LDG AT-600ProII Autotuner M-600 Meter Setup With Short Review
I recently purchased a LDG AT-600ProII Autotuner and M-600 meter to use with my Icom 7300. The old MFJ 986 3Kw roller inductor I had was a good tuner, but it's not automatic. It takes time to tune it and the Ameritron AL-811. The LDG AT-600ProII auto tuners are fast, they hold 2000 memories and are easy to use with the Icom 7300.
Since I've only had it a week I can only make a few comments. Both the auto tuner and meter are working good and I'm happy with them. I have used an LDG IT-100 with my Icom 7000 for a long time and it has been good to me.
LDG AT-600ProII Autotuner
What you get with the LDG AT-600ProII Autotuner is a power cable. I threw it in my supply box. Hi Hi. You won't need it.
For the Icom 7300 get the the IC-PAC cable, it's a separate purchase. It supplies power from the IC-7300 and it's all you'll need. - $10 extra.
One end of the IC-PAC connects to the back of the IC-7300 and the other end has two connectors that go to the autotuner. One is for power and the other is for the tuner itself.
Nothing needs to be done in the Icom 7300's menu. It will detect the auto tuner automatically.
Quick Start:
- With everything powered off, connect a coax jumper between the antenna jack on your amp to the TX jack on the back of the tuner.
- Connect your antennas to the rear of the tuner and connect your ground wire.
- Connect the IC-PAC cable between your Icom 7300 and the autotuner.
- Power up the Icom 7300 and go to the desired frequency.
- Select the correct antenna using the "Ant" button on the front of the auto tuner.
- Bypass the amp for now (either with it off on in stby).
- Tune the IC-7300 as you normally would by pressing the "TUNER" button on the transceiver.
- It's ready!
I like the advanced (manual) tune operation of the auto tuner. It allows for manual inductance and capacitance adjustments to get the SWR to its lowest. These settings can be saved into memory and that part appears to work very good. I'm very happy with the auto tuner so far.
LDG M-600 Meter
At first I didn't think I would need this, but after using just the auto tuner I found out in short order that a meter is needed if you're running an amp. The led bar doesn't suffice when tuning for maximum power output.
The cable that's included with the meter hooks right up the the autotuner. I had a little trouble getting the plug connected, but it's secure now. The back of the meter is flimsy.
Quick Start:
- Turn off the AT-600ProII Autotuner (Powering off the IC-7300 will turn it off).
- Connect the mini-DIN cable to the jack on the rear of the autotuner.
- Connect the other end to the jack on the rear of the M-600 meter.
- Turn on your IC-7300 and you're ready to enjoy the M-600.
The meter is very lightweight. I just expected a heavier meter. When I touch a button on the front, the entire box moves. I'll need to secure in place somehow or hold it down when I press buttons. Other than that, it looks good, works good and has a nice big meter!
I like the meter set in "Peak" mode when operating SSB. The meter doesn't fluctuate like my old meters did, so it's taking a little getting used to.
Overall the M-600 compliments the LDG AT-600ProII Autotuner nicely and there's no need for an extra coax jumper. The supplied DIN cable is all you need.
In the clip below we go over the M-600 calibration, the LDG AT-600ProII menu, advanced (manual) tuning and saving to memory and putting the auto tuner in bypass mode. There are some examples of what the auto tuner and meter looks like while in SSB and CW mode. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for dropping by. Please comment below. What do you have in your shack?
Resources:
I’m a new 7300 owner. Why would this rig, which comes with a tuner, require an additional tuner? I’m running it barefoot into an end fed antenna and so far the internal tuner seems to work on all the bands.
Hi Gordon,
Great question and nice to have you comment.
Yes, if your internal tuner is working for you, probably best to stick with it. I wouldn’t change anything. It is fast and I love that about it.
The reason I got the AT-600ProII is because I use an amp and I like the autotuner. My old tuner was an MFJ and worked fine but it was manual tuning. So the internal tuner doesn’t work for me with the amplifier.
Others buy an external tuner because it will tune a higher SWR. The Icom 7300 stops close to 3:1, anything above that and you have to use emergency mode.
Thanks again and I hope to see you on the bands.
Best 73 – Rich, K0PIR
Thanks for all the videos.
Just was looking for a tuner for the 7300 and I guess I buy the 200 version.
The IC-7300 has smaller tuning capacity then my old TS870, but what can you want for a few €€€.
Still struggeling with FLdigi, but for the rest all is working fast with the 7300, MixW and WXJT.
Menu 7300 is very good, you can do a lot without any manual at all.
Hi Hans,
Agreed, the 7300 menu is very nice. I use it. The 200 version should work FB. Mine tunes what the 7300 internal tuner does not, so a little better. I’m liking mine.
Thanks Hans, much appreciated.
I hope to see you on the bands.
Best 73 – Rich, K0PIR
Hi Rich,
I got all excited when I read your review of the LDG AT-600 Pro II and the IC-PAC cable. I run an AL-600 linear amp so I also use a LDG AT-600. Unfortunately I have the older AT-600 Pro which does NOT have the additional connectors. I love the autotuner, but hate not being able to tune it before transmitting after switching bands (my Yaesu FT-450D had a neat little button that would send a silent 10W carrier signal to tune). For anyone else with an older autotuner there is a product called a TuneRite . It plugs into the tuner “port” on the back of the IC7300 (or other Icom) and fools the transceiver into thinking there’s a Icom autotuner attached. Thus when one pushes the tune button the IC7300 sends the 10W carrier rather than trigger the internal tuner. It ran about $25 from a German site. Just an FYI.
73-John/KC9TND
Hi John,
Thank you and great to hear from you. I appreciate the information. I haven’t heard about that.
