MFJ MFJ-993B User Manual

IntelliTuner TM

Automatic Antenna Tuner

Model MFJ-993B

INSTRUCTION MANUAL

CAUTION: Read All Instructions Before Operating Equipment

MFJ ENTERPRISES, INC.

300 Industrial Park Road

Starkville, MS 39759 USA

Tel: [phone] Fax: [phone]

VERSION 1A

COPYRIGHT

C

2005 MFJ ENTERPRISES, INC.

MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner

Instruction Manual

	Contents
THE BASICS
Introduction......................................................................................................................................	1
Features............................................................................................................................................	2
Specifications...................................................................................................................................	2
Fast Start ..........................................................................................................................................	3
Front Panel.......................................................................................................................................	4
SWR/Wattmeter..................................................................................................................	4
LCD Display .......................................................................................................................	4
LCD Contrast Control.........................................................................................................	4
ANT Button ........................................................................................................................	4
MODE Button.....................................................................................................................	4
C-UP and C-DN Buttons ....................................................................................................	4
L-UP and L-DN Buttons.....................................................................................................	5
AUTO Button .....................................................................................................................	5
TUNE Button......................................................................................................................	5
VOL Control .......................................................................................................................	5
POWER Button...................................................................................................................	5
Back Panel .......................................................................................................................................	7
Power ..................................................................................................................................	7
Remote Port ........................................................................................................................	7
Radio Interface....................................................................................................................	7
Transmitter..........................................................................................................................	8
Ground ................................................................................................................................	8
Balanced Line .....................................................................................................................	9
Wire ....................................................................................................................................	9
Antenna 1............................................................................................................................	9
Antenna 2............................................................................................................................	9
Installation .......................................................................................................................................	9
SWR/Wattmeter.............................................................................................................................	10
THE MENUS
Main Mode Menus.........................................................................................................................	11
Digital Wattmeter Menu ...................................................................................................	11
Power Bar Meter Menu.....................................................................................................	11
SWR Bar Meter Menu ......................................................................................................	12
L-Network Menu ..............................................................................................................	12
Tuner Indicators.............................................................................................................................	13
Antenna.............................................................................................................................	13
IntelliTune.........................................................................................................................	13
Memory.............................................................................................................................	13
Power Level ......................................................................................................................	13
LC Limit ...........................................................................................................................	14
Meter Range......................................................................................................................	14

© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

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MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner	Instruction Manual
Auto/Semi .........................................................................................................................	14
StickyTune........................................................................................................................	14
Setup Mode Menus ........................................................................................................................	15
Power Level Menu............................................................................................................	15
Target SWR Menu ............................................................................................................	15
Auto Tune SWR Menu .....................................................................................................	15
Meter Range Menu ...........................................................................................................	16
Peak Hold Menu ...............................................................................................................	16
Memory Menu ..................................................................................................................	16
IntelliTune Menu ..............................................................................................................	17
SWR Beep Menu ..............................................................................................................	17
Beep Menu........................................................................................................................	17
Refresh Menu....................................................................................................................	17
LC Limit Menu .................................................................................................................	18
OPERATION
Manual Tuning...............................................................................................................................	18
Meter Codes and Audible Beeps....................................................................................................	19
Foldback Circuit ............................................................................................................................	20
Grounding Hints ............................................................................................................................	21
Antenna System Hints....................................................................................................................	21
Location ............................................................................................................................	21
Matching Problems ...........................................................................................................	21
APPENDICES
Resetting the Tuner........................................................................................................................	23
Factory Defaults................................................................................................................	23
Delete Antenna Memory...................................................................................................	24
Total Reset ........................................................................................................................	24
Self Test .........................................................................................................................................	24
Power Down Circuit Test...............................................................................................................	25
Relay Test ......................................................................................................................................	26
Firmware Version Number via Meter............................................................................................	26
Setting the Speaker Volume...........................................................................................................	26
Wattmeter Calibration....................................................................................................................	27
SWR Bridge Calibration ................................................................................................................	27
Frequency Counter Calibration......................................................................................................	28
In Case of Difficulty ......................................................................................................................	29
Technical Assistance......................................................................................................................	29
List of Accessories.........................................................................................................................	29
Circuit Block Diagram...................................................................................................................	30

