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Reviews For: LDG AT-1000Pro

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : LDG AT-1000Pro
Reviews: 57MSRP: 599
Description:
Building on the success of the AT-1000, LDG Electronics has refined and expanded its 1KW tuner. The AT-1000Pro has an Auto mode that automatically starts a tuning cycle when the SWR exceeds a limit you set.

Operates at any power level between 5 and 1,000 watts peak. Relay protection software prevents tuning at greater than 125 watts. 2 Antenna connections. Tunes from 1.8 to 54.0 MHz (including 6 meters). Tuning time usually under 4 seconds, transmitting near a frequency with stored tuning parameters, under 0.2 seconds. 2000 memories.

2-Year Warranty. All cables included.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.ldgelectronics.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00573.8
K2VF Rating: 2010-04-18
Mediocre at best Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought an AT-1000 Pro to use with my Ameritron 811 linear and encountered problems right away. The interface cable was faulty and would cause the rig to generate a tone when turned on, just the carrier but would not activate the tuner. After repeated attempts and messages I received a call from Dwayne who told me that the Icom 746 Pros that were manufactured at the end would not work with his cable, But not to worry, he is aware and there would be a replacement chip for the tuner in the future. He said to just check his website for an announcement for the fix.Rather than go through the hassle of returning it,I was forced to buy an external power supply to get it to work with my rig at an extra cost. Had I known this, I would have bought another unit that was compatible with my rig. On the upside the tuner does the job. Unfortunately the customer service I received was less than adequate.
W6TMV Rating: 2010-01-10
I like it a lot! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I started with the smaller AT100Pro - and used that for my QRP rig (which I sold). My main rig, a TS440S/AT has always been able to tune my vertical (MFJ1978 - no comments please - it works great for me) when I added an amplifer (ALS 600) I decided to try the big brother - it works as advertised at the full power output of the amp with one exception, the problem is it will only tune the 80m portion of the vertical within a very small range (lets face it, the resonant range is small to begin with) - so I only operate barefoot on 80... ( BTW, I tried an older roller inductor MFJ on 80 and it would tune it)...so that is my 4 rating
KG9H Rating: 2009-12-20
LDG's best yet Time Owned: N.A.
I have been using LDG products since I built my first AT-11 as a kit many many years ago.
The AT1000-Pro is the best I have ever seen yet from LDG. It actually tuned a 500 foot loop that my MFJ 3kW could not! I am using it with a 4:1 balun and open wire (100') to a 500 foot loop at 25'.
I think that I have had at least ten different tuners from LDG, never had a problem.
I am amazed at the after hours response that I get back from them, even on the weekends.
I also run an Z100 as well, never had any problems.
Keep up the great products, Dwain. -73- Frank KG9H
WJ6Y Rating: 2009-08-22
Does the job Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned the LDG AT 1000Pro for well over a year now. It never fails to tune my mutli band vertical (Butternut HF9V)and my wire. Initial tuning was a little slow and loud, but memory tuning is very fast. It tunes my wire where the internal tuner in my Yaesu Quadra will not. Would buy again.
W8GWP Rating: 2009-08-20
Keep re-tuning and re-tuning. Won't keep tuned! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This tuner keeps tuning and tuning on a G5RV and a vertical multi-band (requiring tuner) antenna. It gets 2.4:1 at best on the G5RV. On the multi-band it works good, except that it "re-tunes" also (just not as much). I am having the same problems others are having. When the Linear is in use, the problem becomes worse and perveints transmittion. The only indication I get is the Antenna "light" on the radio shows High SWR. Going to try to return it! I have check to see if I am getting RFI in Shack, but I am not!!!!!

Not happy at all...... However this is the only LDG product that I have had problems with. Open to suggestions for a replacement..

Shane
sjwarner@yahoo.com
WV4I Rating: 2009-08-14
antenna and transmission line theory? Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've owned an AT-200Pro for well over a year and recently acquired an AT-1000Pro. I used the AT-200Pro primarily with a FT-857D and later/now an IC-7000. I am now using the IC-7000 with the AT-1000Pro with an AL-82 in the middle. I do NOT run the AL-82 above the power ratings of the AT-1000Pro, and DON'T try it! As the radio interface, etc., of the AT-1000Pro is similar to that of the AT-200Pro, I think some comparisons are relevant to some of the reviews here, and since the reviewers mostly do not mention what transceiver, antenna (Z), and/or power level is being employed.

Both the AT-200Pro and AT-1000Pro communicate directly with later Icom radios, i.e. freq, etc., and the FT-857/897. This communication seemed to work much better with the Icoms, AH-3/4 interface, than with the single pin 3 conductor Yaesu interface. More intuition could be gained here by reading up on exactly how these interfaces differ, and all manuals are available online. For whatever reason(s), I found that much less (re)tuning was going on with my IC-7000 than with my FT-857D once the first cleared memories learned the new settings vs freq, both with the 200Pro and the 1000Pro.

