SGC MAC-200 Operating Manual

MAC-200

Master Antenna Controller

Catalog Number 54-25

© August 2003 SGC Inc.

Thank you for buying your new
MAC-200 Master Antenna Control­ler. The MAC-200 incorporates the
very latest American-made technol­ogy as well as our experience in
having delivered more than 100,000
Smartuners since 1985. It is a state­of-the-art tuner providing a new and
unique level of usefulness.

The concept of the MAC-200 is quite
different from our line of Smartuners.
Instead of dedicating one Smartuner
per antenna, we’ve brought the tuner
to the point where all of the antennas
come together: the radio room. The
MAC-200 provides tuning for all
antennas in a single box. The ease of
installation and flexible operation
make this an ideal choice. We know
that the simplicity, reliability, and
flexibility of the MAC-200 will
enhance your HF operation for years
to come.

SGC continues to focus on providing the most useful products and
services for our customers around the world. Please feel free to call
to discuss your antenna system requirements at any time. We look
forward to making your HF experience the very best.

Pierre Goral
President, SGC Inc.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 * 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005

Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]

www.sgcworld.com * Email: [e-mail]

© 2003 SGC Inc.

NOTICES

READING THIS MANUAL: The most important sections to
read in this manual are MAC-200 SETUP (section 3) and
MAC-200 OPERATION (section 4). All users should read and
understand this material. Other information such as Theory of
Operation is available for those who want to understand their
new MAC-200 more completely.

ATTENTION: The MAC-200 RF Path is open when power is
off in both receive and transmit modes. To prevent damage to
transceivers, do not operate with power off to this device.

NOTE: For efficient operation of the MAC-200, apply 12
VDC from the same power supply as the transceiver.

NOTE: The MAC-200 is not designed for mobile applications.
SGC recommends the SG-230, 231, 235, or 237 for mobile
installations.

NOTE: SGC does not guarantee 100% calibration of the front
panel meters. If an accurate indication of power or SWR is
desired, an external meter should be used to develop an
instrument calibration table for the front panel meters.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
www.sgcworld.com * Email: [e-mail]

. 1 © 2003 SGC Inc

QUICK START

1. Automatic Mode Programming
a. Check auto light on
b. Select antenna
c. While AUTO LED is blinking, apply RF power
d. MAC-200 stores tuning & antenna settings

2. Manual Mode Operation
a. Check manual light on
b. Select antenna
c. MAC-200 stores tuning settings only

3. Backlighting selection - During power up
AUTO pressed – backlight ON
MAN pressed – backlight OFF

4. Keytones selection - During power up
20W pressed – keytones ON
200W pressed – keytones OFF

5. Lock Function – ignores all tuning instructions

6. Reset Function – resets MAC-200 to power on
state

Antenna Storage Frequency Bins (upper limit)

Freq (Mhz)

2.836 19.600

5.754 23.488

8.760 26.431

12.653 30.000

16.626 >30.000

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
www.sgcworld.com * Email: [e-mail]

© 2003 SGC Inc. 2

Table of Contents

1 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................4

2 TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS ....................................6

3 MAC-200 SETUP ................................................................7

3.1 MECHANICAL DESIGN ..................................................7

3.2 CONNECTIONS TO THE MAC-200 .................................8

3.3 ANTENNAS AND THE MAC-200..................................15

3.4 THE GOLDEN RULES OF HF INSTALLATION ................27

4 MAC-200 OPERATION ...................................................29

4.1 POWERING ON THE MAC-200.....................................29

4.2 SELECTING THE METER RANGE ..................................31

4.3 SELECTING THE OPERATING ANTENNA........................31

4.4 AUTO VS. MANUAL ANTENNA SELECTION .................32

4.5 FRONT PANEL RESET-LOCK OPERATION .....................34

4.6 DO-IT-YOURSELF LIGHT BULB TEST ..........................35

5 THEORY OF OPERATION ............................................39

5.1 TUNING PROCESS AND OPTIONS .................................39

5.2 SCHEMATICS...............................................................57

5.3 COMPONENT LOCATION..............................................63

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
www.sgcworld.com * Email: [e-mail]

. 3 © 2003 SGC Inc

1 Introduction

Why did we create the MAC-200? To pull together the essential
tools for antenna management for stations with more than one
antenna. Discussions with amateurs and professionals have shown
that most have more than one antenna, yet the only place where all
of these antennas come together is in the radio room. Only there is
it possible to manage the antenna in use and provide matching for
all of them. Unfortunately, existing tools do not go far enough.

From manual antenna switches, to complex, electronic, computer
controlled antenna switches … the only thing available has been a
switch. Existing devices allow directing RF to one antenna or
another from a group of antennas. Some manual tuners provide for
two or sometimes three antennas with an ability to tune them, but
now SGC has taken the next step and added an intelligent tuner to
the control station.

The MAC-200 is something completely new, an antenna switching
system that includes built in intelligent tuning to trim the line
before going into your transceiver. The MAC-200 has 170 built in
memories to remember both the tuning parameters and the antenna
at a variety of frequencies. It has all of the sophistication

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
www.sgcworld.com * Email: [e-mail]

© 2003 SGC Inc. 4

developed over the years with SGC’s

Smartuner line of antenna

couplers. However, the MAC-200 is an antenna TUNER intended
for installation near the transceiver rather than at the antenna feed
point..

