Power Genius ATU

SM6WET Magnus

Spec question.
I been looking in many places and searched youtube videos but cant find any spec for this amp and the answer to my question. Does this amp have a built in ATU?
I assume for the price point it is comparable to the VL-1000 which has a built in ATU. But I want to know before I make the leap to buy.
If it does, up to what SWR will it tune?

73 de Magnus

4O3A Signature

Hi Magnus, It does not have build in ATU. But it is design to work with load up to 3:1 73 Ranko

Tim - W4TME

The PGXL does not have an internal ATU.  We are in the late development stages of producing the Tuner Genius, an external ATU that can be placed anywhere on the RF signal path after the amplifier.  It can be placed in your shack or as close as you can get to the antenna.

And, the VL-1000 is not in the same class as the PGXL.  In addition to the PGXL being a true 1500W RF amplifier, whereas the VL-1000 is only 1000W, the PGXL is an SO2R amplifier that allows two exciters (or a dual SCU FLEX-6000) to be connected to it at the same time and can seamlessly share the amplifier.

Doug

I can say with my PGXL it does operate into at least a 3:1. Most of my antenna's are good but I have a 40m dipole that is giving me fits and it has never kicked out on me up to 3:1  or whatever I have never found that point. And Tim is correct you can't began to compare this amp with actually any I am aware of. I am using both ports A & B for seamless switching from my 6400M. If you are running a Flex just plug a Cat 5 cable into your router or switch and everything is done. It adds a panel into your radio panels on SSDR and on my M model I can switch it in/out from the face of the radio. Nothing compares IMHO to the PGXL.

k3Tim

" or as close as you can get to the antenna."

Is the tuner weather proof?

_..--
k3Tim/7

HCampbell WB4IVF

Good question.  I vaguely remember a statement that a “remote kit” to place Tuner Genius at the antenna would be available.  I wonder if that is still the plan?

Howard

Eric Gruff

I've had a PGXL for several months and I can attest to the fact that it will put lots of power into slightly mismatched antennas (I only have up to about 2:1 worst case). The Expert amps start beeping and screaming above 1.6:1, which is more than annoying. PGXL is a very robust amp and other than the jet-plane level fans, it's about the perfect PA IMO.

73 de NC6K

dan flynn

Since you brought tuner genius product up, and it's part of the completion of my initial amp purchase order I will bite. When you wrote "We are in the late development stages of producing the Tuner Genius,". I would interpret that as the design is complete and the product is in a build-test-build set of cycles. Can anyone confirm? Any official status update forthcoming? Dan ww3n

bahillen

Magnus
I have run my PGXL for 1 year. Some key points to consider:

1 My amp runs full power into a 2:1 and up to 3:1 get over 1 kw. I don’t push it beyond that for my personal comfort. Above 3.1:1 it shuts down and have to fix the issue such as moving freq back into acceptable range. I can’t say what the effect of different reactive impedance has on operation.
2 Temperature is the enemy of high power solid state amplifiers. I run FT8 and CW. FT8 is a very high duty cycle mode. 50% duty cycle for hours. When power is reflected back to the amplifier in harmonics that power is dissipated in a dummy load inside the amplifier not in the PA devices. Only professional, commercial amplifiers do that beside the PGXL.

3 Flex has a unique feature, Meefa. It is software that adjusts the final device bias point to be more efficient like the old Class C amplifiers. The bias is dynamically adjusted to decrease device dissipation and cooler temperatures. My amp runs 15 degrees cooler in CW and digital. SSB and PSK need a linear operation not Meefa compatible.

4 An Antenna Tuner in your radio is for protecting your amplifier because it won’t handle a 3:1 SWR. Thus you have the joy of auto tuning the matching clicking away or retraining the tuner when things change. The best place for the tuner is close to the antenna. Your feed line will have low SWR and less lost power.

I was at a convention 1 1/2 years ago when Flex was getting things right on the PGXL and he said they focused on the amplifier being the best it could be and the Antenna Tuner would be a much simpler project. Well as I looked at the fundamentals of high power antenna tuners and the computer functionality I believe it is a much more complex product. Flex has a high expectation for its products that I am familiar with and the community pushes back hard it it’s not perfect from what I have seen. But that is a good thing because the final deliverable will push the technology and performance.

These things are technical behavior that should be considered in choosing which product meets your needs. I am not a Flex representative. I use my shack a lot. Wire antennas not over 35 feet. No beam, no tower. I did not want to buy an amplifier prototype. I can’t afford to buy something twice after I find out it was not up to what I expected. The PGXL runs on 120 vac amp 1kw. Change the power plug to 220 vac and it runs full power. No switches or rewiring, just a second plug and power cable and you can take it with you. Very neat.

73
Bill W9JJB

KF4HR

Seeing that the PG ATU is in late stages of development, any idea when we might see a photo of it and general specs?