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auto tuner question 6400M

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KB4OIF
KB4OIF Member ✭✭
edited December 2019 in FLEX-6000 Signature Series
OK.  I have a Als 600S amp.  I also have a LDG AT-600Pro II watt tuner that I am presently using on my Icom 7300.  There is a cable that goes from the 7300 to the tuner that supplies power from the 7300 to the tuner, I believe, The flex 6400M has no connection like what is on the cable.  Is there a cable that replaces it.  Antenna is a carolina windom so I need an external tuner.  Been using the flex internal tuner with no problems without the amp, but what to get a little more fire in the wire.
Looking for suggestions.

Answers

  • Rich McCabe
    Rich McCabe Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2018
    Options
    Well you can run the tuner directly off your power supply and not the radio. You should be able to manual tune using a carrier off the Flex. 

    Not sure what radios the LDG will interface with for frequency control. Maybe someone here has had success.



  • KB4OIF
    KB4OIF Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    They interface with Icom, Kenwood and Yeasu from their website.  They (LDG) don't seem to answer their phone very much.   Leave a message an we will get back to you.  HMMMMMMM.  
  • RoyS
    RoyS Member ✭✭
    edited December 2019
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    KB4OIF - John,

    Like Rich says, power the LDG from your Flex Radio power supply. Tune up is automatic at less than 150 watts. 

    If you haven't got the manual, download from LDG. You can find most of your answers there.

    Roy--W5TKZ

  • Elliot Skultin
    Elliot Skultin Member ✭✭
    edited September 2019
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    HI - I currently use the 6400M with the LDG AT1000 ProII tuner.  It is exactly the same operation as the AT600ProII version that I also have.    Power it from the same 13.8 VDC supply you power your radio from.  It doesn't use much. 

    THIS  is a cool feature of the FLEX
    a. In the Flex, set your tuning current to say 25 Watts.  (Do this even if you don't have an internal tuner.)  It will still work with an external tuner!
    b. Place your amp in "STANDBY"  it will pass the un-amplified tune signal from the FLEX to the LDG
    c. Place the LDG in Function/Auto mode.  
    d. Just push "TUNE" on your FLEX and it will send a beautiful 25 watt carrier and, the LDG will tune and remember.  THEN be sure to turn off the auto-tune on the LDG for safety while you are using power...  You know why...
    6.  Here is a fun part with the LDG.  Sometimes when you power up the amp, you will see a bit of SWR that you didn't see when you tuned at 25W.   Unkey your mic, give a bump up or down on the C-Up or C-Dn button and see if it goes up or down when you transmit again.  Always do this between keying with power so you don't tune at high power.   When you get the SWR as low as you can, just hit FUN then SAVE  and it will save the setting for your next time on the frequency.  You just added a bit of fine tuning for running with power and saved it.   Remember to keep the LDG in Manual Tune mode when using the amp, because sometimes you change a frequency and forget... 

    I hope this was still close to being on-subject..   Cheers!
  • KB4OIF
    KB4OIF Member ✭✭
    edited April 2020
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    Thank very much Elliot.    will give this a try.   wonder if there is ANY 600+ watt tuners that has the proper cable that matches with the Flex 6400M.  I have been looking for days>
  • Rich McCabe
    Rich McCabe Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2018
    Options

    Not sure what you mean by proper but I don't consider it typical to power the tuner off the radio. As a matter of fact it would not be my personal choice. I would rather power it from my 12 volt supply and just run rig control from radio to tuner.

    I would be surprised if there is not many tuners that could be configured to follow frequency from the radio.  My HF-Auto will do that.

  • Tim - W4TME
    Tim - W4TME Administrator, FlexRadio Employee admin
    edited April 2018
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    Do NOT get the power for the tuner directly from the radio.  There is not enough amperage capacity on the 13.8VDC line to power a device like that.  Use a 13.8 VDC power supply as Rich recommends.

