LDG RT-600 Operation Manual

LDG RT-600

600 WATT REMOTE

AUTOMATIC TUNER

LDG Electronics

1445 Parran Road

St. Leonard MD 20685-2903 USA

Phone: [phone]

Fax: [phone]

[e-mail]

www.ldgelectronics.com

RT-600 Operations Manual Version 1.0

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Quickstart Guide 3

Specifications 4

An Important Word About Power Levels 4

Getting to know your RT-600 5

RC-600 Front Panel 5
Connections 6

Installation 7

Overview 7
Basic Installation 7
Secure the RT-600 to a Mast 8
Tips for Outdoor Installation 9
SWR Meter 11
Bias Tee Information 11

Operation 13

Operation Overview 13
Memory Tuning Cycle 13
Full Tuning Cycle 13
Bypass 14
Relay Protection 14
Re-tuning Prohibition 14

MARS/CAP Coverage 14
A Word About Tuning Etiquette 15
Care and Maintenance 15
Technical Support 15
Two-Year Transferrable Warranty 15
Out of Warranty Service 16
Returning Your Product For Service 16
Product Feedback 16

2

RT-600 Operations Manual Version 1.0

The RT-600
mounts remotely
at the antenna,
eliminating coax
losses.

You should really
read the whole
manual, but this
summary will get
you started.

Introduction

LDG pioneered the automatic, wide-range switched-L tuner in 1995. From its
laboratories in St. Leonard, Maryland LDG continues to define the state of the art in
this field with innovative automatic tuners and related products for every amateur
need.

Congratulations on selecting the RT-600 600-watt remote automatic tuner. The RT­600 provides full- and semi-automatic antenna tuning across the entire HF spectrum
plus 6 meters, at power levels up to 600 watts peak. 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 radios.

The RT-600 is similar to previous LDG tuners, but is weatherproof and can be
installed outdoors as near to the antenna as possible, reducing or eliminating coax
SWR losses. The tuner is powered over the coax feedline, so no additional cables are
required. The included RC-600 control unit provides DC power injection, as well as a
convenient on/off switch, power indicator, and a TUNE button.

Quickstart Guide

1. Turn off power to your radio and amplifier.

2. Connect the antenna jack on your amplifier to the “Radio” jack on the RC-

600.

3. Connect the “Tuner” jack of the RC-600 controller to the “Radio” jack on the

RT-600 via a suitable coax feedline.

4. Connect the antenna to the “Ant” jack on the RT-600.

5. Connect a source of 12VDC, 1000mA to the Power jack on the RC-600, and

turn on your transceiver and amplifier. The power jack is center-positive.

6. Bypass your amplifier; never tune with more than 100 watts.

7. Begin transmitting; the tuner will automatically begin a tuning cycle if there is

an SWR mismatch.

8. When tuning is complete, un-bypass your amplifier; you are ready to transmit.

3

RT-600 Operations Manual Version 1.0

Always operate
within specified
limits.

IMPORTANT

SAFETY

WARNING

Never exceed 600
watts peak on
SSB/CW, or 250
watts on 100%
duty cycle modes.

Specifications

 3 to 600 watts SSB and CW peak power, 250W PSK and digital modes and 6

meters.

 2,000+ memories for instantaneous frequency and band changing.
 Power: 12VDC, 1000mA, carried on the coax feedline.
 1.8 to 54.0 MHz coverage.
 Tunes 4 to 800 ohm loads (16 to 150 on 6M), 16 to 3200 ohms with external

4:1 Balun.

 For Dipoles, Verticals, Vees, Beams or any Coax Fed Antenna.
 External balun allows tuning of random length, long wire or ladder line fed

antennas.

 Included RC-600 controller provides DC power injection, On/Off switch, and

Tune button.

 Dimensions: RT-600: 9”L x 8.5”W x 3”H; RC-600: 4”L x 3”W x 2”H
 Weight: RT-600: 3 lb.; RC-600: 8oz.

An Important Word About Power Levels

The RT-600 is rated at 650 watts peak power input at most. Many amateur amplifiers
are capable of transmitting well over 650 watts. Power levels that significantly exceed
specifications will definitely damage or destroy your RT-600. If your tuner fails
under overload, it could also damage your transmitter or transceiver. Be sure to
observe the specified power limitations.

Operating instructions in this manual direct you to “bypass” your amplifier for tuning.
This means turning your amplifier off or placing it in standby mode, connecting your
transceiver or transmitter directly to the tuner without amplification. Never tune at
more than 100 watts.

Never install antennas, supports 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, support
or transmission line dimension.

4

RT-600 Operations Manual Version 1.0

You’ll be using
your RT-600 for
a long time; take
a few minutes to
get to know it.

The included
RC-600 injects
DC power onto
the feedline and
controls the
remote tuner.

The RT-600 has
2,000 memories.

Getting to know your RT-600

Your RT-600 is a quality, precision instrument that will give you many years of
outstanding service; take a few minutes to get to know it.

The RT-600 tuner is designed to be used remotely, powered over the coax cable that
carries both the RF energy and DC power. An internal “Bias Tee” circuit separates
the RF from the DC power with virtually no loss. The included RC-600 controller
injects DC power at the radio end of the coax, and provides Power and Tune control
buttons, and a Status LED.

The RT-600 has 2,000 frequency memories. When tuning on or near a previously
tuned frequency, the RT-600 uses “Memory Tune” to recall the previous tuning
parameters in a fraction of a second. If no memorized settings are available, the tuner
runs a full tuning cycle, storing the parameters for near-instant recall on subsequent
tuning cycles on that frequency. In this manner, the RT-600 “learns” as you use it,
adapting to your bands, frequencies and antennas. The RT-600’s latching relays hold
the tuned configuration indefinitely, even when DC power is completely removed.
Tuning memories are stored indefinitely in non-volatile flash memory.

RC-600 Front Panel

The included RC-600 controller inserts 12 volts DC onto the coax feedline, and
provides controls and status information.

The RC-600 controller has two pushbuttons and one LED indicator light.

 Power: Turns DC power on and off.
 Tune: Initiates a tuning cycle

 Status LED: lights when the RT-600 is powered on.

5