PICATUNE builders pictures

Last updated on November 1, 2008

PICATUNE is an Auto Antenna Tuner designed by Peter, G3XJP and published in Radcom.

 

1st up in these builders pages, is a beautfully built unit by Calvin, M1EPM using home brew PCB's.

Hi Glenn,

I thought this maybe of some help to builders, I have added 12v LEDs (the type with built in resistors) to the back of the relays, this makes it much easier to check all is working and to see the solution used, this helps people who find the Morse feed back a little hard (like me).

The LEDs are from Rapid Electronics part number 56-1450 and are a nice red not the orange that came out in the picture, I was going to used a resistor but it was looking a bit messy. The Balun was in Peters article and as I hope to use it with twin feeder I thought I had better fit it.

The RF deck was done with an etch resist pen and the logic board with a light box, did it a few weeks before you did your "pro" boards, DOH

I have used the Pic-A-Tune for a few weeks now but was concerned when I first tested it, not all the relays go up and down when a solution is found, RL20 and 21 do not as you would expect but also RL2 does not move and RL17,18 & 19 come in after a few seconds and can be out of phase with each other. We have two running in the Milton Keynes club and both do the same thing but are working correctly.

Hope this is of some help, I don't think I could run without an auto ATU again, it makes getting back to calls so quick.

Calvin M1EPM (1st Nov, 2008)

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was created on 1st Nov, 2008, by VK3PE