Atu

Tony Hateley

Can anyone recommend a good fully automatic atu to interface with my 6500

Jim Gilliam

I am using the Palstar auto-tuner with my 6500 remotely. Never had a problem, has quality components, but is pricey.

Jim, K6QE

KY6LA_Howard

Save your money and don't buy a tuner

You will get much better performance, no tuner induced signal loss and you will be much happier if you invest those saved $ into a tunable antenna such as a SteppIR.. 

I have been running one for almost 10 years.. no tuner .. full power.. 1:1 SWR almost everywhere...
Killer signal... and I hear everything...


Remember a tuner only matches loads into a **** antenna.. it does nothing to fix the fact that your antenna is ****....

James Kennedy-WU5E

I use the PALSTAR AT-UATO  with no issues

Ian1

Palstar AT2k is awesome but not automatic. I also run the Palstar hf auto. Ian

Ricky

Why not just use the rigs tuner unless your running a AMP. If so then the PALSTAR ATU is the best.

Jerry W2TXB

Using the Palstar (now Kessler) AT-Auto and have had no problems with it. Don Kessler is going to be offering a new autotuner sometime soon, and it looks like it will be the tuner to end all tuners.

Jon_KF2E

I agree with ky6la. A SteppIR is a phenomenal antenna and I wouldn't trade mine for anything. The only down side is that with my 6500 it makes running multiple slices on different bands less useful. Since the antenna is only resonant on one band at a time you can't really monitor multiple bands. I suppose this is a reason to get a 6700 so you can simultaneously receive from a second antenna.

Jon...kf2e

Ricky

Use a HEX Beam .You can monitor from 6-20 meters and no tuner needed. Then get a dipole for 40 and 80 meters.

Jim Gilliam

Good idea! What does a hex beam weigh for 20/6? 

Jim, K6QE

Jon_KF2E

It's still largely the same issue for a HEX or any other beam. It's looking in one direction and the better the beam the less you hear from anywhere else. I think the best solution is probably a 6700 with a beam(SteppIR, HEX...whatever) and a vertical for all the slices other than the beam.

Jon...kf2e

Ian1

Actually the best set up seems to be a dedicated receiving antenna. That can monitor all bands with no tuning. Ian

Jon_KF2E

I doubt that a dedicated receive antenna would work as well as a yagi...especially on the higher bands. I guess it depends on whet you have for a receive antenna.

Jon...kf2e

Ricky

Around 23 pounds complete. Look at the K4IO as its pre cut and tuned. you simply put it together. Call them and tell them what you want and they can set you up. I have installed several of these here in South Florida and they work Great.

Ricky

I have a friend in Delray Beach Florida and he has the Flex 6500 and he has no issues rcv on the bands at the same time

Rick Hadley - W0FG

I'd 2nd the KIO Hex-beam.  Under 1.5SWR out of the box on all bands and works great even at minimal height, e.g., roof mounted on an 8' tower.  I run 2 bands at a time regularly.  For the lower bands, consider a multi-band vertical like the Butternut HF9VX.

Ian1

I also own the KIO hex beam but its still in the box until hurricane season is over. There is another cheaper Hex beam out there, works about the same as KIO but $200 cheaper. The baseplate and upright post is not as well made but if you are on a budget it's under $400. NA4RR makes it. Ian

KY6LA_Howard

i have a SteppIR MonstIR covering 80M-6M

No issues whatsover receiving on ALL Bands at the same time...there is not a significant benefit to having a tuned receive antenna as I can hear more than enough with the SteppIR

I can only transmit on one band at a time but its merely a matter of a second or two to switch to another bands

Not to denigrate anyone.. but I have used Hex beams.

they are an OK inexpensive compromise antenna but a SteppIR will ALWAYS OUTPERFORM the Hex Beam..

Bottom Line:   Don't waste your money on a tuner just to match the transmit into your **** antenna... invest that money into a tunable antenna...

AA0KM

Very True.I am using wire antennas and tuner in the flex-6500 works just about anywhere I want to tune.I am not a DX hunter and for what I want to do works fine for me.

I would hate for someone reading this get the idea the tuner wasn't anygood!

Yes there isn't any memories yet, but if this is someones issue they are missing out on a great radio if this was there purchase decision make or break deal.

The built in tuner as good as my LDG pro-200 I have. The specs must be close to 10:1 ratio.

Also if your in need of remote right now I can see you dilemma and needing a better interface to your radio at this time. But reading on, flex is working on the atu.

73 jeff

SteveM

Tony,

If you only push 100W from the radio, I've been using LDG's remote auto-tuner. It works pretty well with my 43" vertical, but it can take a while (~15 seconds) to tune it up on 80m. On all of the other bands it's finished within a couple of seconds. I've not had any problems with it retuning in the middle of a contact, nor does it retune while moving around in the same band in this setup.

Bob G W1GLV

The built in ATU is made by LDG

Bob G W1GLV

That's the answer. Been running a hex beam for one year. Great antenna no tuner required.

Bob G W1GLV

About 25 lbs.

Tim - W4TME

No it isn't.  We engineered our own ATU for the FLEX-6000s

Bob G W1GLV

Sorry about that I thought I saw an LDG logo on the board. Then again that could of been in my 5000. Thanks Tim

Tim - W4TME

Yes the FLEX-5000 ATU was OEMed from LDG.  All subsequent ATUs have been of our own making (FLEX-3000 and all FLEX-6000s), as we can apply a proprietary tuning algorithm that finds a better and faster impedance match 

Al K0VM

Tony,
    It may be overkill for just the 6500, but I use the Elecraft KAT500  ( and the KPA 500 ) It is an outstanding ATU with its automation..  team it with the DDUtil support and it fully tracks the 6500 on frequency changes..

AL, K0VM