ii	© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner		Instruction Manual
FIGURES
Figure 1.	Installation Block Diagram..............................................................................................	3
Figure 2. MFJ-993B Front Panel ....................................................................................................		4
Figure 3. Mode Button Flow Chart and Button Action ..................................................................		6
Figure 4. MFJ-993B Back Panel.....................................................................................................		7
Figure 5.	Alinco Interface Cable.....................................................................................................	8
Figure 6.	Icom Interface Cable .......................................................................................................	8
Figure 7. SWR/Wattmeter ............................................................................................................		10
Figure 8. Power Bar Meter (High Range).....................................................................................		12
Figure 9. Power Bar Meter (Low Range) .....................................................................................		12
Figure 10. SWR Bar Meter ...........................................................................................................		12
Figure 11. Main Mode Menus Display .........................................................................................		13
Figure 12. Tuner Indicators...........................................................................................................		14
Figure 13. Power-On Operations ..................................................................................................		23
Figure 14. MFJ-993B Circuit Block Diagram ..............................................................................		30
TABLES
Table 1. Memory Resolution ........................................................................................................		16
Table 2.	Meter Needle Stationary Codes ......................................................................................	19
Table 3. Meter Needle Bounce Codes ..........................................................................................		20
Table 4.	Failure Messages.............................................................................................................	25

© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

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MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner

Instruction Manual

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iv	© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner

Instruction Manual

The Basics

Introduction

The MFJ-993B IntelliTunerTM lets you rapidly tune any antenna automatically: balanced, unbalanced, or single-wire. The MFJ-993B is a comprehensive automatic antenna tuning center with SWR/wattmeter, antenna switch for two antennas, and a 4:1 current balun for balanced lines.

MFJ's exclusive InstantRecallTM, IntelliTuneTM and AdaptiveSearchTM algorithms give you fast automatic tuning with more than 20,000 non-volatile VirtualAntennaTM memories. Each of the two antennas has four banks of memory; each memory bank has over 2500 non-volatile memories for tuner settings.

The tuner includes a highly efficient switching L-network with wide matching capability, 1.8 to 30 MHz coverage, cross-needle power meters, backlight LCD display, a port for an accessory remote control, a radio interface port, and heavy-duty 16 amp/1000 volt relays. It is rated at 300 watts to match 6 to 1600 ohms antennas (SWR up to 32:1) or 150 watts to match wider range of 6 to 3200 ohms (SWR up to 64:1).

A maximum of 256 values of inductance and 256 values of capacitance are available. With the capacitance switched between the input and output side, this provides a total of 131,072 L/C tuning combinations. The nominal tuning ranges are 0 to 24 μH and 0 to 3900 pF.

All MFJ IntelliTunersTM learn and remember. When you transmit, they automatically adjust for minimum SWR and remember the frequency and tuner settings, safely stored in non-volatile memory. The next time you operate on that frequency (or close to it) and antenna, these tuner settings are instantly restored and you’re ready to operate in milliseconds. Each of two antenna selections has four banks of memory, which can learn and remember more than 2500 frequencies and tuner settings per bank.

When you key your transmitter, MFJ’s InstantRecallTM checks its memory to see if you have operated that frequency before. If so, tuning is instantaneous and you’re ready to operate. If not, MFJ’s IntelliTuneTM algorithm (based on MFJ’s famous SWR Analyzer technology) kicks in. It measures the complex impedance of your antenna. Next, it calculates the components it needs and instantly snaps them in. Finally, it fine-tunes to minimize SWR, and you’re ready to operate--all in a fraction of a second.

If the antenna impedance is not within the tuner’s measurement range, MFJ’s AdaptiveSearchTM algorithm goes into action. Frequency is measured and relevant components values are determined. Only those values are searched for fast tuning. If it still cannot find a match, the search is performed again using a different search pattern.

The target SWR can be set at 1.0 through 2.0. The minimum power to tune is approximately two watts. You can manually tune where you can’t transmit (for listening out of ham bands).

All MFJ’s IntelliTunersTM support radio tuner interfaces that are compatible with Alinco EDX-2 tuner, Icom AH-3 and AH-4 tuners, Kenwood AT-300 tuner, Yaesu FC-30 tuner, and certain Yaesu radios with CAT system. Optional interface cables MFJ-5124A (for Alinco), MFJ-5124I (for Icom), MFJ-5124K (for Kenwood), MFJ-5124Y and MFJ-5124Y2 (for Yaesu) are available from MFJ Enterprises, Inc. The optional MFJ-993RC Remote Control provides most tuner controls, allowing convenient remote locating of the tuner itself.

