Palstar Incorporated
9676 N. Looney Rd.,
Piqua, OH 45356 USA
Customer Service and Sales Telephone:
1-800-773-7931
Fax:
1-937-773-8003
Email:
info@palstar.com
AT1500DT 1500 Watt Antenna Tuner
Owner’s Manual
Version 1.5 2009.10.05
© Copyright 2006 Palstar Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
2 Important Safeguards
User Notes 19
WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR
ELECTRICAL SHOCK DO NOT
EXPOSE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE
An appliance and cart combinati on should
be moved with care. Quick stops, exces sive force and uneven surfaces ma y cause
the appliance and cart combinati on to
overturn.
The lightning flash with arrow head
symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is
intended to alert the user to the presenc e
of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within
the product’s enclosure that ma y be of
sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equil ateral
triangle is intended to alert the user t o the
presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompanying the appliance.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT
EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT
OPEN THE CABINET WHILE OPERATING. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ONLY.
CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT USE THE THREE WIRE
CORD WITH AN EXTENSION CORD RECEPTIACLE OR OTHER
OUTLET UNLESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY INSERTED TO
PREVENT BLADE EXPOSURE.
1. Read Instructions—All the safety and
operating instructions should be read before
the appliance is operated.
2. Retain Instructions—The safety and
operating instructions should be retained for
future reference.
3. Heed Warnings—All warnings on the
appliance should be adhered to.
4. Follow Instructions—All operating and
use instructions should be followed.
5. Cleaning—Unplug this appliance from the
wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid
cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp
cloth for cleaning.
6. Do Not Use Attachments—not recommended by the manufacturer or they may
cause hazards.
7. Water and Moisture—Do not use this
product near water—for example, near a
bathtub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, laundry tub,
in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool—
and the like.
8. Accessories—Do not place this product on
an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table. The product may fall, causing serious
injury to a child or adult, and serious damage
to the appliance.
9. Ventilation—This product should never be
placed near or over a radiator or heat register.
This product should not be placed in a built-in
installation such as a bookcase or rack unless
proper ventilation is provided or the manufacturer’s instructions have been adhered to. Any
slots or openings in the cabinet are provided
for ventilation. To ensure reliable operation of
the video product and to protect it from overheating, these openings must not be blocked
or covered. The openings should never be
blocked by placing the product on a bed, sofa,
rug, or other similar surface.
10. Grounding or Polarization—this product
is equipped with a 3-wire line cord receptacle.
It is intended for use with a 3-wire properly
grounded power socket. Do not defeat the
safety purpose of the supplied line cord and
plug.
11. Power Sources—This product should be
operated only from the type of power source
indicated on the marketing label. If you are not
sure of the type of power supplied to your
home, consult your appliance dealer or local
power company.
12. Power-cord Protection—Power-supply
cords should be routed so they are not likely
to be walked on or pinched by items placed
upon or against them. Pay particular attention
to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they exit.
13. Lightning—For added protection for this
product during a lightning storm, or when it is
left unattended and unused for long periods of
time, unplug it from the wall outlet.
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18 User Notes
Important Safeguards cont’d 3
14. Power Lines—An outside antenna system should not be located in the vicinity of
overhead power lines, other electric light or
power circuits, where it can fall into such
power lines or circuits. When installing an
outside antenna system, extreme care should
be taken to keep from touching such power
lines or circuits as contact with them may be
fatal.
15. Overloading—Do not overload wall outlets and extension cords as this can result in a
risk of fire or electric shock.
16. Object and Liquid Entry—Never push
objects of any kind into this product through
openings as they may touch dangerous voltage points or short-out parts that could result
in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of
any kind on the product.
17. Servicing—Do not attempt to service this
product yourself as opening or removing
covers may expose you to dangerous voltage
or other hazards. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel.
