ATU failing to tune up 60 meters.

Ronald Barber

I have been working FT8 on 60 meters with a DX160 OCF Windom antenna and 60 meters was working just fine.
I worked the NAQP SSB with a DX80 over the weekend because it is higher in the air than the DX160.
When I went back to the DX160 to work FT8 the ATU will not tune 60 meters and the SWR is off the chart.
I have tried a hard reset on my Flex 6300 but it will not tune the antenna at all, it just quickly flips on and off.
Any suggestions?

Bill W2PKY

Try this: Right click on the ATU button and left click "erase ATU memories"

Tim - W4TME

Here is the issue.  In USB mode, the TUNE carrier is on the suppressed carrier frequency (what is displayed in the slice frequency readout).  60m is a channelized band, so that frequency is technically always a band edge.  If you do a TUNE operation on that frequency, some of the RF emissions are outside of the channel (out of band).

You need to change to CW to do a TUNE operation or tune up in frequency about 100 Hz and it will work.

Ronald Barber

Thank you both.
It worked perfectly and now I am on my way to finishing my WAS on 60 meters.
Only 26 confirmed more to go!
Ron--W4CHI.