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Reviews For: Hamware AT-502

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : Hamware AT-502
Reviews: 7MSRP: 699.95
Description:
Remote Matching Dipoles of balanced and unbalanced Antennas within the Amateur Bands 1.8 to 30 MHz. True balanced Pi Tuner to match Dipoles, Loops, Inverted Vee's etc. Twice 85 Memory Locations.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.hamware.de
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0074.9
DL2SBA Rating: 2012-06-06
Hardware fine - but firmware needs update Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The tuner as well as the original firmware are working well now for a few years. But the auto-tune feature of the AT-502 using a transmitted signal is not working very well.

I've created a new firmware for the AT-502 tuner (the one with the 200W tuner) to overcome this issue. The software reads the frequency information issued by Kenwood and Icom transceivers over the serial line and automatically selects the pre-tuned memories. So no need anymore to transmit for tuning the antenna.

Simply replace the internal microcontroller and connect a serial interface converter to the existing 4-pin header on the AT-502 mainboard.

I've tested it with K2 (with RUMLOG), K3 (stand-alone + Swisslog) and IC-756ProIII (stand-alone + Swisslog).

Have a look at http://goo.gl/nxYm0 - currently only in German - Google translate may help.
ZL1LC Rating: 2012-02-07
Great remote tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This tuner is not well known in ZL land. It took an effort to identify it and track it down, but the wait was well worth it.
My antenna is a McCoy doublet, 270' long and up to 30' high, centre fed with ladder line. The tuner sits on a pole in the garden and I simply bring coax back to the shack.
Tuning is automatic RF sensing, once it has been set up, and it just sits there and handles everything I can throw at it from 160 - 10 metres. Maximum is 200w but I normally run less than 100w.
Well worth the effort to install and set up.
DG4IAN Rating: 2011-05-09
All in all good value. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After 4 years in use I can say the tuner works well, but the software (Controller) has some problems. I changed the CPU twice, OM Klaus sent both CPU´s “for free” Hamspirit!! The problem is the EMC and HF inside the control unit, to reduce common mode currents I use some ferrite core on the dc cabel.
My antenna is a dipole 2*12,5m about 10m high (2m over the roof) in the feed point and 6m at the ends. I can use this antenna from 160 to 10m, between 40m and 15m it works fantastic, on 80m well and for 160m it is to short but I can work with 50w.

So for me it's 4,5 (4 is good, 5 great) all in all good value.
x x Rating: 2011-02-17
Update: good customer service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After 3 years of flawless performance, I discovered a software glitch (non critical error, easy workaround). Klaus sent me a CPU with a new release, free of charge. Hamware = Hamspirit!

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Earlier 5-star review posted by OE6ZH_REMOVED on 2008-10-02

No compromises. Fully symmetric. The balun is where it belongs: in the matched coax input line. This tuner gives you full control. Choose the best configuration (PI or L network) from a loss point of view. Once you have your settings established manually and stored in memory, you can recall them according to frequency. In AUTO mode it measures txed (qrp) frequency directly and recalls settings from memory bank within <2sec. Thus, it works great even with vintage rigs. Forget the built in ATU. This one is enough for all occasions. Yes, you need a control cable and a control box. Yes, it has two memory banks. Yes, it feeds asymmetric wires, if you decide that is the way to go. Handbook, instructions, circuit diagram, all are of top quality. Not cheap, but great value!
W6BRP Rating: 2008-08-20
great ant auto tuner Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have used the AT-502 now for several months and found it too work great over all bands useing a inverted V 52 ft both ends, total over all 104ft with a loading coil on ends 30 turns up 40ft not to mention I have a medal roof.
KC2EE Rating: 2007-09-07
Geat Tuner for balanced antennas Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I run two wire antennas, Horizontal & Vertical Loops fed with 450 ohm ladder line. The Tuner and optional two antenna switch box are mounted outdoors & fed by my two sets of ladder line. A co-ax & 25 conductor cable run to the shack and are connected to a Control Box. The RF is sensed by a coupler at the rig. You have to input the best settings for each band, with many steps per band. It was tedious at first, but doing this gave me a better understanding of my antennas. It runs in AUTO mode by RF sampling, or can be in MANUAL Mode so you can fine tune for changing condx.

This system works great, no problem setting it up to obtain almost 1:1 VSWR on 160-10 M. It works from QRP to 200 Watts. It has made tuning balanced antennas automatic! A innovative addition to my shack.
VE4DET Rating: 2007-03-10
Great solution for balanced fed antennas Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a versatile unit that puts the tuner where it should be - out at the antenna.
Getting a balanced feed line to a tuner in the shack is always a challenge. This design puts the tuner outside the house while keeping the controller on your operating desk. This is a manual tuner that will, upon transmit, automatically restore settings previously stored on a particular frequency. Or you can manually select a previous setting before transmitting. This is not one of those noisy hunt and find auto-tuners.

Installation requires soldering a 25 wire controller cable (not provided) to the supplied connectors. This cable connects the remote tuner to the control box.
Memory is alloted to 85 slices of the ham bands. During intial setup you manually tune each of the 85 frequencies, store them in the controller and you're ready to go.
The instruction manual is clear and the product itself appears robust and well made.
There are other remote antenna tuners on the market that can be made to work with a balanced feedline but this is a true balanced remote tuner. It can also be configured for unbalanced antennas.