[ICOM] Question about AT tuners.

[Michael P. Olbrisch]

The simple answer is - it depends - on which tuner you are talking about.
If you really mean only the "AT" tuners....  I have owned all of the
following for a long time.

The AT-100/500 will handle coax feeds at 80-10m with a 16.7 to 150 ohm
resistive load.  This equates to a 3:1 SWR.  Additionally, the AT-500 also
does 160m.  The AT-100 is bypassed there.

The AH-1 mobile tuner was not really automatic at all, so I will let that
one pass.

The AH-2/3 series will damn near tune a wet noodle at 160-10m, but only as a
remote tuner feeding a wire or whip.  I use it with a 32 ft fiberglass
vertical, works 160-10m just fine.  It is somewhat temperamental with
antenna lengths near a 1/2 wave of the operating frequency.  Some have
modified the 2/3 to feed coax.

The AH-4 is much like the AH-2/3 except it covers 80-6m.

I do not have much experience with the others, so will reserve comment about
them for others who have more experience.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:icom-bounces at mailman.qth.net]On Behalf Of Hart Engel
> Sent: Saturday, December 18, 2004 2:43 PM
> To: icom at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [ICOM] Question about AT tuners.
>
>
> With all this talk about tuners, that begs me to ask a
> question on this reflector.
>
> I have been told that a lot of AT tuners "can't OR can" deal
> with high swr antennas. Can anyone tell me the real scoop on
> this because I'm in the market for one.