ATU-100 Test Mode - Ham Radio Antenna Tuner

In this video, we take a look at the ATU-100 Ham Radio Antenna Tuner designed by N7DDC. We will explore one of the features that allow the user to place the tuner into a "test mode" to test the inner working of the antenna tuner.
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Links to products in the video:
👉NanoVNA: amz.run/5gpY
👉MFJ Dry Dummy Load: amz.run/5h4B
👉Ampere Time Battery: amz.run/5vFi
👉ATU-100 Antenna Tuner: www.amazon.com/dp/B099ZLVV3V/...
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[@LeeMcc_KI5YPR]

Just about the time I thought, "latching or non-latching?", you answered me. So I have much respect for the prescient-thru-time TheSmokinApe!

[@TheSmokinApe]

Hey Lee, glad you liked it 👍

[@hughpatterson1480]

Great video. Thanks for taking the time out to provide useful information for radio operators. I ordered one from Amazon (they are the safest regarding returns, etc) and it arrives tomorrow. I also purchased the kit a month ago but wanted to see a fully assembled one to make sure I built it correctly. It's amazing how technology and the open source folks have advanced radio. I know people complain about any radio related products coming out of China, but I've gotten some great stuff for a lot less. After getting my Extra Class License, I went back to college at 58 years old and studied IOT engineering and prototyping so I could build radios. I finished school last year at 62 years old and can say with some small degree of knowledge that all the PCB boards and components I've purchased from China have been well made. I know, some stuff is junk but that applies to every market place regardless of country of origin. Thanks again. I really enjoy your videos and have learned a lot!

[@TheSmokinApe]

Hey Hugh, glad you like the videos and thanks for watching. I ordered the assembled unit off Amazon and the kit off AliExpress. Hopefully I can scrape together some time to build the kit. Let us know how the one you coming tomorrow works out for you...

[@hughpatterson1480]

@@TheSmokinApe It arrived yesterday and, of course, I forgot to get PL259 to SMA adapters. I order two which arrived this afternoon. I swear I have hundreds of adaptors but never the right one when I need it! I just started testing it by throwing up the jankiest wire antenna I could dig up because someone at a ham forum I visit said it would make any antenna (as long as it was between 1.8 and 54 Mhz). I was blown away at the improvement. The one I purchase from your link is well made. I do think that you have to be careful when choosing one of these online because the quality varies. I am going to run tests over the next few days and if you want, I'll let you know the results. Thanks again for a great video as well as all you other great videos.

[@TheSmokinApe]

@@hughpatterson1480 that’s awesome. Yes, please keep me posted. You can email me if it’s easier [e-mail] 👍

[@don_n5skt]

"Why this NanoVNA? Because it was the closest one when I was setting this up." This is the kind of information I come to the channel for. 🤣Thanks Ape. Interesting Video and should work well on that Sun you just bought.

[@TheSmokinApe]

I’m planning to use it for just that purpose, thanks for watching Don 👍

[@PeterJavea]

New Ham. Just ordered one. Very helpful video

[@TheSmokinApe]

Thanks Peter, glad you liked it 👍

[@hamradiowithkevin]

It is good not to worry so much, about many things. Excellent example Ape, really instructional video

[@TheSmokinApe]

Thanks for watching Kevin 👍

[@t.j.speakman7723]

Thanks Ape, Appreciate all the info

[@TheSmokinApe]

Sure thing!

[@subramanianr7206]

Thanks, as usual a very nice presentation. Effect of stray capacitance is obvious. De VU2RZA

[@TheSmokinApe]

Yes it is, thanks for watching 👍

[@bruceweight7319]

I like the one I built. I see there is a video by a guy who changes a couple of diodes in the tuner to help accuracy and puts some ferries on the various wire and cables. I need to watch his video again.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Yeah, I saw it... he did a great job. Thanks for watching Bruce!

[@bruceweight7319]

I have thought about getting another one to build for the fun of it. I built mine from an Ali Express order. They give quite a number of build options like what you mentioned. I have used mine to touch up my DX Commander which mostly doesn't need any tuning but I do really like mine which was around fifty bucks. From reading about it; it actually has connections to hook it up to the radio auto tune. That would be nice to be able to hook to the FT-891 auto tune feature.

[@TheSmokinApe]

I should get on to building my kit...

[@bruceweight7319]

@@TheSmokinApe One thing that wasn't streight foreward was the wires to the two buttons that had to be soldered on to the back of the board in two teny tiny spots. What I did was use the extra wire that they gave to wind the SWR bridge. It was kind of that gold wire like they wind on am radio ferrite antenna's and it worked real well. It would be fun if someone figured out how to add the tuner interface as the board as I understaned it actually has the ability to hook let's say to the 891 via the communications port and actually operate the tuner on a low power signal to tune. Perhaps the only not so good feature is it does not hold it's setting when the power is removed. But hey it is fun to build and very usefull.

[@labcat73]

Nice video, thanks! It never occured to me to hook up my NanoVNA to the ATU-100. 🤔 Do i want to know how bad my DIY version is? 😂

[@TheSmokinApe]

Haha, give it a try...

[@labcat73]

@@TheSmokinApe Will do... My unqualified theory is, that connecting two SO-239 with a short wire inside a metal box already gives you a low pass filter, as the wire and the case form a capacitor to ground. The question is how much capacitance is it?! Edit: 😂 Ok i measure ~35uH to ground with the LCR meter on my device. Should have checked the schematic before writing BS. Alas posted two snapshots of the NanoVNA on Twitter for you. (Too lazy to hook it up to the PC)

[@Tump2010]

good video ape, wonder if it would have auto tuned if you hit auto with the nano vna injecting a signal.

