Roger G3XBM's (Mainly) Amateur Radio Blog: Auto-ATUs for FT817ND

25 Jan 2014

Auto-ATUs for FT817ND

Until it started to misbehave recently, I have used the Elecraft T1 auto ATU with my 12yr old FT817 with good results. Its main use has been to resonate end-fed wire antennas on HF bands. I always struggled on 160 and 6m.

Does anyone know how the LDG Z817 auto-ATU compares? It is larger than the T1 but less expensive.

What would YOU recommend? I intend to get a new FT1817ND (as a second radio) and auto-ATU, then to fix the old ATU.

5 comments:

G1KQH said...: Keep the variables to a minimum, stick to a manual ATU you can't go wrong!

73 G1KQH; Sat Jan 25, 02:33:00 pm GMT
Roger G3XBM said...: Steve,the T1 can link to the FT817 so you can switch bands and the ATU auto-tunes itself. Makes band switching on a fixed antenna a dream, not possible with a manual ATU, 73s Roger G3XBM; Sat Jan 25, 04:07:00 pm GMT
$R. Ash*\$ R. Ash*\ said...: I have the z817, it's a decent tuner and I've used it on a few portable ops. The only complaint I have about it is the size and the course way it reports SWR. It's about the size of the FT817, mostly due to the internal batteries. This isn't a problem if you're driving, but if biking or hiking I'd rather have a smaller ATU. The SWR is reported in a number of blinks of a light on the main panel. There's *no* reference card anywhere on the device. You either need to keep one with you or memorize what number of blinks means what.; Sat Jan 25, 07:16:00 pm GMT
Chris Jefferies said...: This comment has been removed by the author.; Mon Jan 27, 03:51:00 pm GMT
Chris Jefferies said...: Hi Roger,

I have the bigger brother to the 817, the Yaesu 857 and the auto tuner I use is LDG Z11-PROII.

It has never not tuned any antenna I've used and as I don't know what I'm doing half the time it's had it's worked cut out :)

73,

Chris EI6KH; Mon Jan 27, 03:53:00 pm GMT