The MAC-200, located as it is in the radio room at the point where
all antenna feed lines come together, provides tuning at the end of
the antenna feed line rather than at the optimum point, the antenna
feed point. SGC Smartuners provide for matching of an antenna to
the feed line, thereby minimizing SWR and losses on the line. The
MAC-200 allows control of multiple antennas from a single box
and tuning the antenna system in order to connect to the
transceiver, but it must match the impedance as reflected by the
transmission line to the device.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
www.sgcworld.com * Email: [e-mail]

. 5 © 2003 SGC Inc

2 Technical Specifications

HF Frequency Range 1.8-60Mhz
Power Input 1.5-200 watts PEP
Number of Inputs 1 type SO239
Revolving Memory Bins 168
Number of Outputs 5 – 1 End Fed, 1 Balanced Feed, 3

Network Pi Configuration
Impedance Range
Longwire .2-5000 ohms
feedline 5-1000 ohms
Balanced Output 5-1000 ohms
VSWR Typically less than 2:1
DC Input Requirement +13.8 VDC (nominal)
DC Operating Range +10 to 18.5VDC
Input Current 230 milliamps average
Random Set Time Typically < 2 seconds
Recurrent Set Time Typically < 10 ms
Antenna Length (Long Wire) Minimum 9 ft – 7-30Mhz
Minimum 40 ft - 3-30Mhz
Minimum 100 ft – 1.8-30Mhz
Installation Desktop
Operating Temperature -35 to +70C
Size 6.5 X 3 X 8.5 inches
Weight 5 pounds
Case Construction Extruded Aluminum
Meters 1 SWR
1 Power with 20 & 200 watt scales
Cable Connections Standard Coaxial PLUS
Standard mini-plug for DC PLUS
Lugs for wire antennas and ground

Coaxial

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
www.sgcworld.com * Email: [e-mail]

© 2003 SGC Inc. 6

3 MAC-200 Setup

3.1 Mechanical Design

The MAC-200 is in an aluminum case. RF and DC power come
through the back of the case. Internal construction is normal for
fixed location use. Corrosion-resistant hardware and passive alloys
are used throughout. For 99% of installations, the factory settings
for the internal jumpers will be correct.

3.1.1 Opening the MAC-200

The MAC-200 cover is locked in place
with a simple arrangement using an
oversized washer to engage a small groove
in the side of the cover to prevent its
movement. A #4 screw and a slightly
oversized washer (#6 or #8) are locked in
place by a lock washer to prevent
movement of the cover.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
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. 7 © 2003 SGC Inc

In order to open the MAC

-

200 to get at the JP1 or JP3 jumpers or

to visually inspect the circuit boards, you need to do the following:

1. Loosen the cover lock
on the back panel of the
MAC-200 until the
washer disengages from
the MAC-200 cover.

2. Slide the cover forwards
or backwards until it
disengages from the rail.

To re-close the cover:

1. Orient the cover so
that the small groove
for the locking
washer is at the back
of the MAC-200

2. Engage the cover
with the body of the
MAC-200 from the
front or the back and
slide it into place.

3. Holding the MAC-200 with the back panel UP, push
the washer into the slot engaging the cover slot and
drive the screw into the hole until tight.

3.2 Connections to the MAC-200

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
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© 2003 SGC Inc. 8

All connections to

the MAC

-

200 are made on the back panel.

NOTE: Under normal operating conditions, it is good practice to
connect a dummy load to one of the 50-Ohm antenna connectors in
order to have it available for test purposes.

3.2.1 12 VDC Power

ATTENTION: The MAC-200 RF Path is open when power is
off in both receive and transmit modes. To prevent damage to
transceivers, do not operate with power off to this device.

NOTE: For efficient operation of the MAC-200, apply 12
VDC from the same power supply as the transceiver.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
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. 9 © 2003 SGC Inc

Chassis
Ground

12 VDC

The MAC-200 has a miniature power input jack on the back panel.
Any voltage from 10 to 18.5 VDC is suitable for operation.
Average current draw will be approximately 230 milliamps. The
MAC-200 should be powered from the same power source used to
supply your transceiver to ensure that it is energized whenever the
transceiver is in operation.

3.2.2 RF Input from your transceiver

A standard SO-239 jack is for RF Input from your transceiver.

3.2.3 Chassis Ground

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
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© 2003 SGC Inc. 10

The chassis ground should be connected

to a suitable station safety

grounding system.

3.2.4 Connecting Antennas to the MAC-200

3.2.4.1 Coax antenna feeds

Three SO-239 connectors are provided for antennas fed with
Coaxial cable. SGC recommends that one connector be reserved
for a dummy load if possible for testing purposes. From the front
panel, these three connections correspond to switches 3, 4, and 5.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
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. 11 © 2003 SGC Inc

SO-239
Connectors
for Coaxial
Cable

3.2.4.2 Long Wire Connections

Long Wire (unbalanced)
RF Hot Connection

Long Wire (unbalanced)
RF Ground Connection

The long wire connection starts from two lugs on the back panel
labeled ‘Longwire.’ They correspond to antenna selection switch 2
on the front panel. An RF ground connects to the lug labeled RF
GND. When using a single wire ‘counterpoise, it should be 5-10%
longer than the random length long wire.

