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Reviews For: LDG AT-200Pro Memory Autotuner

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : LDG AT-200Pro Memory Autotuner
Reviews: 88MSRP: 249
Description:
5 to 250 watt autotuner (100W on 6M). 16,000 3-D memories, SWR and Power indicator, 2 position antenna switch, 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
00884.6
KD0KZO Rating: 2010-06-19
outstanding Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just got this tuner and I am amazed. I use it on a slinky antenna and it tunes 80-6 meters 1.1-1 haven't tried 160 though. once you have everything in memory one click and it tunes lightning fast. great just what i was looking for.
G4RNW Rating: 2010-06-09
Amazing Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was sceptical at first. The 'blurb' seemed too good to be true, but once it was connected up and I had a chance to play with it, I was utterly amazed. It does just what it says. It will tune my 100ft doublet from 15 to 80 metres (all bands) - so far ! (haven't tried the shorter bands 12 & 10) plus the whole of 160m on my 125ft end fed long wire with no problems.

I found it needed a good RF earth connected to it and the rig for reliable behaviour.

I was a bit taken aback at first by the amount of noise it makes on intial tune-up but this I now know is quite normal. Once it has a frequency in its 'innards' it returns almost instantly next time to the correct setting for a minimum SWR.

It will tune up, even first time, just using SSB signal, but I have found it better sometimes to give it a quick initial burst of carrier (RTTY)from my 756Pro111 to tune up quickly. I have the threshold for SWR set at 1.5:1 but it will invariably beat this.

I thoroughly recommend this tuner based on my experience so far.

Mike Stewart
G4RNW
AI4WC Rating: 2010-05-26
Very Good! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned my LDG for about four years. It always worked well, but I bought the latest version chip and after installation, it was even faster to tune. I only put out 100 watts, so I also own a Kenwood AT-130 manual tuner, which is a marvelous tuner that can tune really non-resonant antennas. Between the LDG and the little Kenwood, I am happy and set until I may decide to go the amplifier route. Hint: buy the little Kenwood tuner as a backup (I have two, actually; they are appreciating in value) and you will be set for anything!
KC8QVO Rating: 2010-02-01
Fantastic Tuner! Time Owned: N.A.
The AT-200pro is a real nice medium power auto tuner packed with features.

The reason I bought mine is I bought a Z-11pro for use with my FT-857D. I realized how great the memory tuning and ease of use was with the Z-11pro. As a result it ended up staying in the shack with the base rig and not the FT-857D! So I decided to get this AT-200pro to stick in the shack so I can have the Z-11pro for what I bought it for - portable grab-n'-go.

My main station tuner, until this point, has been a Palstar AT-1500CV. That will be used for high power (when I get an amp at some point in the future) and for matches that the auto tuners can't handle. I really like the Palstar. However, the AT-200pro is too easy in comparison to the manual AT-1500CV.

The AT-200pro is slower than my Z-11pro. I attribute this to the heavier 10 amp relays - they take more time to move. Thats OK though - once your initial tuning is done the memory recall is a split second. There is no need to worry about running out of memories - this thing handles 16,000 combinations. It will record 8 antenna combinations PER FREQUENCY of operation! Not bad.

Because of the size of the tuner - smaller than any MFJ manual tuner - it would still make a decent portable tuner. For Field Day it would be absolutely perfect. It is still right at home sitting on a shack desk and with the 200 watt capability it will handle nearly all modern day HF transcievers barefoot. It may be a bit annoying to get your initial memories set but after that it tunes in one click!
W3XH Rating: 2009-09-01
box of hamsters Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
i love this thing, it does all that i ask of it with my g5rv antenna, but like everyone else, i think there are a bunch of hamsters inside that do the tuning, for all the noise it makes, it is very startling the first time you hear it, but this thing works like a dream.
alex
KC9PWT
WV4I Rating: 2009-07-17
buying another one Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have used this tuner with both a MFJ 12/17/30/60M shortened 1/2 WL vertical, and a Hygain AV-620. While not terribly challenging matches, except perhaps on all 5 60M freqs, where that electrically short antennna has only 15kc of 2:1 swr bandwidth, this tuner has performed flawlessly attached to my IC-7000, including on 6M.

In fact, I like this tuner enough that I'm buying an AT-1000Pro to put on the antenna side of my AL-82 (at 1kw PEP max of course). I'm willing to give up 500W output to get a higher power autotuner that works this well, and at less than half the price of a Palstar legal limit tuner. I do not believe the MFJ-998 (copy of the AT-1000 series?) will really do legal limit, except essentially fine tuuning an already nearly matched antenna, but then that's fodder for another review thread.

Great job LDG!

W2KG Rating: 2009-07-15
Adds agility to operations... Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought my AT-200 Pro secondhand from a fellow who had purchased a rig with an internal tuner. From the time I installed it, it has worked without flaw. Of course, I am using it with a Cushcraft R7, so it hasn't experienced any really great excursions in SWR. Nevertheless, it has really permitted me to move from band to band without stoppiing to retune or consult the tuning tables that I built for my MN2700. I've used AT-200 with my TR-7, TS-180S and FT-857D with identically great results in all cases. Undoubtedly, the tuner has some unforgiveable faults somewhere that somebody will discover or invent, but I can only say that under my operating conditions it has been one of the smartest buys I've made in thirty odd years of hamming.

Because of my good experience with the AT-200, I've equipped myself with an LDG Z817 and an AT-100 Ultra Pro for portable ops both QRP and QRO. I've had the same fine performance from both of those as well.

The AT-200 gets daily use and the other two are used on the average of twice to three times monthly.
W4HLN Rating: 2009-07-14
Fantastic! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought an LDG AT-200 Pro and it tunes fantastic for two years now....I use homebrew external 4-1 baluns and 1-1 baluns and it tunes pretty much any antenna I want to put up....Coax or open wire feed...G5RV or doublets and Zepps. I just bought a second AT-200 PRO last week to use on a new (Second) FT-950 Yaesu because the internal tuner just doesent have much range to it.

One of the better auto tuners out there!

Ernie / W4HLN
K3YUB Rating: 2009-07-14
Excellent tuner Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this little gem a month ago and plugged it in as instructed by the manual. It matches my Carolina Windom 40 to my Icom 746Pro very well. It runs rings around the 746Pro's internal tuner. It will load the CW40 on 80 meters as well. Please remember to ground the unit well and READ THE MANUAL. I own other LDG tuners and they all work flawlessly.
KT4XP Rating: 2009-07-11
Great Tuner! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.

when I first got this tuner I was a little apprehensive.I like to get a perfect match on all frequencies (a little compulsive I guess)and I like to tweak knobs,or so I thought.I really like the ability to set an SWR threshhold of 1.1,anything higher and it will start an auto-tune cycle.It will tune with as little as 20 watts,which I find usefull as my back-up rig does not have SWR power fold back.For $20.00 you can upgade the E-prom to the latest version.You don't have to worry about how long you press a button (the manual describes a short,medium,and long press)just watch the led's and they will tell you when to lift off the button.This Tuner has made amateur radio much more enjoyable for me.