The tuners enter a “sleep” mode when idle and when no transmit signal is present, turning off the microprocessor clock to avoid the generation of spurious signals.

© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

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MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner

Instruction Manual

Features

•Automatically matches antennas with impedances of 6 to 1600 ohms or 6 to 3200 ohms

•Handles 300 watts (match 6 to 1600 ohms) or 150 watts (match 6 to 3200 ohms)

•Tune in less than 15 seconds, usually less than 5 seconds

•Over 20,000 non-volatile memories for tuner settings

•Four memory banks per antenna with over 2500 memories per bank

•Highly efficient switching L-network matching circuit

•1.8 to 30 MHz continuous frequency coverage

•Adjustable target SWR 1.0 to 2.0

•Adjustable SWR threshold 0.5 to 1.5

•Lighted cross-needle SWR/wattmeter with high, low, and auto range options

•Multifunction backlit LCD display with contrast control

•Numeric readings for SWR, forward and reflected power

•Bar meters for SWR, forward and reflected power with range options

•Audio SWR meter with volume control

•Built-in frequency counter

•Two SO-239 coax fed antenna connectors

•Connector for random wire or single wire antennas

•Built-in 4:1 current balun for balanced line antennas

•Optional remote control

•Optional radio interface for compatible radios

Specifications

•Impedance matching range: 6 to 1600 ohms (300 watts) or 6 to 3200 ohms (150 watts)

•SWR matching range: up to 8:1 for < 50 ohms and up to 32:1 for > 50 ohms (300 watts)

up to 8:1 for < 50 ohms and up to 64:1 for > 50 ohms (150 watts)

•Minimum power for tuning: 2 watts

•Maximum power while tuning: 100 watts with foldback, 20 watts without foldback

•RF power limit: 300 watts SSB/CW

•Frequency range: 1.8 to 30 MHz continuous coverage

•Frequency counter accuracy: ±1 kHz across HF bands

•Frequency counter range: up to 50 MHz

•Capacitance range: 0 to 3908 pF nominal (256 values)

•Inductance range: 0 to 24.86 μH nominal (256 values)

•Relay rating: 16 amp 1000 volts

•Relay electrical life: 100,000 operations

•Relay mechanical life: 10 million operations

•Memory endurance: 1 million erase/write cycles

•Memory data retention: > 200 years

•Power requirements: 12 - 15 volts DC, 2.1 × 5.5 mm coaxial plug, center pin positive

•Current consumption: 1 amp or less

•Dimensions (approx.): 10.1 × 2.8 × 9.2 in. (257 × 71 × 234 mm) (width/height/depth)

not including connectors

•Weight (approx.): 3.9 lb (1.77 kg)

†Specifications and design are subject to change without notice.

2	© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner

Instruction Manual

Fast Start

WARNING

●Never operate the tuner with its cover removed. Contact with the components inside the tuner while transmitting will result in painful RF burns.

●Locate the tuner so that the rear terminals are not accessible during operation. The single wire and balanced line connection may have high voltage while transmitting.

●Disconnect all antennas from the tuner during lightning storms.

●Always tune with low power (about 10 watts). Apply maximum power only after tuning up.

●Never exceed tuner specifications.

●Do not transmit with a high SWR for extended periods of time.

1.Connect the MFJ-993B to a 12-15 VDC voltage source capable of supplying at least 1 amp.

2.Connect your transmitter to the TRANSMITTER connector using a 50-ohm coaxial cable.

3.Connect your coax-fed antenna to the ANTENNA 1 connector using a 50-ohm coaxial cable, or connect your random wire to the WIRE binding post, or connect your balanced line antenna to the BALANCED LINE binding posts and connect a jumper between the other two posts as indicated.

4.Connect your ground connection to the GROUND post.

5.Press the [POWER] button to turn on the MFJ-993B tuner. Place the [ANT] button in the out position to select antenna 1. Press the [AUTO] button in to select semi-automatic mode.

6.Key your transmitter to output a carrier of 10 watts CW, FM or AM.

7.Press and hold the [TUNE] button on the MFJ-993B for one second to start the automatic tuning process. When completed, check to ensure an SWR of 2.0 or less before increasing RF power.

8.You are ready to transmit.

Note: During the automatic tuning process, the tuner will make some noise. These are the relays switching at a very fast pace and it is normal operation. Do not be alarmed.

