LDG KT-100 Operation Manual

KT-100 OPERATIONS MANUAL MANUAL REV A

LDG KT-100

Automatic Tuner for

Kenwood Transceivers

PAGE 1

LDG Electronics

1445 Parran Road

St. Leonard MD 20685-2903 USA

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

www.ldgelectronics.com

Table of Contents

Introduction 3
Jumpstart, or “Real hams don’t read manuals!” 3
Specifications 4
An Important Word About Power Levels 4
Important Safety Warning 4
Getting to know your KT-100 5

Front Panel
Rear Panel

Installation 7
Operation 8

Basic Tuning Operation
Operation From the Kenwood Transceiver Front Panel
Typical Location of AT Tuning Button on Kenwood Transceivers
Operation From the KT-100 Front Panel
Tuning on the 6 Meter Band
Status Indicators
Configuration Options

Operating Hints 13

Transceiver Tuner Status Indication
Transceiver Tuner “Time-Out” Beep
TS-50 Hints
TS-2000 Hints
TS-480 HX Hints
TS-480 SAT Hints
TS-450 / TS-690 Hints
TS-570 Hints
TS-850 Hints
TS-870 Hints

Application Information 15

Mobile Operation
MARS/CAP Coverage

Theory of Operation 15

Some basic ideas about impedance
Transmitters, transmission lines, antennas, and impedance

Care and Maintenance 18
Technical Support 18
Two-Year Transferrable Warranty 19
Out Of Warranty Service 19
Returning Your Product For Service 19
Product Feedback 20

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INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on selecting the KT-100 100-watt automatic tuner for Kenwood transceivers.
The KT-100 provides automatic antenna tuning across the entire HF spectrum plus 6 meters, at
power levels up to 125 watts. It will tune dipoles, verticals, Yagis, or virtually any coax-fed
antenna. It will match an amazing range of antennas and impedances, far greater than some other
tuners you may have considered, including the built-in tuners on many Kenwood radios.

The KT-100 is similar to previous LDG tuners, but is specifically engineered to integrate
with your Kenwood HF radio. The KT-100 connects to the Kenwood AT-300 tuner port on the
back of the radio. Not only is the KT-100 controlled by the radio, it also is powered by the radio,
so there are no additional interface cables required to use the KT-100!

JUMPSTART, OR “REAL HAMS DON’T READ MANUALS!”

Ok, but at least read this one section before operating the KT-100:

Turn off power to your Kenwood radio.
Connect the antenna jack (Antenna “1” on TS-480) on your transceiver to the “TX” jack on the

KT-100, using a 50 ohm coax cable jumper.

Connect a 50 ohm coax antenna feedline to the “ANT” jack on the KT-100.
Connect the 6-pin end of the supplied radio interface cable to the Antenna Tuner port on the back

of your Kenwood radio.

Connect the 7-pin mini-DIN plug end of the supplied radio interface cable to the “Radio” jack on

the back of the KT-100

Turn on power to your transceiver and select the desired operating frequency and mode.

1

Push and hold the AT or TUNE button on the front of your transceiver for one second

. The
transceiver automatically switches to CW mode, and keys up with a reduced amount of power,
and the KT-100 begins a tuning cycle. At the end of the tuning cycle, the original mode and
power level is restored.

Wait for the tuning cycle to end; you’re now ready to operate!

1

Note: Tuning on the 6 meter band requires a different procedure; see the section on tuning on 6 meters.

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SPECIFICATIONS

0.1 to 125 watt power range (SSB and CW), 100W on 6M.
Latching relays for ultra-low power operation.
2000 memories for instantaneous band changing.
Controlled from Kenwood Tuner button on radio. Powered from Kenwood radio.
Works with any Kenwood radio that is AT-300 compatible.

2

Partial radio list: TS-50, TS-480
Tuning time: 0.1 to 6 seconds full tune average, 0.1 seconds memory tune.

