Jt communications Tunematic User manual

All radiohts reserved.

Owners Manual and Detailed Operating

Instructions

Ver. 061217 R9

Software version 5.33

NOTICE TO CONSUMER:

Note: This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital

device, pursuant to part 15 of the FCC Rules, as of date of manufacture. These limits are designed to

provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This

equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in

accordance with the instructions, may cause interference to radio communications. However, there is

no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause

harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the

equipment off and on, you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the

following measures:

— Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

— Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

— Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

— Consult the dealer or an experienced radio electronics technician for help.

ABOUT THIS MANUAL:

This manual is divided into chapters which are arranged in logical, operational order. The items in Bold

are important notes, Italicized bold are even more important, and Italicized bold underlined notes

are critical informational statements. Section “G” contains a quick start guide for users already familiar

with the product.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

A- Components/connections

B- Installation

C- Operation

C-1 Initialization

C-2 Re-initialization

C-3 Testing antenna operational limits

C-4 Manual antenna tuning and storage

C-5 Autotuning

D- Factory reset

E- Safety features

F- Appendix

G- Quick start guide

H- Specifications and warranty

All radiohts reserved.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

TuneMatic is a self-contained antenna controller which will automatically adjust the resonant frequency of a

screwdriver/motorized antenna. TuneMatic operates over a frequency range between 1 and 60 MHz, and

supports a wide variety of screwdriver-type tunable antennas. TuneMatic utilizes frequency, antenna current,

VSWR, and pulse position measurements of the antenna to perform the proper tuning, and keeps track of the

parameters of the antenna by storing the tuning data in a series of internal reserved memory banks, based on

frequency. TuneMatic is independent of radio make and model and will support any HF radio with a PTT

control line and switched power

A- INSTALLATION CONNECTIONS:

REMOTE HEAD

The remote head allows you to control the functions of TuneMatic from a remote location. The buttons are

identified as follows:

UP ARROW- Allows antenna to move up in direction.

DOWN ARROW- Allows antenna to move down in

direction.

UP/DOWN (both) – resets current limit when not

initialized, and “parks” antenna (moves to lowest position)

after TuneMatic has been initialized.

BOX (STORE)- Stores memories after a good VSWR

tune. See Section 5 for further instructions.

CIRCULAR ARROWS (INIT) - Performs system initialization. See section 3 for further instructions. This button

also doubles as a tune cancel feature. See section 6 on the cancel feature.

STORE/INIT (both)- During power up, pressing and holding both buttons performs factory reset. See section 7

for further instructions.

ANTENNA WITH DOWN ARROW (TUNE)- Performs autotune mode. See section 6 for further instructions

SUN SYMBOL- This LED flashes during antenna movement. See section 1, FIRST TIME OPERATION section

for further instructions. When power is applied, the buttons will illuminate.

MAIN UNIT CONNECTIONS/CABLES

1) 12v power leads: These

leads can be paralleled with

radio power if desired, as they

draw no current until TuneMatic

is powered up by Radio Control

cable. NEGATIVE GROUND

SYSTEM ONLY!

RED (with fuse): +12-15VDC-

connect to +12v power capable

of 3 amps of current.

BLACK- Ground- connect to

negative ground source.

All radiohts reserved.

2) Interface: There are four (4) leads on this 4 pin male connector. It connects

through the radio interface box for the specific radio you are using. The color code

is as follows:

GND (BLACK [pin 2]) connects to radio ground or common.

PWR(RED[pin 1])- When this line goes between 8-14v, it turns on TuneMatic.

Typically it is connected to the switched 12V DC from radio. When power is applied from radio TuneMatic

turns on, as well as Remote Head backlights. The current requirement for this connection is less than 0.1 A

at 12-14 DC.

PTT (WHITE or YELLOW [pin 3])- This line goes low (within 0.7v of ground) when TuneMatic requires

radio to be keyed. This lead will sink up to 0.5A of current, thermally limited.

TUNE (BLUE or GREEN [pin 4])- When this is low, it places TuneMatic in a TUNE mode. Not used.

3) Coax connections- The two SO-239(UHF) connections are identified as follows:

RIG - Connect this to the radio through the supplied 3’ PL-259 jumper.

ANT - Connect this to either the antenna, or input of amplifier if using the amp option- then connect

amplifier output to antenna lead.

4) Remote / RJ-45 couplers(2)- These cables/connections mate with the remote head. Although the factory

jumper supplied is 12’ in length, other lengths can be used, however lengths over 50 feet should be avoided.

The female couplers on each end allow conventional RJ-45 CAT-5 cabling straight-thru

connections between connections. All 8 leads need to be wired end to end. DO NOT

USE A CROSSOVER CABLE.