Note: When the tuner power is OFF, the tuner is in bypass mode and RF from the transmitter goes directly to the antenna (ANTENNA 1) with no matching. When the tuner power is ON, pressing [C-DN] and [L-DN] simultaneously or pressing [TUNE] quickly places the tuner in bypass mode (zero inductance and zero capacitance) and indicates by the reflected needle bouncing to 20 watts.

		Antenna 1	Antenna 2
Transmitter	MFJ-993B
	50-ohm Coax
	RF Ground	12 VDC

Figure 1. Installation Block Diagram.

© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

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MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner

Instruction Manual

Front Panel

		60		40	20		0	200	300								SWR	ANT		C-UP	L-UP	AUTO	POWER
						0
						1	1
					0
							0
					5							14.100MHz					1.1
				0				5
			3		3.0	2.0						FWD=100				REF=0.5
																			Z
	1	0		85.0				1.5			Hi x1							MODE		C-DN	L-DN	TUNE
								.
400-3083	0							1		0	Lo x.1						LCD						VOL
								1
								2			SWR	1	1.2	1.5	2	3
											PWR	0	25	50	75	100	300
					MODEL							MFJ IntelliTunerTM								BYPASS
																			Dual Power Level
				MFJ-993B								AUTOMATIC ANTENNA TUNER								300/150 Watts

Figure 2. MFJ-993B Front Panel.

•SWR/Wattmeter: The cross-needle meter measures forward power, reflected power, and SWR. It operates whenever the tuner is power on. Full-scale readings are 300 watts forward and 60 watts reflected. The meter can be set to low power range of 30 watts forward and 6 watts reflected. The SWR is measured at the point where the two needles cross. See “SWR/Wattmeter” on page 10 for more detailed information.

•LCD Display: A 2-line by 16-character alphanumeric display. It displays the tuner’s various menus and status. The display contrast can be adjusted by the [LCD] control on the front panel. Below the display are the SWR and power bar meter scales. Refer to Figures 11 and 12 for descriptions of the various displayed information.

•LCD Contrast Control: A trimpot control that adjusts the contrast of the LCD display. Use a small flat blade screwdriver and turn clockwise to increase contrast.

•ANT Button: Used to select the antenna to tune. Button out selects Antenna 1; button in selects Antenna 2. The Antenna indicator on the main display indicates the selected antenna. A balanced feedline or a single-wire antenna is, by default, Antenna 1. Changing the [ANT] button will switch the antenna only when there is no RF power; also, the tuner setting for the selected antenna, if available, is instantly restored from memory when enabled.

•MODE Button: Time-sensitive and used to navigate through the various main menus and to enter or exit the setup menus.

•C-UP and C-DN Buttons: Used to manually increase or decrease the capacitance of the L-network matching circuit. The capacitance range is 0 to 3908 pF (picofarads). The upper limit of capacitance, dependent on frequency, is used to limit the maximum voltage and current across the tuner’s components. This limit can be removed in the LC Limit setup menu, but is not recommended.

Note: Pressing [C-UP] and [C-DN] simultaneously toggles the capacitor between the input and output sides of the L-network. Forward needle bounces to 30 watts when the capacitor is on the transmitter side. Reflected needle bounces to 5 watts when the capacitor is on the antenna side.

4	© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner

Instruction Manual

•L-UP and L-DN Buttons: Used to manually increase or decrease the inductance of the L-network matching circuit. The inductance range is 0 to 24.86 μH (microhenries). The upper limit of inductance, dependent on frequency, is used to limit the maximum voltage and current across the tuner’s components. This limit can be removed in the LC Limit setup menu, but is not recommended.

Shortcut: Press both [L-UP] and [L-DN] buttons simultaneously to toggle SWR Beep on and off. See “SWR Beep Menu” on page 17.

Note: Pressing [C-DN] and [L-DN] (both DOWN buttons) simultaneously places the tuner in bypass mode. The reflected needle bouncing to the 20-watt mark indicates this. RF from the transmitter goes directly to the antenna with no matching.

•AUTO Button: Used to select automatic or semi-automatic tuning mode. Button out selects automatic mode--the tuning routine is automatically started when at least 2 watts of power is applied and the SWR is a preset amount above the preset target SWR. Button in selects the semi-automatic mode--the tuning routine starts only when the [TUNE] button is pressed. The Auto/Semi indicator on the main display indicates the selected mode.