[@TheSmokinApe]

It doesn’t put out enough power to start the time. 👍

[@johnbauman4005]

Thanks, Ape! Unrelated question: what make is that working surface/table in your vids? Need a table to set up base station and the green graph plot is nice. Thanks! John/KK7JBZ

[@TheSmokinApe]

It’s called an Alvin cutting mat

[@cliftonhead9665]

Good video got a question on your Amp Time battery which I have also 12v-12ah. When you fully charge it what is the volts you get when charged. I never get above 13.3 v. I have a Bio battery same size 12v-12ah I get 14.4v when fully charged. Using the same battery charger for both LiFePo4 Lithium batteries. Totally don't understand why maybe you can answer that question.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Are you using the same charger?

[@cliftonhead9665]

@@TheSmokinApe Yes for both and its for LiFe batteries

[@chrishale4010]

Mine came with what looks like a usb-c port board not installed. What can I do with that? Great video and very informative.

[@TheSmokinApe]

I think you can power them that way

[@phildurall7466]

Ape ... your videos always go great with wine Sir! And, they are educational. tnx - 73 - KF6IF

[@TheSmokinApe]

Howdy Phil, glass of wine sounds good 👍

[@stephen1711]

The VNA- F model is the one closest to me.

[@TheSmokinApe]

That’s a good one 👍

[@markrowell7242]

I was wondering how high of an SWR will this tune. I bought the same one at about the same price. The single page that came with the unit didn't bother stating the max SWR it will tune...so that worries me a little. I would hoping it will tune a 3:1 mismatch. A friend has a G90 and says it will tune almost any mismatch.🤨

[@TheSmokinApe]

The g90 has a pretty sweet tuner. I’m pretty sure this one does up to 10:1 swr 👍

[@closeoutsaleusa5322]

Do they make a weather proof version to put at the base of an antenna feedpoint?

[@TheSmokinApe]

If they do, I haven't seen it...

[@closeoutsaleusa5322]

@@TheSmokinApe Well, I might have to do some creative work, then.

[@AndyAAzeroAM]

Did you ground yourself before touching the unit..that was interesting

[@TheSmokinApe]

I didn’t.

[@DonzLockz]

Pro tutorial Mr Ape! Did you upen it up to check the 5yr old child's soldering work?😆 Maybe you got the experienced 10yr old's soldering, sorry, sodder. Lol I think its good but maybe better to buy a name brand unit that has the latching relays. Thnx Buddy. :)

[@TheSmokinApe]

I didn't fully disassemble it... yet. But it looked pretty good inside.

[@stephen1711]

but what about that inline adapter?

[@TheSmokinApe]

Lol

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'm a worrier, I'll worry about that 0.15a on your behalf.

[@TheSmokinApe]

We both know that ain’t true son…

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@TheSmokinApe I tried man... I really did...

[@gerfriedranner7498]

I have no explanation why the diagram changes when you touch the case. Do you? Maybe the two blue cables build a resonator. Or there is HF leaking off the power supply cable?

[@TheSmokinApe]

I am not sure.

[@ainttakenanyshit]

Touching the case was indicates that the case DOES need to be grounded....

[@TheSmokinApe]

@@ainttakenanyshit so I don’t disagree my friend but the shield is grounded and ground all the “stuff” together. I honestly don’t recall if I was floating on a battery or grounded via the UPS. I do appreciate the comment even though you seasoned it with a little snark. Either way, thanks man.

[@TheSmokinApe]

Opps, I confused the comment. You were snark free 👍

[@ainttakenanyshit]

Let me sat this about that..... As your presentation overall was good, the results cannot be taken more thank a grain of salt.... I.E.. At ~ 6:05 when you touched the case the display shifted significantly to LESS loss and this is due to my major assumption that the auto tune box WAS NOT GROUNDED - a ground terminal IS on the back of the case.... I could not see the the rear of the tuner and hopefully you will revisit this test and maybe have more accurate results IF/WHEN the auto tuner is GROUNDED.... An "A" for effort, and a "D" for results :

[@TheSmokinApe]

Thanks for watching ATAS

[@rafaelgcpp]

I will repeat your tests, a thing I should have done myself. I didn't like the 1:1.4 VSWR at 10m and that is a consequence of the badly designed SWR bridge...

[@TheSmokinApe]

Hey Rafael, I’m interested to hear the results. I want to do a general use video and then test this further with the mods. I am really digging the simplicity of these tuners and that you can buy them as kits to hack on 👍

[@johnkirk5893]

Umm...if you buy the kit, you will still end up with random diodes - remember, it's only a "partial" kit. All SMD parts already slobbered down....

[@TheSmokinApe]

Well... I do have the kit and it was like 30$ vs the 95$ for the assembled unit. Seeing that I don't know what exactly is wrong and that something else could be, I'd rather work on the 30$ unit. Also, my kit does have the wrong diodes... 👍

[@johnkirk5893]

@@TheSmokinApe Yep, can see your logic. How can I tell if my recent kit purchase has the rubbish diodes? They're largish glass, but SMD. Got some BAT41 leaded diodes in the junque box - might make sense to head off the pain, eh?

[@TheSmokinApe]

I just posted info on my Community tabs that shows some info about the diode debacle.