5) Motor/pulse control- Contains the bi-directional motor leads (floating from ground)

and pulse counter connections to the antenna motor. Be sure to follow the antenna

manufacturers directions with regard to RF isolating this line at the antenna. If

using other than TarHeel antenna, a factory-supplied pigtail can be used to wire to your specific

antenna. RED/BLACK are the motor leads, and the other remaining leads (not polarity sensitive) are

the motor pulse leads. Observe connection to motor leads so that antenna moves to LOWER

frequency when pressing UP on remote.

ADDITIONAL OPTIONS (if installed):

1) Amplifier keyline(paired and labeled)- This line connects in SERIES with the Radio and external

amplifier keyline. There is no polarity on this normally closed connection. It opens when TuneMatic begins

TUNE mode, then closes after tune is completed. See amplifier supplement sheet, supplied with units

containing this option.

RADIO INTERFACE:

The radio interface is the communications between the the TuneMatic and your specific radio (refer to the

interface supplement) for wiring information and specifics). The factory-supplied radio interface controls the

keying and control for the specified radio, using a keyline and switched 12v. Each manufacturer is unique in

the communications, and the interface allows TuneMatic to work universally.

B) INSTALLATION:

All radiohts reserved.

a) Plug motor control cable from motor to TuneMatic Antenna Motor connector.

b) Connect 3’ RF coax jumper from HF radio to RF connection labeled RADIO of TuneMatic,

c) If applicable, connect HF amp to RF connection labeled ANT of TuneMatic and HF amp RF OUTPUT to

antenna. If you do not have an HF amplifier, connect antenna lead to this connection of TuneMatic.

d) Connect remote head with RJ-45 couplers (and/or RJ-45 extension cable if needed).

e) Connect interface connector from TuneMatic to TuneMatic interface, and associated cables from

interface to radio (review interface supplement for specific radio connections).

f) If using Amp relay option, connect optional Amp bypass cable- See the amp option supplement

sheet (supplied) for details.

g) Connect DC power leads to 12-14V DC ignition battery line-OBSERVE POLARITY! NEGATIVE

GROUND ONLY! A good frame ground connection can be used to the vehicle chassis for added RF

shielding from the threaded stud with a heavy braided lead.

h) Remove TuneMatic enclosure cover and locate motor current limit DIP switches on the PC board, Set

switches for antenna manufacturer’s recommended current limit setting. These switches select the

antenna stall current, and are set as follows- note that 1=ON (UP) and 0=OFF(DOWN).

Antenna current setting NOTE: DIP SWITCH #4 NOT USED

Switch number 1 2 3 4

Lowest setting 200mA 0 0 0 -

LittleTarheel 250 mA 1 0 0 - *FACTORY DEFAULT SETTING

Diamond 300 mA 0 1 0 -

*Hi-Q, Scorpion 500 mA 1 1 0 -

700 mA 0 0 1 -

*Tarheel Models 75 to 400, 900 mA 1 0 1 -

*Tarheel Models 1000 – 1200 1100 mA 0 1 1 –

Highest setting 1300mA 1 1 1 -

*Most of the larger antennas can be set to 900 or 1100 mA, depending on operating temperature.

NOTE: IT IS IMPORTANT TO SET THIS LIMIT PROPERLY, as damage can occur to the

antenna motor if set too high, or will prematurely trip if setting is too low.

Keep in mind, current draw is dependent on supply voltage, and current may not reach

trip point with lower supply voltage. These are recommended settings, and the actual

setting may vary slightly.

All radiohts reserved.

C) OPERATION:

Apply power to radio. TuneMatic will automatically power on. Upon power-up, TuneMatic will spell out “OK”

(--- -·-) in Morse code tone. The backlighting on the remote button panel will also illuminate.

On the remote head, locate the sun symbol on the upper right. When the motor moves, this LED will

indicate contact closures of the motor sensor, and will blink on and off during antenna movement (note- it

may remain on or off depending on where the antenna pulse sensor stops, and this is normal). On the

remote head locate the UP and DN buttons, and press the UP button to assure the antenna is moving up,

DN button for downward movement of the antenna. If either the motor does not move, as indicated by a

blinking sun symbol when the either button is pressed, re-check wiring from TuneMatic to the antenna.

Note that different models of antennas may have different blink rates.

At this point, you can manually move the antenna up and down. If you reach either end of the antenna

travel, the antenna motor current will increase dramatically, and the TuneMatic will current limit as

determined by the DIP switch settings in step 1(h) above. Once TuneMatic senses over-current, it will stop

the motor, and spell out “CL” in Morse code tone. You have to press both UP and DN buttons to clear

the current limit condition when in manual mode. Once cleared, you will be able to move antenna

again. DO NOT CONTINUE TO MOVE ANTENNA IN CURRENT LIMIT POSITION EACH TIME

YOU CLEAR THE LIMIT, AS CONTINUED FORCED MOVEMENT IN THE LIMIT DIRECTION

MAY CAUSE MOTOR WEAR OR DAMAGE.