    If the tuner gets its band data via CAT or a BCD interface, the USB Cables feature of the radio would provide band data in this manner.
  • Elliot Skultin
    Elliot Skultin Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    Not needed at all. The thing is, you always need to tune at lower power when you run a linear. You will find it blazing fast. Two buttons and done. Standby, Tune, c l u n k, Standby... done.
  • Elliot Skultin
    Elliot Skultin Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    The LDG senses and saves the RF without a link cable. You absolutely don’t need one. I had a Yaesu that needed a link cable, but the LDG didn’t seem to care. It just works. After reading it again, I think Ed’s original question was more about an interface than power but I could be wrong.
  • KB4OIF
    KB4OIF Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
    Options
    Ok.  went thru every wall wart power supply in the box and none are close.  Ordered one.  don't mind that.   I have a cable with usb on one end and a RJ45 on the other that goes into the ARI-500 that will work to bring band data in 
  • Rich McCabe
    Rich McCabe Member ✭✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    Why a wall wart and not the supply you run your Flex on?  Wall warts are usually more trouble than they are worth and in my experience the first place to look for RFI issues.
  • Elliot Skultin
    Elliot Skultin Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    Rich is right. Wall warts were created by Satan to whistle into the ears of operators. Get a nice power-pole or some terminal blocks and run it from your radio power supply. Mine is 35A and I’ve never even seen it run at half capacity. Plenty of headroom. BTW. Don’t forget to ground it. Mas importante!
  • KB4OIF
    KB4OIF Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    Thank everyone.  will work on it.  I may have a wire that came with the LDG. 
  • KB4OIF
    KB4OIF Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    Spent about 6 hours yesterday trying to get Elliot's fix work.  seems to start to work but the amp goes into fault quickly afterwards.  Will keep trying today.  The antenna works outstanding with the 7300/amp/ProII tuner, no problem what so ever.  
  • Elliot Skultin
    Elliot Skultin Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    I can make a video for you
  • Elliot Skultin
    Elliot Skultin Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    Are you trying to get the amp to automatically switch bands??
  • KB4OIF
    KB4OIF Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    either way Elliot.  I have a cable that can hook to the ARI-500 to the flex for band switching.  I can also do manual switching from the band switch.  I tried it both ways.   I do not think the AT600 proII is working right with the flex.  A video would be outstanding with emphasis on what cables go where.  I tried 25 watts then 35 watts, then 50 watts in am.  The needles on the tuner just wiggled a little at 50 watts.  showed no output no swr.  It (tuner) works great with the 7300.  
  • Elliot Skultin
    Elliot Skultin Member ✭✭
    edited March 2019
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    OK Here is the connection.  I use the one on the bottom.  The Ameritron ARB704 is basically an isolation relay to keep RF from back feeding the radio.  Please double check your wiring matches manufacturer's instructions.  Not responsible for errors.  I have not tested the top version but it is in the amplifier manual.image
  • Elliot Skultin
    Elliot Skultin Member ✭✭
    edited March 2019
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    Set your tune power. This will be your transmit power any time you hit the "TUNE" button on the Fleximage
  • KB4OIF
    KB4OIF Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
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    Thanks Elliot.  I believe I have tried both of these but I will try them again today just to make sure. It's 3 am so I will try them a little later.   To put power to the M-600 meter and the AT 600 tuner, I have the cord that came with tuner.  I put Anderson power poles on it and power it from the rig runner 4008.  
  • KB4OIF
    KB4OIF Member ✭✭
    edited April 2018
    Options
    Ok Elliot. Now that I got a little more sleep.  I have tried the first one  many times.  The only difference is the power cord for the tuner is plugged in to power the tuner.  On the second one, Tried this one 3 times.  I have a ari 500 interface.  I have a cable that hooks from the RJ-45 on the ARI 500 to the flex with a USB.  the cables are joined in the middle with a mini gender changer, male to male.  My friend WD5FUN built his cable and it works on his 6400M and it seems to work on mine (switching cable).  I appreciate everyone's help and will run the Flex at 100 watts till I can either get a cable that will match up or purchased a manual tuner.  Thanks Elliot for your help.  much appreciated.
    John

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