18. Damage Requiring Service—Unplug this
product from the wall outlet and refer servicing
to qualified service personnel under the following conditions:
a. When the power-supply cord or plug is
damaged.
b. If liquid has been spilled, or objects have
fallen into the product.
c. If the product has been exposed to rain or
water.
d. If the product does not operate normally by
following the operating instructions. Adjust
only those controls that are covered by the
operating instructions. An improper adjustment may result in damage and will often
require extensive work by a qualified
technician to restore the product to its normal
operation.
e. If the product has been dropped or the
cabinet has been damaged.
f. When the product exhibits a distinct change
in performance—this indicates a need for
service.
19. Replacement Parts—when replacement
parts are required, be sure the service technician has used replacement parts specified by
the manufacturer or have the same characteristics as the original parts. Unauthorized substitutes may result in fire, electric shock or
other hazards.
20. Safety Checks—Upon completion of any
service or repairs to this product, ask the
service technician to perform safety checks to
determine that the product is in proper operating condition.
21. Outdoor Antenna Grounding—Before
attempting to install this product, be sure the
antenna or cable system is grounded so as to
provide some protection against voltage
surges and built-up static charges.
a. Use No.10 AWG copper, No.8AWG aluminum, No.17AWB copper-clad steel or bronze
wire or larger, as ground wire.
b. Secure antenna lead-in and ground wires to
house with stand-off insulators spaced from 4
feet to 6 feet apart.
c. Mount antenna discharge unit as close as
possible to where lead-in enters house.
d. A driven rod may be used as the grounding
electrode where other types of electrode
systems do not exist. Refer to the National
Electric Code, ANSI/NFPA 70-1990 for information.
e. Use jumper wire not smaller than No.6
AWG copper or equivalent, when a separate
antenna grounding electrode is used.
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4 Table of Contents
Thank you for purchasing a
Palstar AT1500DT Antenna
Tuner. This antenna tuner has
been designed and manufactured to high quality standards,
and will provide reliable opera-
Please carefully read the
Owner’s Manual in order to take
advantage of the many interesting features that will provide
years of enjoyable amateur
radio operation.
tion for many years.
Important safeguards 2
Table of Contents 4
General Description 5
Specifications 6
Installation 7
Unpacking 7
Location 7
Installation Procedures 7
AT1500DT Schematic 8
Rear Panel Connections 10
Front Panel Description 11
Operating Your AT1500DT 12
Before Operating 12
Tuning 12
Notes 14
Service and Warranty 15
Specifications 16
Calibration Controls 17
Calibration Controls 17
Note: These adjustments control the calibration and accuracy of the
AT1500DT metering. Do not adjust unless you are sure the metering
is inaccurate, and you have accurate test equipment to check
against.
Reverse Reverse Forward Forward
Low High Low High
Peak Peak
Low High
Peak Peak Power On/Off
Hold Range
Note: The adjustment pots on your meter board may differ in
appearance from the photograph.
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16 Specifications
Front Panel Indicators and Controls
Metering PEAK and PEAK HOLD Dual movement cross
needle power and frequency compensated coupler
Controls
Input Tuning Dual-stator differential capacitor (385 - 0 - 385) pF,
5 kV) with 6:1 precision vernier drive
Inductance 26 µH roller inductor; 12 ga. Wire wound on steatite
ceramic core, silver plated bar/wheel 6 position:
Coax 1 tuned and tuner bypass, coax 2 tuned and
tuner bypass, bypass and balanced antenna
Antenna Selector Switch 6 position: Coax 1 tuned and tuner bypass
Coax 2 tuned and tuner bypass
Bypass and balanced antenna
Switch wafers are ceramic (3kV rated)
Power Range Switch 2 position 300 W /3000 W
Rear Panel Connectors
Coax 1 SO239 connector
Coax 2 SO239 connector
Bypass SO239 connector
RF INPUT SO239 connector
Balanced Line Dual High Voltage Nylon66
End –Fed Wire Dual High Voltage Nylon66
12 VDC Input Adaptor for meter light 2.1 mm con. (center positive)
Other
Frequency Coverage 1.8 — 30 MHz
Power Maximum 1500 W PEP SSB, 1200 W single tone continuous
Impedance Range 20 to 1500 Ω 160 m to 10 m (assuming resistive
load) Reduce power for lower Z range
Balanced Output 4:1 Ruthroff voltage type balun
Dimensions 4.5”H x 12.6”W x 12”D (incl. terminals)
Weight 12 lbs.
