Nice. Someday I'll have to get my Collins aircraft HF tuner dancing. It, too, has 2 motors. One runs a vacuum variable capacitor. The other drives a roller inductor. There might be a relay to choose between high to low and low to high matching configurations of L matching. The advantage of these kings of tuners is that they can achieve a better match, being able to continuously vary the reactances (even the inductor in the Collins). But the relay jobs can tune much faster if going to a memorized tune for a frequency reported to the tuner by the radio.
I’m old school. Back five decades all our ATUs on the USS Saratoga & the two URC32 ATUs were motorized. When I built my remote Z-match, well, it is motorized. The planned 160m tuner is gonna be motorized too. You can finesse the capacitances so much more easily that way. (Not that I mind the whirring relays in the AH705 ;-) Gotta tune ‘em antoonas somehow.)
All I can say about the AT-180 is "IT's a fantastic Automatic Antenna Tuner". You right about that it's a wee bit heavier than other external Auto Tuners like from LDG. And for how I practice portable HAM Radio not really the right Choice to pick. BUT I loved this Tuner and it just worked fine. Tnx for your awsome Job showing the HAM Radio World what's inside of the Box. Happy Sunday & 73 de YFUG from southwest Germany 💯🙋♂
Beautiful engineering and quality right there! They don't seem to use the servo's anymore. Must be more expensive and maybe a bit slower to tune but better I think.👍
@@temporarilyoffline Neither ;) The 7000 is a great color screen. Small easy to use. Removable head. And the 7100 is easy to use for digital. Touch screen. DSTAR and is the first of the "7300 style" menu system.
Those servo motors are going towards unobtainable! Be careful! But yes what a cool design. Many Icoms from that day used these internally. Question: does it bypass on receive? You can tell with a DMM from antenna port to radio port after tuning.
@@temporarilyoffline a stepper could probably be as effective. Mr. Carlson’s Lab takes one of the motors apart in his one Icom repair video. I asked about bypass since all of the Icom internal ATUs from this era (with the motorized variable capacitors) seem to be transmit only. I’ll see if I can find a service manual to satisfy my curiosity.
Engagement. Will that work with the newer Icom radios? I see it hooks up with the ACC connector instead of the 4 pin tuner connector on a 7300 or 7610. Inquiring minds.
@@temporarilyoffline On one of my late-night online shopping sprees I bought an IC-7000 and then a few nights later bought another that came with a AT-180. Haven't turned either radio on yet but I am learning day by day that I got a couple keeper rigs :-) They sure hold their value. Now after watching this video, I know better than to sell the AT-180 auto tuner. I almost listed it on the Discord groups a few days ago. Glad I didn't.
@@miker7962 Its a great tuner. Check the connections from the motors to the shafts of the capacitors - those plastics break down over time. I understand the motors inside are no longer available as well, so it should continue to increase in value (while the pool of hams that actually know what they are decreases). That 7000 was on my radar for a while. The US didn't get the composite out model, but that would have been nice to have a big screen!
That crack me up. Trying not to take to much apart. Holy smokes. Your the man.
I can't spend all my Teardown credits on just one box!
So cool. I just ordered one second hand, I did not knew that it was motorized. That can give a more perfect match than stepped arrays of capacitors.
It sure can. Open it up and get some lube in there to keep them running good and look for worn out plastics. It's a pretty good tuner.
Icom quality and engineering from back in the day. Nice look inside.
I saw an icom receiver with a cathode ray tube in it today!
When things were built to last. Great info.
So true!
Nice.
Someday I'll have to get my Collins aircraft HF tuner dancing. It, too, has 2 motors. One runs a vacuum variable capacitor. The other drives a roller inductor. There might be a relay to choose between high to low and low to high matching configurations of L matching.
The advantage of these kings of tuners is that they can achieve a better match, being able to continuously vary the reactances (even the inductor in the Collins). But the relay jobs can tune much faster if going to a memorized tune for a frequency reported to the tuner by the radio.
Absolutely! I love all tuners! I have a kit to make a qrp tuner.
I’m old school. Back five decades all our ATUs on the USS Saratoga & the two URC32 ATUs were motorized. When I built my remote Z-match, well, it is motorized. The planned 160m tuner is gonna be motorized too. You can finesse the capacitances so much more easily that way. (Not that I mind the whirring relays in the AH705 ;-) Gotta tune ‘em antoonas somehow.)
