[TowerTalk] Auto antenna tuner

[edoc]

Jim Lux wrote:
> There aren't a huge number of autotuners that can handle the high power
> (most are aimed at the 200W and under market)..
> I like my LDG tuners.  Others have had good luck with the SGC line.
> 
> Things to think about (for any tuner).. not necessarily that these are
> important for you, but something you should think about.
> 
> Can you remote it to the antenna?  You're much better off with the tuner at
> the load, so the amp drives 50 ohm coax into a 50 ohm load.
> 
> Do you need a balanced output?  Think about chokes and baluns.
> 
> Does it have some way to store presets?  If you have to go through a whole
> tuning cycle everytime, it's pretty annoying.  Do the presets store manual
> "touch up" you do after the auto tune cycle?  (My older LDG (without
> presets) doesn't always find a match on 75m, into a dipole hanging 5 feet
> off the ground, so I have to bump it in manually)  If you are manually
> tuning, do you have forward and reflected power to look at while doing the
> tuning?

I acquired a Standard ATU 2000 marine HF remote autotuner with just this 
sort of app in mind.  The monster is rated 500W key-down carrier all day 
long from 160-10m.

Problem is that I have been unable to find any data by which I might
control it.  It was built by Raytheon for Standard but they will not
release a shred of data.

My plan was to homebrew a simple control box -- impossible without
some idea of where to provide control voltages and what those voltages
are.

Anyone here have that data?  (I have acquired an old Heath remote
tuner -- not autune -- in its stead given my frustration with the
ATU 2000 project but would love to get the ATU 2000 it working,
albeit not in autotune mode.)

If no one can provide me the data I need -- perhaps someone more clever 
may be interested in tinkering themselves?  I have $155. in it (plus 
shipping, of course.)  The solid case brackets show signs of having been 
mounted but the insides are really clean.  (I can send pictures).

-- 
Thanks! & 73, doc kd4e
West Central Florida
Op. Atlas, Drake, Hallicrafters, TenTec ...
p.s. Linux-incompatible hardware is defective!
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