Materials Chassis and top cover is 11 ga. (.090) aluminum
that has been chem.-film treated in gold color. Front
Panel powder-coated and epoxy screened.
TM
terminal post
TM
terminal post
The Palstar AT1500DT Antenna
Tuner is an American made impedance matching network that
can provide unbalanced and
balanced output.
The AT1500DT optimizes the
performance of your antenna
and transmitter or SWL receiver
by providing adjustable impedance matching using a T-type
circuit configuration with a dualstator differential variable capacitor.
The AT1500DT also measures
the power and Voltage Standing
Wave Ratio (VSWR or SWR)
which allows you to tune the
SWR to the lowest ratio possible
for the selected transmission
frequency.
General Description 5
The AT1500DT also features a
precision roller inductor with a
steatite ceramic core. The innovative differential capacitor design simplifies operation by reducing the number of knobs and
eliminates false peaks while
tuning. It also results in a more
compact case that takes up less
room on the operation desk.
Designed to handle both Balanced line feeds and Coax
feeds the AT1500DT features a
front panel mounted switch to
select between feeds.
Tuning is achieved with the front
panel mounted controls. The
Vernier dial allows for tuning
with precision and accuracy,
while the Inductor crank handle
facilitates coarse adjustments.
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6 Installation
Service and Warranty 15
Unpacking
Carefully remove the AT1500DT
from the shipping carton and
inspect it for signs of damage. If
any damage is apparent, notify
the transportation carrier or
dealer immediately. We recom-
mend keeping the packing
carton for moving, storing or
reshipping the tuner to us for
repair if required.
Location
Select a location for the
AT1500DT that allows the connectors to be free form any possible contact during operation to
allow for unrestricted air flow for
WARNING: Balanced antennas will produce high
RF voltages at the output post connectors. RF
burns may result if touched during transmission.
cooling of your AT1500DT.
Installation Procedures
Connect a coax cable from your
transmitter to the RF INPUT
connector on the rear panel.
Keep the cable as short as possible. If you use a linear amplifier, connect your transmitter to
the linear amplifier input and the
linear amplifier output to the
AT1500DT. Do not use more
than 1200 watts average
(single tone) through the
tuner.
Connect coax cable(s) from
COAX 2 connectors on the rear
panel. These connectors are
either direct from the transmitter
or through the tuned circuit depending on the setting of the
DIRECT/TUNED mode switch
on the front panel.
For a balanced feed antenna
connect a balanced feed line the
upper and lower BALANCED
OUTPUT posts, and the supplied jumper strap between the
lower BALANCED OUTPUT and
the END FED WIRE posts (see
pg 10).
If using a single wire antenna,
connect it to the END FED
WIRE post and remove the
jumper strap. When using an
END FED WIRE antenna the
GROUND post must be connected to a good RF ground.
Connect a dummy load to the
BYPASS connector using a
coax cable. This lets you select
the dummy load from the
DIRECT/TUNED mode switch.
Any antenna that does not require the use of an antenna
tuner may be connected to the
BYPASS connector, if desired.
your antenna to COAX 1 or
Limited Warranty
Palstar Inc. warrants products manufactured by it to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service for a
period of one (1) year from the date of delivery to the first
buyer (the “Warranty Period”). Palstar Inc’s obligation under this war-
ranty is limited to repair or replacement of the product; at its option at
the Palstar factory in Piqua, OH.
Effective only when the product is returned to the factory with all transportation charges prepaid and examination of the product discloses in
Palstar’s judgment, to have been defective during the Warranty Period.
