as the tuner in the shack.

I've used the T1 with everyting from a Mizuho P-21DX (500mW CW rig) to the Ten Tec Argonaut V (20W out) and it can handle the 20W as advertised. 500mW is enough to tune with as well.

The fit and finish of the tuner is very professional and it looks really good in the shack. I have no complaints.
AK2B Rating: 2005-11-23
Great! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I confess to being an Elecraft Junkie. Elecraft kits always supply the necessary fix whenever I am in building withdrawal.
I bought the T1 because I have a few QRP transceivers without ATU's. The T1 works like a champ with just about any antenna arrangement I can cook up. It's small, lightweight and seems to run forever on the 9 volt battery - I use it a lot.
Construction is Elecraft as usual, great manual and absolutely no problems, in fact, a pleasure to build. In all of the 8 or so kits I have built, including the K1, KX1, and K2, I have NEVER had a missing part.

Tom, AK2B
N6PEQ Rating: 2005-11-22
Good but buy it assembled! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Very nice tuner, but I made the big mistake of purchasing the kit version of the tuner. The assembly instructions provided were incomplete and lacked many necessary details to assemble the unit properly, plus one component was missing from the kit as well (which I found at a local source). Went back and forth with Elecraft several times. The Elecraft people are very nice and responded quickly. The unit works very nicely, but I strongly recommend purchasing the unit already assembled, and save yourself the hassle.
K0NEB Rating: 2005-11-07
Great tuner! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
As the moderator of the Dayton Hamvention Kit Building forum, I always like to try different kits and enjoy the process of putting them together. So, taking my time, I took about 7 hours to put this little gem together carefully. It pays to follow the well-written directions step-by-step carefully as they give advice that MUST be followed when installing each component. There is really no room to spare, but if you follow the directions, everything fits together nicely and easily. I strongly recommend using the smallest size soldering tip you can and small gauge solder to have the best experience with this kit. When done, I powered it up and it worked 100% the first time! It tuned my 80/17M shortened dual band dipole very quickly to any frequency in the 80M band even though the antenna's 2:1 SWR bandwidth is only about 60KHz on 80M. My G5RVjr tuned up just as easy on 40-10M, and my TH3Jr didn't tax it at all to tune in less than 2 seconds on any part of 20-15-10M. This shirt-pocket sized wonder will be in my FT-817 carrying bag ready for QRP portable/mobile operation! I also plan on using this tuner with a number of other QRP kit and homebrew radios. Hats off to Elecraft for another OUTSTANDING and well-engineered product! Now, if only I could afford a KX-1...
VA2VYZ Rating: 2005-11-05
Another excellent product !!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received the kit, built the kit easely. Again, some fun building good and well documented kit. It works like a charm. Very small and convenient. It replaces my LDG Z-100, because I only need a QRP antenna tuner running with my FT-817. Space, weight and effective are important... like all Elecraft products.



G6CNQ Rating: 2005-07-03
Great kit & super performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I thought I would try the Elecraft T1 kit before speculating on their K2 just to see what the kits were like and I have been extremely impressed!

The kit took me 6 hours to construct from the detailed and easy to follow instructions, even a complete novice could build one of these!

The tests all checked out OK and the unit worked first time, managing to match some very complex loads on all bands from 80 thu 10 meters (I have not tried it on 160 & 6 Meters)

The service from Elecraft was fantastic even when our UK post office lost the first consignement! Elecraft despatched a replacement with alacrity.

Well done Elecraft your kits are the best I have built in my 50 years of Ham radio

Terry
WA2JJH Rating: 2005-06-04
fANTASTIC DESIGN Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I tried to fool the T1 with absurd loads.

1)8 foot whip on 160......2:1 SWR
2)30 foot random wire.....1:1.5 10M-80M
3)16 foot vertical with 10M gamma match....mixed
20M 2:1 SWR about the same as a TS-850 ATU
80M 2.5:1 My manual MFJ tuner can provide 1:1.5
after much retuning the caps. 10KC BW

The design of using 2 L networks is interesting.
Rather then use a T network, the T1 will shift the
larger capacitance between the transmitter or antenna BNC connectors.

Latching no power needed inductor selction....brilliant!

Tune,then the T1 shuts off. One should get months
of tuning on on 9V batt.

Wish they made a 500W version!