Note: During the tuning process, the tuner will make some noise. These are the relays switching at a very fast pace and it is normal operation. Do not be alarmed.

•TUNE Button: Has three different functions based on the length of time you press and hold it before releasing. Press [TUNE] quickly (less than 0.5 second) to bypass the tuner. RF from the transmitter goes directly to the antenna with no matching.

Press and hold [TUNE] for 0.5 to 2 seconds to start the automatic tuning process. The transmitter must be keyed first with at least 2 watts of power. When the SWR is already below the target SWR, pressing [TUNE] will fine-tune the match for a lower SWR, if possible.

“StickyTune” allows for one-handed tuning operation. Normal tuning requires keying the transmitter with one hand and using the other hand to push the [TUNE] button to start the tuning process. To toggle the StickyTune mode on and off, press and hold the [TUNE] button for two seconds. When enabled, a bar appears on top of the Auto/Semi indicator, and the tuning process starts automatically when the transmitter is keyed with at least 2 watts of power regardless of the SWR. This works in both automatic and semi-automatic modes. One beep indicates on and two beeps indicate off.

•VOL Control: A trimpot control that adjusts the volume level of the audio SWR meter. Use a small flat blade screwdriver and turn clockwise to increase volume level.

•POWER Button: Used to turn the power on and off. Note that during power-on the analog meter bounces three times (to indicate the model number, 993). When the power is off, the tuner is placed in bypass mode and Antenna 1 is selected. When turning on the power, the tuner automatically restores all previous settings and displays the target SWR on the main screen.

WARNING: Do not turn the power on and off rapidly, otherwise the tuning setting memory can be corrupted and the unit will have to be reset to factory defaults.

Note: When the tuner power is OFF, the tuner is in bypass mode and RF from the transmitter goes directly to the antenna (ANTENNA 1) with no matching.

© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.

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MFJ-993B IntelliTuner Automatic Antenna Tuner

Instruction Manual

MODE BUTTON FLOW CHART

			MAIN MODES					SETUP MODES
	14.100MHz			1.1	Digital	MODE		POWER LEVEL
	FWD=100 REF=0.5				Wattmeter			TARGET SWR
					Power	For 2 sec.
	14.100MHz			1.1				AUTO TUNE SWR
				100	Bar Meter			METER RANGE
MODE
	14.100MHz			1.1	SWR			PEAK HOLD
				100	Bar Meter	MODE	MODE MEMORY
		0.00uH		1,0	L-Network	For 2 sec.		IntelliTune
		0pF		100		or
								SWR BEEP
						Idle for 8 sec.		BEEP
		BUTTON ACTION
								REFRESH
		(while in the main modes)
										MODE
Press	POWER in to turn power on, out to turn power off.
								MODE		+
Press	ANT in to select antenna 2, out to select antenna 1.									C-UP
Press	MODE to switch main modes and setup modes.									+
										L-UP
Press	C-UP	to increase capacitance.
								LC LIMIT
Press	C-DN	to decrease capacitance.					Press	C-UP or	L-UP	to turn on
Press	L-UP	to increase inductance.
							or increase setting.
Press	L-DN	to decrease inductance.
							Press	C-DN or	L-DN	to turn off
Press	AUTO	in to select semi-automatic mode,
							or decrease setting.
		out to select automatic mode.
Press	TUNE less than 0.5 second to bypass the tuner; press and hold for 0.5 to 2 seconds to start the
		tuning process; press and hold for more than two seconds to toggle the StickyTune on and off.
Press	C-UP	+	C-DN	to switch the capacitor between the input and output side.
Press	L-UP	+	L-DN	to toggle the SWR Beep on and off.
Press	C-UP	+	L-UP	to increase both capacitance and inductance.
Press	C-DN	+	L-DN	to bypass the antenna tuner.

Press TUNE + C-UP

Press TUNE + L-UP

Press TUNE + C-DN

Press TUNE + L-DN

to toggle the Target SWR between 1.5 and 2.0.

to cycle the Auto Tune SWR among 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 above the target SWR. to cycle the Memory among banks A, B, C and D.

to cycle the Meter Range among 30 watts, 300 watts and auto range.

Press	TUNE	+	C-UP	+	L-UP	to toggle the power level between 300 and 150 watts.
Press	TUNE	+	C-DN	+	L-DN	to overwrite tuner memory with the current tuner setting.

Figure 3. Mode Button Flow Chart and Button Action.

6	© 2003-2005 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.