Another issue that really comes into play with auto tuners is RFI and currents reflected into the tuner from the antenna/load. Baluns and RF chokes should come to mind here. Ditto for RF not DC grounds. Otherwise, you may want to stick with a manual tuner and avoid RF bites, by not touching the chassis.

Then we have trying to "match" a load that is outside the auto tuner's stated range. This range can really be compressed also by say power levels higher than rated, jumper cables that are the wrong/bad length, i.e. creating a mismatch vs freq, are simply junk from age or abuse, or even presenting an inductive reactance at higher freqs (my MINI-8/U), the list goes on. Here, a measured purely resistive dummy load, an antenna analyzer, and the suspect jumper cable connected in between can be very informative at the freq of interest. Then connect an antenna analyzer instead of the auto tuner, and determine the impedance seen by the auto tuner, of what you're actually trying to match, at the freq of interest. Is it within the tuner's stated impedance range? Don't forget inductance reactance does change with freq. Sometimes a manual tuner, i.e. MT-3000A, can muscle it's way thru transmission line and antenna problems, unknown mismatches, etc., while the well designed auto tuners hopefully just keep the power low while never finding a match. With the manual tuners you may get a chance to hear sizzles, pops, arcs, and/or perhaps watch power suddenly drop to zero on your exciter or amp........$$$sss.

Between playing with auto tuners, and trying to get a good match between exciter and both HF and VHF solid state/tube amps, it's really been an re-education on the importance of good quality transmission lines/coax jumpers, well engineered and functioning antenna systems, etc., things that a tuner cannot really correct. When you read reviews about this/that solid state amp goes into protection early and often, and the amp is being blamed, I'm guessing the amp is just trying to save itself. Sounds like a lot of folks may be running into auto tuners trying to save themselves also, but blaming the auto tuner?

The bottom line is that my both my AT-200Pro and now AT-1000Pro work as advertised, and that once memorized, the AT-1000Pro tune time into my antennas is less than a second, if at all, running 750W CW/1kw PEP. And I have had several jumper cables hit the trash where they belong. Also, as the MFJ-998 appears to be a copy of the AT-1000Pro, yet the MFJ claims to be capable of legal limit, and at nearly the same price, would be informative to see some reviews on the MFJ-998 review thread from legal limit ops. I'm a veteran of the MFJ-989 back when they referred to that tuner's power rating relative to the input power of the EXCITER. Snap, crackle, sizzle, pop.......

As to whether a particular vendor is polite, etc., as a vendor I would politely refer inquiries other than product specific inquiries to souces such as the ARRL Antenna Book, online product manuals, brochures, etc. Let's face it, if you're not up on the basics of station safety, transmission lines, antennas, etc., it might be a good time to delve into these areas, especially BEFORE playing with high power stations, tuners, amps, etc.

And not trying to be condescending here. There's always more to learn about any field of interest.
N0AZZ Rating: 2009-07-28
Not Ready For PrimeTime Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Sounds like a box of rocks when tuning and very slow many times not being able to find a proper match. After 2 weeks I sold it and bought a Palstar manual tuner it is many times faster and allways able to properly find a match.
NU4J Rating: 2009-05-04
Click and Clack with no match Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought it new. Tried to get it to match a 1.4 to 1 SWR on 75m and all I heard was clickity clack and no match. Tried several times and never got a match.

Took the antenna out of the line and inserted a 50 ohm dummy load. Same results.

Returned same.

The reason for a zero rating... It don't work out of the box it gets a zero.
K2HVE Rating: 2009-04-25
A+ Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Recieved my 1000pro and so far is Very Good..It is sooooo nice not to have to jump back and forth tuning up bands. Everything so far is right on the money!
NR7N Rating: 2009-04-10
Great, but read why Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this tuner after trying the AT-100Pro and the AT-200Pro. I am only running 100W maximum but on 80, 40 and 30 meters I am driving an electrically short antenna (a 20m monoband vertical). On 80m this anteena looks like 2-j900 ohms; on 40m, 6-j400 ohms and on 30m, 12-j180 ohms. These are all difficult impedances to match but this tuner matches them without problem even though it is speced at 6 ohm minimum. The real problem with smaller tuners is that at such low impedances the RF circulating currents can be very high in the ATU matching components. An AT-100Pro failed at 20w at 40m because of this and the AT-200Pro's toroids got uncomfortably warm at the same power level. The AT-1000Pro with its 2" toroids runs as cool as a cucumber at 100W on these three bands. If your driving <10 ohm loads then this is THE tuner (P.S. I wouldn't try dumping a kilowatt into these low load impedances though). It really solved my problem.