Best 73 and hope to hear you on the bands.
Rich, K0PIR
I just purchased an Icom IC-7300 and the LDG AT 100 ProII so watching your video was helpful. One thing I’m running into is both the internal and external tuners are trying to work at the same time. You mentioned in the video that there wasn’t any changes that needed to be made in the radio’s settings so how do you deactivate the internal tuner or should you?
Thanks,
Dan KG5MDB
Hi Dan,
It’s nice to hear from you. Great question!
In the 7300 the radio senses that an external tuner is attached via the control cable. If you aren’t using the Icom control cable then you want to disable the 7300 tuner and just use the LDG with the push button on the front of it.
I hope this helps.
Best 73,
Rich, K0PIR
I purchased a AT 600Pro II after seeing your video and ordered the cable that connects to the 7300. On my own, I would have not known about this cable so Thanks.
Brad
Hi Brad,
Thank you for commenting and I’m glad it helped.
That’s an easy one to overlook. I’m happy to say mine is still going strong with my IC-7610.
Best 73,
Rich, K0PIR
Rich, I’m using a 7300 and 7610 with an LDG 600 watt tuner, Icom cable, and Ameritron solid state amp. Regardless of how or where I initiate a tune cycle (at tuner or radio) both tuners seem to want to operate. Is there a way to disable the 7300 tuner so it will not attempt to tune the amp input circuit needlessly? On my previous IC-756 ProIII you could use ANT 2 and the internal tuner was not in the RF path. Any similar work-around on the 7300?
Hi Barry,
Nice to hear from you. I think I understand your question. It looks like you are using the Icom interface cable?? That will disable the internal AT in the radio that it is connected too.
If using the LDG and no interface cable between it and the radio, you’ll have to use the Tune button on the LDG and not the radio.
Page 11-13 Full Icom 7300 Manual
Using an external antenna tuner
When you use a non-Icom external antenna tuner,
be sure to turn OFF the internal antenna tuner before connecting the external antenna tuner.
Otherwise, the tuning may fail because both antenna tuners (internal and external) will simultaneously start tuning.
See the antenna tuner’s instruction manual for details.
When I tune, I use the TUNER button on the radio (interface cable) and my amp is always in STBY. After tuning I put the amp in OPR.
On my 7610 I use ANT1 with my LDG. On the LCD ANT1 indicates (EXT).
See if that works Barry.
Rich, K0PIR
Thanks. This is exactly the info I was looking for as the manuals can be a bit vague regarding a specific setup. They’ve discontinued the meter so I will start the search. 73 N5VL
Nice to hear from you Jim and thank you for commenting.
I did not know they were discontinued so thanks for the info. I feel like it is needed with the amp, unless you have something else for power output and SWR reading.
Happy holidays and best 73,
Rich, K0PIR
I am interested in using the LDG AT-600ProII in a go box. The company I’m working with to build the go box has noted that LDG is pretty bad at exact size specs.
Would you be willing to measure your AT-600ProII, please? Width and height. I’m shooting to install 2 of them side-by-side. Thanks in advance.
Sorry Tom I am laid up for a while.
https://k0pir.us/so-what-happened/
73!
I have a 7610 connected to the AT-600Pro2 with the interface cable. I am running a ALS-600. When I place the ALS into standby and with the AT-600 set to “semi-auto” mode I push the tune button on the AT-600 for >.5<2.5 sec. According to the manual the radio is supposed to go into reduced power, switch to CW mode and begin transmitting while the tuning cycle is in progress. However, this transition is not taking place. When tuning I get the quick flash of the upper LED’s on the AT-600 indicating no RF leaving me with no option but to manually place the radio into AM mode and manually key the mike to initiate a tune.
Any idea what could be going on? I spoke to LDG and they are sending me another interface cable but I had already ordered a replacement from Gigaparts and plugged it in with no change.
Any suggestions would be appreciated’
Hi David,
Good to hear from you and thank you for commenting here. I am not at home or around my 7610 and ATU.
To start the tuning cycle I just press the TUNER button on the radio. I hardly use the ATU buttons.
To put the tuner in stndby, I just press the TUNER button again on the radio.
Possibly you have a bad tuner??
Take care, good DX!
73,
K0PIR
So are you saying that you don’t have to key the mike to initiate a tune on the radio? My tuner will tune automatically in the full auto or semi automatic mode when keying the mike. It just won’t tune in either case unless I key the mike.
No I do not key the mic to initiate a tune. I don’t have it set up that way because I don’t want it to start a tune automatically when my amp is online. Does that make sense? If it starts a tune with my amp online, the amp faults. So, I put my amp in standby, press the tuner button on the radio, then put my amp back online and I’m ready to go.
I put the tuner into simi-auto mode (function C-dn). That prevents automatic tuning when using the amp. Initially I still put the amp on standby and initiate a tune cycle manually. The issue I have is that I have to key the mike to tune. The manual tune button on the tuner isn’t doing a tune cycle without keying the mike. The tuner does turn on when I turn the transceiver on though so the interface cable is talking.
Make sure you have the antenna tuner connected to the first antenna port on the Icom 7610. It won’t work otherwise. Sometimes I have to start the tuning cycle from the ATU and I hold down the tune button on the ATU. I have to hold it down a few seconds before it starts a Tune.
Antenna is connected to antenna 1 port on 7610. I tried forcing a full tune by holding the ATU button down for more than 2.5 seconds. Won’t work unless I key the mike.
I could be wrong, but it sounds like there is a problem with the tuner.
Please update when you find the cause.
Thank you so much and take care.
GL and 73,
Rich, K0PIR