1.8 to 54.0 MHz coverage. Built-in frequency sensor.
Tunes 4 to 800 ohm loads (16 to 150 on 6M), 16 to 3200 ohms with optional 4:1 Balun.
For Dipoles, Verticals, Vees, Beams or any Coax Fed Antenna.
Optional external Balun allows tuning of random length, long wire or ladder line fed

antennas.

, TS-570, TS-690, TS-850, TS-870, TS-2000.

Includes Kenwood interface cable.
Dimensions: 6.5L” x 6.5W” x 1.5H”.
Weight: 2 pounds

AN IMPORTANT WORD ABOUT POWER LEVELS

The KT-100 is rated at 125 watts maximum power input at most. Many ham transmitters and

transceivers, and virtually all amplifiers, output well over 125 watts. Power levels that
significantly exceed specifications will definitely damage or destroy your KT-100. If your tuner
fails during overload, it could also damage your transmitter or transceiver. Be sure to observe the
specified power limitations.

Important Safety Warning

Never install antennas or transmission lines over or near power lines. You can be
seriously injured or killed if any part of the antenna, support or transmission line
touches a power line. Always follow this antenna safety rule: the distance to the
nearest power line should be at least twice the length of the longest antenna,
transmission line or support dimension.

2

Note: When using the KT-100 with TS-480 HX (200 watt radio), the TS-480HX will only transmit 100

watts. The TS-480HX is programmed by Kenwood to limit the power to 100 watts when an external tuner
is detected. LDG recommends the AT-200 Pro for use with the TS-480HX, so that the full 200 watts may
be realized.

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR KT-100

Your KT-100 is a quality, precision instrument that will give you many years of outstanding

service; take a few minutes to get to know it.

The KT-100 can be used with any Kenwood transceiver that supports the AT-300 tuner
interface. Tuning is performed when the AT or TUNE button is pushed on the front of the
Kenwood radio and held for one second. The tuner can be placed in bypass mode by pressing the
AT or TUNE button momentarily.

Front Panel

On the front panel there is one pushbutton and two LED indicator lights.

Tune: Initiates either a memory tune or a full tune, and also toggles the tuner between

“active” and “bypass” modes.

SWR LED: Lights steady green at the end of a tuning cycle to indicate a good match has

been found.

match is not found.

Tuning LED: Lights during tuning operation, will also blink error codes if a good tuning

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Rear Panel

The rear panel of the KT-100 features four connectors.

ANT connector: Connect the 50-ohm coax antenna feedline to this standard SO-239

connector.

to the ANT jack on the back of the transceiver.

cable, which connects to the AT-300 tuner port on the transceiver.

GND connector (wing nut): Connect to antenna system ground.
TX connector: Connect a 50-ohm coax jumper cable from this standard SO-239 connector

Radio connector: This 7-pin mini-DIN connector connects to the supplied radio interface

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INSTALLATION

The KT-100 tuner is designed for indoor operation only; it is not water resistant. If you use it
outdoors (Field Day, for example), you must protect it from the rain. The KT-100 is designed for
use with coax-fed antennas. If use with longwires or ladder-line-fed antennas is desired, an
external balun is required. The LDG RBA-4:1 or RBA-1:1 is ideal, depending on the antenna
and transmission line used.

Always turn your radio off before plugging or unplugging anything. The radio may be
damaged if cables are connected or disconnected while the power is on.

Connect the HF antenna jack on the transceiver to the TX jack on the back of the KT-100,
using a 50 ohm coax cable rated 125 watts or greater. On the TS-480 and TS-2000 radios, the
KT-100 must be connected to the ANT 1 jack of the transceiver. The TS-480 and TS-2000 will
not initiate an external tuning cycle if ANT 2 is selected. The internal tuner will be used,
instead, on those models equipped with an internal tuner, such as the TS-480SAT and TS-2000.
On models without an internal tuner, pressing AT while ANT 2 is selected will have no effect.

Connect the supplied radio interface cable to the mini-DIN 7-pin jack on the rear of the KT­100, marked “Radio”. Connect the other end of this cable to the six-pin AT-300 interface port on
the rear of the transceiver. That connector looks like this:

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