IMPORTANT NOTE: A long wire connected at the back will be
radiating from the moment is leaves the MAC-200. This can lead
to excessive RF levels within the radio room at even modest power
levels. The length of wire within the radio room needs to be kept to
a minimum.

3.2.4.3 Balanced Feed Connections

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
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© 2003 SGC Inc. 12

Balanced
Feed Line
Connection

The balanced feed connections corresponding to antenna switch 1,
will accept any form of balanced feed line for an external antenna.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
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. 13 © 2003 SGC Inc

3.2.4.4 Multiple Antenna Connections

The MAC-200 was designed specifically to allow multiple antenna
types with multiple feed lines to be controlled from a single
location. Up to five different antennas can be connected, three fed
by coaxial lines, one with an unbalanced line, and one with a
balanced line. All of these are switch selectable from the front
panel.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
www.sgcworld.com * Email: [e-mail]

© 2003 SGC Inc. 14

3.3 Antennas and the MAC-200

The MAC-200 can accommodate a wide variety of antennas
providing a convenient way to switch between them and to tune
them, all in the same box.

3.3.1 Optimum Coupling

The MAC-200 incorporates a coupler internally to provide for
tuning on a variety of antennas under direct control of the user.
This is a compromise location. The optimum location is the
antenna feed point where the impedance match keeps SWR on the
feed line to an absolute minimum.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
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. 15 © 2003 SGC Inc

3.3.2

Connecting Multiple Antennas

The MAC-200 is provided with 3 SO-239 connectors, one RF­Hot/RF-GND pair, and one balanced feed connection. The SO-239
connectors are intended to connect to a normal Coaxial feedline.
Any antenna that is properly setup for Coax feed can be connected
to one of these connectors..

One common benefit of having a
switchable antenna controller is the
ability to leave a dummy load
connected so that you can switch to
it conveniently at need.

The RF Hot/RF GND connections

feed a long or random wire
antenna. They can feed any unbalanced antenna with RF Hot
connected to the radiator and RF GND to the RF Grounding
system.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The RF-Hot connection will radiate RF
from any wire connected to it. Not only is this an RF Hazard
within the station, but it can cause local interference both within
the station and in the vicinity depending on your power level.

The balanced feed connection is for a ladder line feed connecting
to a balanced antenna like a dipole or a loop.

3.3.3 Balanced vs. Unbalanced Antennas

An important distinction is between
balanced and unbalanced antennas.
Balanced antennas are electrically balanced

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
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© 2003 SGC Inc. 16

at the feed point. Typical balanced antennas are dipoles and loops.

Unbalanced antennas need an RF
Ground or counterpoise to create
electrical balance and depend on the
quality of the ground for a high quality
radiated signal. Without a good quality
ground, unbalanced antennas will cause
interference, lead to RF in the radio
room, and be of very low efficiency due
to high losses in the ground. Typical

unbalanced antennas are long wires and verticals.

3.3.4 Antennas with Feed Point Tuning

Any antenna with a feed point tuner, such as an SGC Smartuner,
will work compatibly with the MAC-200. You can either leave the
MAC-200 to tune as it needs to or cut out the tuning function by
doing the following:

• Select the antenna

• Push the MANUAL button to disengage automatic tuning

• Press RESET to reset the coupler to bypass mode

• Push the LOCK button to lock the coupler.

3.3.5 Antenna Recommendations

There are many ways to connect antennas for use. Here are some
common examples that can help you get started with your MAC-

200. For additional information about antennas, we recommend
that you obtain a copy of our HF User’s Guide from our website at

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
Toll Free: 800-259-7331 * Phone: [phone] * Fax: [phone]
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. 17 © 2003 SGC Inc

http://www.sgcworld.com/ftp/Books/hfguide.pdf

For detailed technical information about antennas, the consistently
best source is the ARRL Antenna Handbook.

3.3.5.1 Dipoles

Balanced antennas can be
connected to the balanced
line connections on the back
of the MAC-200.

Some balanced antennas,
such as the doublet, have a
coax feed at the center point.
Simply connect your coax
feed line to the MAC-200 at
connectors 3, 4, or 5.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
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© 2003 SGC Inc. 18

Stealthy antennas are built in a
variety of ways. A simple
example is a roof-mounted dipole
with its ends bent 90 degrees and
fed from the MAC-200.

3.3.5.2 The Inverted V Antenna

The inverted-V antenna can be
fed with ladder line run from the
balanced line connection on the
MAC-200, but it is also
commonly fed from coaxial cable
with the center conductor to one
side and the shield to the other.

PO Box 3526, Bellevue, WA. 98009 13737 SE 26th St. Bellevue, WA. 98005
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. 19 © 2003 SGC Inc