The Warranty Period shall not extend beyond its original term with
respect to interim in-warranty repairs by Palstar. This Warranty Period
shall not apply to any product which has been repaired or altered by
anyone other than Palstar without prior written authorization. Warranty does not extend to any products which have been subject to damage from improper installation, application or maintenance in accordance with the operating specification. Palstar neither assumes nor authorizes any person to assume for it any obligation or liability other than
herein stated.
Repair Policy
When sending in a product for service, please “double” box it carefully
and ship it insured for your protection. Please include a note clearly
describing the problem, how you wish the item returned and how you
wish to pay for the service. Package your unit properly. Palstar, Inc. is
not responsible for merchandise damaged in shipment. Our service rate
is $30 per hour (1/2 hr. minimum).
Return Policy
All returns must receive prior authorization from Palstar. Returned
items must be received in original—AS SHIPPED– condition including
the original box, manuals, accessories, and copy of sales receipt. Returns
must be within 14 days of purchase. Returned items are subject to a
25% restocking fee. Shipping is not refundable.
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14 Operating Your AT11500DT cont’d
Installation cont’d. 7
This procedure takes patience the first time.
The TUNE control varies the capacitor and
provides fine adjustments. The roller inductor crank control provides coarse adjustment.
10. When you have tuned your antenna to the best SWR,
record the settings of the INPUT, ANTENNA and INDUCTANCE controls on the chart above for future reference. When you retune, use these settings as your
starting point.
Notes
1. An SWR of 1:1 is best, but an SWR as high as 2:1 may be
acceptable. Check your transmitter/amplifier manual for
details.
2. If you cannot get an acceptable SWR, lengthen or shorten
your antenna and/or feedlines and retune.
3. Once every 4-6 months clean the roller coil with 70%
isopropyl alcohol and a clean cotton cloth. Do not transfer any of the conducting grease on the rod that guides
the roller wheel as this will contaminate the windings on
the roller coil body.
4. Any time a new or different antenna is connected, it is
necessary to repeat the tuning procedure for each antenna.
BALANCED OUTPUT two
nylon High Voltage post
connectors for output to RF
balanced wire fed antennas.
Jumper wire must be connected between lower post
on END FED WIRE post.
GROUND post/
wing nut ground
JUMPER WIRE post
connect a jumper between this post and the
End Fed wire post when
using the Balanced Output posts. (Enables balun
COAX 2 coaxial
connector for output
to Antenna Two.
END FED WIRE post
connector for output to
a single-wire antenna
(do not use jumper).
Ground post must be
connected to good RF
ground.
RF INPUT coaxial
connector for
input from transmitter or amplifier.
BYPASS coaxial
connector for output to dummy load
or third coax output. Bypasses tuner,
but meter circuits
are on if 12VDC
power is supplied
COAX 1 coaxial
connector for output
to Antenna One.
12 VDC INPUT
(2.1 mm plug) for
12VDC @ 200mA
to power the metering circuit, relay,
and lamp.
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FIGURE 1 REAR PANEL CONNECTORS
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8 Front Panel Description
Operating Your AT11500DT cont’d 13
1 2 3
4 5
7
6 8 9
1. POWER/SWR METER Dual needle meter displays
FORWARD and REFLECTED power in watts. SWR is
indicated where the two needles intersect on the red
scale.
2. PEAK HOLD Select to read Peak Hold on the SWR me-
ter. Peak (#3) must be on for this to function.
3. PEAK Selects between PEAK and AVERAGE Power
metering display.
tual settings will vary from antenna to antenna.
3. Set your transmitter/amp to a low power output. If your
transmitter has a TUNE position, select that position.
4. If you use a linear amplifier, set it to Standby. Do not use
the linear amplifier until the AT1500DT is tuned. Do not
exceed 1200 watts average (single tone).
5. Set RANGE switch to 300 W (button out).
6. Set the DIRECT/TUNED mode switch to BYPASS or the
position matching your antenna connection. To tune your
antenna, the switch selection must be set to: COAX 1
TUNED, COAX 2 TUNED or WIRE (BALANCED ANTENNA). Selecting COAX 1 DIRECT, COAX 2 DIRECT
or BYPASS bypasses the tuning selection.
