LDG Z-817H Operation Manual

Z-817H OPERATIONS MANUAL MANUAL REV A

LDG Z-817H 75-Watt

Automatic Tuner

for Yaesu FT-817 and

Other QRP Radios with

Amplifiers

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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 5
Important Safety Warning 5
Getting to know your Z-817H 6

Front Panel 6
Rear Panel 7

Installation 8

Battery Installation 8
Compatible Transceivers 9
Interface Cable 9
FT-817 Installation, No Amplifier 10
FT-817 Installation, With Amplifier 11
Finishing Up FT-817 Installation 12
Hookup For Radios Other Than FT-817 12

Operation 12

Power-up 12
Basic Tuning Operation, Using With The FT-817 Radio 12
Toggle Bypass Mode 13
Initiate a Memory Tune Cycle 14
Force a Full Tune Cycle 15
Using The Z-817H With Other Radios 16
Status LED 16

Application Information 17

Mobile Operation 17
MARS/CAP Coverage 17
Operation with a PC / CAT 17

Theory of Operation 17
The LDG Z-817H 19
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 Z-817H 75-watt automatic tuner for the Yaesu FT-817
transceiver. The Z-817H provides semi-automatic antenna tuning across the entire HF spectrum
plus 6 meters, at power levels up to 75 watts. It will tune dipoles, verticals, Yagis, or virtually
any coax-fed antenna. It will match an amazing range of antennas and impedances (up to 10 to 1
SWR), far greater than some other tuners you may have considered, including the built-in tuners
on many radios.

The Z-817H is similar to previous LDG tuners, but is specially engineered to integrate with
your Yaesu FT-817 HF radio and external amplifier. The Z-817H connects to the ACC port or
sometimes called CAT (Computer Automated Transceiver) port on the back of the radio. The
CAT interface allows an external device such as a PC or the Z-817H to control the FT-817 by
sending it serial commands. The Z-817H 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 PKT mode, transmit
a carrier, read the transmit frequency, and then restore the radio to its previous mode and power
level! Additionally, the Z-817H is powered by internal batteries, so no extra power cable is
needed.

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

Ok, but at least read this one section before operating the Z-817H:

1. Turn off power to your FT-817 radio.

2. Open up the Z-817H and install 4 AA alkaline batteries, being careful to observe correct

polarity. Reassemble the tuner.

3. Connect the antenna jack on the transceiver to the “TX” or “INPUT” jack on the external

amplifier, using a 50 ohm coax cable jumper.

4. Connect the “ANTENNA” or “OUTPUT” jack of the amplifier to the “ANT” jack on the Z-

817H.

5. Connect a 50 ohm coax antenna feedline to the “ANT” jack on the Z-817H.

6. Connect one end of the 8-pin mini-DIN plug on the supplied radio interface cable to the

“ACC” port on the back of your FT-817.

7. Connect the other end of the radio interface cable to the “Radio” port on the back of your Z-

817H.

8. Using the radio’s menu system, set the CAT RATE to 38,400 baud.

9. Select the desired operating frequency and mode.

10. Bypass the external amplifier.

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11. Push and hold the TUNE button on the front of the Z-817H for one second (until the Status

LED comes on), then release. The transceiver automatically switches to PKT mode, and keys

up with a minimal amount of power, and the Z-817H begins a tuning cycle. At the end of the

tuning cycle, the original mode and power level is restored.

12. Wait for the tuning cycle to end, then un-bypass the amplifier if desired, and you’re now

ready to operate!

SPECIFICATIONS

0.1 to 75 watts SSB and CW peak power, 50W on digital modes and 6 meters. 50W max

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when used with non-FT-817 radio.
Latching relays for ultra-low power operation.

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2,000+ memories for instantaneous frequency and band changing.

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Power: 6V power supplied from long-lasting internal AA alkaline batteries.

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Designed specifically for the Yaesu FT-817 transceiver.

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Will also work with non-FT-817 radios, but without automation of the radio.

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Pass-thru CAT port allows Z-817H to control the FT-817 over the CAT bus while still

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allowing a host PC to also control the radio. Also permits seamless integration with Tokyo
Hi Power HL-45B amplifier.

Pass-thru CAT port waits for idle CAT activity before controlling the transceiver.

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1.8 to 54.0 MHz coverage. Frequency for memory storage is read from the radio via CAT.

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Tunes 4 to 800 ohm loads (16 to 150 on 6M), 16 to 3200 ohms with optional 4:1 Balun.

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For Dipoles, Verticals, Vees, Beams or any Coax Fed Antenna.

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Optional external Balun allows tuning of random length, long wire or ladder line fed

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antennas.
Dimensions: 7.6”L x 5.6”W x 1.75”H.

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Weight: 1 lb., 6 oz.

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AN IMPORTANT WORD ABOUT POWER LEVELS

The Z-817H is rated at 75 watts maximum power input at most, when connected to an FT­817 via the supplied CAT radio interface cable, and 50 watts maximum if not using the supplied
CAT cable. Many ham transmitters and transceivers, and virtually all amplifiers, are capable of
transmitting well over 75 watts. Power levels that significantly exceed specifications will
definitely damage or destroy your Z-817H. 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 Z-817H

Your Z-817H is a quality, precision instrument that will give you many years of outstanding
service; take a few minutes to get to know it.

The Z-817H is designed specifically for use with the Yaesu FT-817 radio. Tuning is
performed when the Tune button is pushed on the front of the Z-817H and held for one second.
The tuner can be placed in bypass mode by pressing the Tune button momentarily. The Z-817H
may also be used with other radios; see the section on Using The Z-817H With Other Radios.

The Z-817H is powered via four internal AA alkaline batteries. The Z-817H powers up at the
start of a tuning cycle, and powers-down completely when tuning is complete. The latching
relays hold the tuned configuration indefinitely, even when DC power is completely removed.
Tuning memories are stored in non-volatile FLASH memory.

The Z-817H has 2,000 frequency memories. When tuning on or near a previously tuned
frequency, the Z-817H 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 Z-817H “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 two LED indicator lights.

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

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between “active” and “bypass” modes.

Green SWR LED: Blinks tune status at the end of a tuning cycle.

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Red Status LED: Lights to give feedback on button presses, lights during tuning.

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Rear Panel

The rear panel of the Z-817H features five connectors.

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

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connector.

GND connector (wing nut): Connect to antenna system ground.

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TX connector: Connect a 50-ohm coax jumper cable from this standard SO-239 connector

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to the ANT (OUTPUT) jack on the back of the amplifier. If running barefoot (no amplifier),
connect to the FT-817’s ANT jack.

PC connector: This 8-pin mini-DIN connector connects to a personal computer via CT-62

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compatible PC interface cable (not included). Use of this port is optional; it is provided for
those hams who would like to control their radio via computer. This is a pass-thru port to the
RADIO port, and is switched under software control by the Z-817H’s microprocessor. The
firmware of the Z-817H has been written such that this will seem transparent to the user -- if
using CAT to control your FT-817, 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 FT-817’s ACC

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jack. The Z-817H controls the PTT, power level, and operating mode via CAT commands sent
to the transceiver. The Z-817H also reads the operating frequency directly from the transceiver
so that it knows where to store tuning memory data.

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