LDG YT-100 Operation Manual

YT-100 OPERATIONS MANUAL MANUAL REV A

LDG YT-100

Automatic Tuner for

Yaesu FT-857/897 and

FT-100 Transceivers

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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 YT-100 5

Front Panel 5
Rear Panel 6

Installation 7

Compatible Transceivers 7
FT-100, FT-100D Installation: 8
FT-857(D) and FT-897(D) Installation 9
Finishing Up Installation 9

Operation 10

Power-up 10
Basic Tuning Operation 10
Some Notes About Tuning 11
Toggle Bypass Mode: 12
Initiate a Memory Tune Cycle: 13
Force a Full Tune Cycle: 14
Status LED 15

Application Information 15

Mobile Operation 15
Remote Operation 16
MARS/CAP Coverage 16
Operation with a PC / CAT 16

Theory of Operation 18
The LDG YT-100 20
A Word About Tuning Etiquette 21
Care and Maintenance 21
Technical Support 21
Two-Year Transferrable Warranty 21
Out Of Warranty Service 22
Returning Your Product For Service 22
Product Feedback 22

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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 YT-100 100-watt automatic tuner for the Yaesu FT-100, FT-857
and FT-897 transceivers. The YT-100 provides semi-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 radios.

The YT-100 is similar to previous LDG tuners, but is specially engineered to integrate with your
Yaesu FT-100/857/897 HF radio. The YT-100 connects to the CAT (Computer Automated Transceiver)
port on the back of the radio. The CAT interface allows an external device such as a PC or the YT-100
to control the FT-100/857/897 by sending it serial commands. The YT-100 takes advantage of this
interface to simplify the tuning process -- one button push is all that is needed in order to switch the
radio to AM mode, reduce power, transmit a carrier, measure the transmit frequency, and then restore
the radio to its previous mode and power level!

The YT-100 is powered by the transceiver’s CAT interface itself, so there is no additional power
cable required to use the YT-100. Latching relays are used, so the YT-100 consumes no power when not
tuning.

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

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

Turn off power to your FT-100/857/897 radio.
Connect the HF/50 MHz antenna jack on the transceiver to the “TX” jack on the YT-100, using a 50

ohm coax cable jumper.

Connect a 50 ohm coax antenna feedline to the “ANT” jack on the YT-100.
Connect one end of the supplied radio interface cable to the “CAT/Linear” port on the back of your FT-

100/857/897 radio.

Connect the other end of the supplied radio interface cable to the “Radio” jack on the back of the YT-

100.

FT-100: Turn on power to your transceiver. Once it powers up, hold in the F key for one second to

access the extended menus. Rotate the SEL knob until menu #61, “TUNER/ATAS” appears. Rotate the
dial knob until “off” is selected. Hold in the F key again for one second, to return to normal operation.

FT-857/897: Turn on power to your transceiver. Once it powers up, hold in the FUNC key for one

second to access the extended menus. Rotate the SEL knob until menu #019, “CAT RATE” appears.
Rotate the dial knob until “4800” appears. Rotate the SEL knob again until menu #020,
“CAT/LIN/TUN” appears. Rotate the dial knob until “CAT” appears. Hold the FUNC key for one
second again to return to normal operation.

Select the desired operating frequency and mode.
Push and hold the TUNE button on the front of the YT-100 for one second (until the Tuning LED

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comes on), then release. The transceiver automatically switches to AM mode, reduces power, and keys
up, and the YT-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!

SPECIFICATIONS

0.1 to 125 watts SSB and CW peak power, 100W on digital modes and 6 meters.
Latching relays for ultra low power operation.
2,000 memories for instantaneous frequency and band changing.
Powered from the radio -- no extra power supply to hook up.
Designed specifically for the Yaesu FT-100/FT-100D/FT-857/FT-857D/FT-897/FT-897D HF

transceivers.
Pass-thru CAT port allows YT-100 to control the radio over the CAT bus while still allowing a

host PC to also control the radio. 4800 Baud.
Pass-thru CAT port waits for idle CAT activity before controlling the transceiver.

1.8 to 54.0 MHz coverage. Frequency for memory storage is read from the radio via CAT.
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.
Dimensions: 8.0”L x 7.6”W x 1.8”H.
Weight: 1.5 pounds

AN IMPORTANT WORD ABOUT POWER LEVELS

The YT-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 YT-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.

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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR YT-100

Your YT-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 YT-100 is designed specifically for use with the FT-100/857/897. Tuning is performed when the
Tune button is pushed on the front of the YT-100. The tuner can be placed in bypass mode by pressing
the Tune button momentarily.

The YT-100 is powered directly from the CAT port on the radio; no separate power supply is
needed. The YT-100 automatically powers up at the start of a tuning cycle, and goes into an ultra low­power sleep mode when tuning is complete. The latching relays hold the tuned configuration
indefinitely, even when DC power is completely removed. Tuning memories are stored in FLASH
memory.

The YT-100 has 2,000 frequency memories. When tuning on or near a previously tuned frequency,
the YT-100 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 memory
recall on subsequent tuning cycles on that frequency. In this manner, the YT-100 “learns” as it is used,
adapting to the bands and frequencies as it goes.

Front Panel

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

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

“active” and “bypass” modes.

Status LED: Lights to give feedback on button presses, lights during tuning; gives tune status at

the end of a tuning cycle.

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Rear Panel

The rear panel of the YT-100 features six connectors.

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

ANT jack on the back of the transceiver.

COMPUTER connector: This 8-pin mini-DIN connector connects to a personal computer via

Yaesu’s CT-62 cable or similar computer-to-CAT interface cable. Use of this port is optional; it is
provided for those hams who would like to control their FT-100/857/897 via computer. This is a pass­thru port to the RADIO port, and is switched under software control by the YT-100’s microprocessor.
The firmware of the YT-100 has been written such that this will seem transparent to the user -- if using
CAT to control your FT-100/857/897, just plug the PC’s CAT cable into this port instead of the CAT
jack on the back of the transceiver.

RADIO connector: This 8-pin mini-DIN connector is for connection to the transceiver’s CAT

jack. The YT-100 controls the PTT, power level, and operating mode via CAT commands sent to the
transceiver. The YT-100 also reads the operating frequency directly from the transceiver so that it knows
where to store tuning memory data.

REMOTE connector (1/8” jack): Allows remote operation by connecting a pushbutton switch to

this input. Grounding the ring activates the tuner.

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INSTALLATION

The YT-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 YT-100 is designed for use
with coax-fed antennas. If use with longwires or ladder-line-fed antennas is desired, an external balun
may be 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.

Compatible Transceivers

The YT-100 is designed to be used ONLY with the following Yaesu 100 watt transceivers:

FT-100
FT-100D
FT-857
FT-857D
FT-897
FT-897D

WARNING: Do not attempt to use the YT-100 with any other transceivers, even if the CAT plug
fits. At best, the YT-100 simply won’t work with these radios. At worst, it could cause damage to the
YT-100, the radio, or both.

It is possible that more Yaesu transceivers will be added to this list as Yaesu releases new models.
Be sure to check the LDG website for additional information.

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