There is more than one way to do it for sure!
probably works better than the new stuff out today
Better, but maybe not faster!
All I can say about the AT-180 is "IT's a fantastic Automatic Antenna Tuner". You right about that it's a wee bit heavier than other external Auto Tuners like from LDG. And for how I practice portable HAM Radio not really the right Choice to pick. BUT I loved this Tuner and it just worked fine. Tnx for your awsome Job showing the HAM Radio World what's inside of the Box.
Happy Sunday & 73 de YFUG from southwest Germany 💯🙋♂
Happy Sunday, YFTO
Beautiful engineering and quality right there! They don't seem to use the servo's anymore. Must be more expensive and maybe a bit slower to tune but better I think.👍
Definitely slower to tune!
I have it working on the ic 7300 and any Kenwood radio works great. On the Ts 50 as I know it a 10/1 match
Would be neat sitting next to the 7300
I have a 7000 and a 7100. Might be a neat addition to it. That is some old school tuning. Variable capacitors. Nice.
Which radio do you like better?
@@temporarilyoffline Neither ;) The 7000 is a great color screen. Small easy to use. Removable head. And the 7100 is easy to use for digital. Touch screen. DSTAR and is the first of the "7300 style" menu system.
Ive always liked how thry use rotary encoders and programmed in the position for certain capacitance values
State of the art!
State of the art!
Very interesting. I’m surprised they still bring that much on eBay.
You and me both!
I like it. And I have a 7100 so right in my wheelhouse. 👍
There you go!
Those servo motors are going towards unobtainable! Be careful! But yes what a cool design. Many Icoms from that day used these internally. Question: does it bypass on receive? You can tell with a DMM from antenna port to radio port after tuning.
I wonder if a stepper motor could have the same granularity? Re bypass, I have moves this on to its new home and can't check.
@@temporarilyoffline a stepper could probably be as effective. Mr. Carlson’s Lab takes one of the motors apart in his one Icom repair video.
I asked about bypass since all of the Icom internal ATUs from this era (with the motorized variable capacitors) seem to be transmit only. I’ll see if I can find a service manual to satisfy my curiosity.
@@W6EL at least there is some hope of getting it on the air if the motor fails.
Engagement. Will that work with the newer Icom radios? I see it hooks up with the ACC connector instead of the 4 pin tuner connector on a 7300 or 7610. Inquiring minds.
Yes it will work. I use an 80;s AT-500 with my IC-7300 as well.
Looks like it does!
What an amazing piece of kit. Are these still being made?
No, icom has moved on.
Built like a rock! I love those old Icom tuners!
Fantastic Stuff
asking ic-705 or ft-991a for all around base looking at space versatility more bang for your buck?
If you don't do any backpacking, then go with the 991a and more power.
She's a beaut. Too bad new products aren't built as well.
I always love taking stuff apart!
Do you know if this tuner can interface with an old ICOM 735 ?
I don't have any personal experience. I'd check the pinouts of the 13pim connector and see what matches. My first guess is "probably"
I don't have any personal experience. I'd check the pinouts of the 13pim connector and see what matches. My first guess is "probably"
@@temporarilyoffline Thank you I appreciate your response.
You're welcome! Thanks for watching
Can this AT-180 be used on the ICOM IC-7300?
I think it can as the 7300 has the 13pin connector. I'd double check the pinout first
Thank you very much, I'll check it out.
I should never have sold mine. I got rid of my 7000 and AT-180 several years back.
I'd like to play with a 7000 one day.
@@temporarilyoffline On one of my late-night online shopping sprees I bought an IC-7000 and then a few nights later bought another that came with a AT-180. Haven't turned either radio on yet but I am learning day by day that I got a couple keeper rigs :-) They sure hold their value. Now after watching this video, I know better than to sell the AT-180 auto tuner. I almost listed it on the Discord groups a few days ago. Glad I didn't.
@@miker7962 Its a great tuner. Check the connections from the motors to the shafts of the capacitors - those plastics break down over time. I understand the motors inside are no longer available as well, so it should continue to increase in value (while the pool of hams that actually know what they are decreases). That 7000 was on my radar for a while. The US didn't get the composite out model, but that would have been nice to have a big screen!
Poor engineers, they really squeezed so much into a small module, and then marketing put in a big box 🙂
I thought that was funny!