7. Rotate the TUNE and INDUCTOR controls for maximum noise or signal as heard on your receiver. Refer to
preset tuning chart below.
CAUTION: When approaching the end stops of the
roller inductor, (readings of zero or 248) SLOW
DOWN. Running the roller too hard into the mechanical end stops on either end of the roller inductor can
damage it.
4. RANGE Two-position switch selects the range of FORWARD and REFLECTED power displayed on the power
meter. When the RANGE button is OUT, the FORWARD meter scale reads 300 watts full scale and the
REFLECTED meter scale reads 60 watts full scale.
When the RANGE button is IN, the FORWARD meter
scale reads 3000 watts full scale and the REFLECTED
meter scale reads 600 watts full scale.
5. POWER Select to turn on the backlight in the meter and
enable metering and 160 Meter functions. The jack on
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8. Key your transmitter and adjust the power level for a
reading of 100-150 watts on the FORWARD scale. Adjust
the TUNE and INDUCTOR controls for a minimum REFLECTED reading while maintaining a FORWARD reading
of 50-100 watts using your transmitter power control.
9. Read the SWR on the red scale at the point where the
two needles intersect. Repeat tuning the TUNE and INDUCTOR controls until the lowest SWR reading is obtained.
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12 Operating Your AT1500DT
Front Panel Description 9
WARNING: DO NOT OPERATE THE AT1500DT
WITH THE COVER OFF.
Before Operating
1. To avoid possible damage to the AT1500DT set TUNE,
INDUCTOR, and POWER RANGE switches as outlined
in the chart before applying transmitter power.
2. Begin tuning with your transmitter/amp into the tuner set
at a low output power setting (50-100 Watts).
Tuning
1. Select the band and frequency of desired operation.
Note: The AT11500DT must be supplied with
12VDC to operate the relay in order to use it on
any band other than 160 Meters.
2. Set TUNE and INDUCTOR controls to the suggested
setting before applying transmitter power (see chart). Ac-
BAND
SUGGESTED ACTUAL SUGGESTED ACTUAL
160 M 50-52 15
80 M
60 M
40 M
20 M
17 M
15 M
12 M
10 M
TUNE INDUCTOR
50-52 109
50-52
50-52 189
50-52 229
50-52 236
50-52 241
50-52 244
50-52 244 MAX 248
the back panel must be supplied with 12 VDC for this to
function.
6. INDUCTOR 15 µH continuously variable ceramic roller
inductor driven by a crank handle coupled to a geardriven precision mechanical counter.
7. 160 METER SWITCH Pushing this button to the IN position switches in extra inductance for the 160 Meter
Band. The button should be in the OUT position for use
on all other bands — 80 through 6 Meters.
8. TUNE Continuously adjustable differential capacitor.
9. DIRECT/TUNED MODE SWITCH Six-position rotary
switch selects an output coaxial connector with direct
mode which bypasses the tuner and tuned position which
passes antenna through the tuner components.
a. DIRECT BYPASS selects BYPASS COAX connec-
tor, bypassing the impedance matching circuit but providing SWR, FORWARD and REFLECTED meter readings.
b. DIRECT COAX 1 selects COAX 1 connector, by-
passing the tuner matching circuit but providing SWR,
FORWARD and REFLECTED meter readings.
c. DIRECT COAX 2 selects COAX 2 connector, bypass-
ing the tuner matching circuit but providing SWR, FORWARD and REFLECTED meter readings.
d. TUNED COAX 1 selects COAX 1 connector through
the impedance matching T circuit.
e. TUNED COAX 2 selects COAX 2 connector through
the tuner matching T circuit.
f. BALANCED OUT selects the balanced and End Fed
Wire output connectors through the tuner matching T
circuit.
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10 AT1500DT Schematic
MODEL AT1500DT DIFF-T TUNER
Directional
Coupler
Peak/Peak
Hold
PCB
Cross Needle
SWR/Power
Meter
AT11500DT Schematic
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