C-1 INITIALIZATION

NOTE: IF YOU SKIP THE INITIALIZATION STEP, YOU WILL BE UNABLE TO MANUALLY OR

AUTOMATICALY STORE ANY MEMORIES, OR USE ANY OF THE TUNE FEATURES OF

TuneMatic!

To initialize the antenna to the TuneMatic:

1) Make sure you have properly installed and tested wiring of TuneMatic as indicated in the

INSTALLATION step above.

2) Apply power to TuneMatic. Allow unit to spell out ‘O K’ in Morse tone.

3) Press (INIT) button once. TuneMatic will spell out ‘I N’ in Morse tone, indicating unit will start the

initialization process.

4) Antenna will move all the way to the top (highest/longest) position of travel until it reaches the upper

motor current limit position. The sum symbol on the remote will flash on and off during antenna

movement.

5) Once current limit is reached, antenna will stop moving, and the TuneMatic will spell out ‘C L’ in Morse

tone.

6) Antenna will move all the way to the bottom (lowest/shortest) position of travel until it reaches the lower

motor current limit position. During this time, the TuneMatic is counting pulses.

7) Once current limit is reached, antenna will stop moving, and the TuneMatic will spell out ‘C L’ in Morse

code, followed by ‘I C’, indicating Initialization is complete.

8) After the “I C’ message, antenna will move to the low soft limit, and spell out ‘L L’, indicating that the

antenna is at the lowest operating limit. .

If you force an antenna stall, disconnect antenna motor cables, or turn off power while in the

Initialization process, the TuneMatic will stop the initialization. If the entire initialization process does

not successfully complete, then the initialization process must be restarted.

Once initialization is complete, TuneMatic will:

All radiohts reserved.

1) Allow you to manually move the antenna up/down in two speeds. When corresponding UP/DN button is

pressed and held, antenna will move slowly, and if the button is held down more than four seconds, it will

move rapidly. This will allow you to make small adjustments during fine tuning of the antenna. Each time

up/down is released, it resets the speed to slow, which allows you to ‘bump’ the motor in either direction,

allowing an exact tune.

2) Enable the variable (internal) adjustment pot to increase the medium and slow motor speeds(for

Scorpion and HI-Q), and sets the ‘soft’ limits, so that movement of the antenna will not reach the motor

current limit points. When either upper or lower limit is reached, TuneMatic will spell out ‘H L’ (higher limit),

TuneMatic will spell out ‘L L’ (lower limit), and stop further movement, preventing the antenna from traveling

beyond these soft limits.

3) ‘Park’ antenna, by pressing both UP and DOWN arrow buttons at same time. This is useful when

antenna height needs to be lowered to its minimum position during specific driving conditions. Parking the

antenna also re-calibrates the pulsecount to the initialized settings. Note that you can only park the antenna

AFTER initialization, NOT in autotune mode, and NOT if you is moving the antenna up or down (antenna must

be STOPPED to park it). The park position is at the lower soft limit point, which assures bottom of travel, and

proper re-set of pulsecount calibration. Note that parking the antenna also re-calibrates the pulse count.

4) Manually store frequency presets (see section 5).

5) Automatically operate the TuneMatic (see section 6).

6) Re-Initialize TuneMatic if necessary. NOTE: RE-initializing antenna will not disturb memory settings

(see section 3).

7) Sense lack of pulses within several seconds after start of any motor movement, If the missing pulse

detector trips, it will stop the motor, and spell out “P E” in Morse code tone. It will automatically de-initialize the

TuneMatic (without losing memories), and require you to re-initialize.

IF MOTOR DOES NOT MOVE DURING INITIALIZATION, AND YOU RECEIVE A PULSE ERROR (PE)

MESSAGE, CHECK THE WIRING BETWEEN TuneMatic AND ANTENNA.

C-2 RE-INITIALIZATION:

The TuneMatic depends on precise feedback information from the antenna. If the pulse counting sequence is

interrupted for any reason the TuneMatic may need to be re-initialized. As the antenna is used and antenna

characteristics may change or other physical changes occur, it may cause errors. This condition will

necessitate a re-initialization. If it becomes necessary to re-initialize the unit, stored memories will be retained

unless a full factory reset is performed.

TuneMatic also reverts back to an un-initialized state during some failure conditions, such as:

1) Missed pulses during antenna movement after initialization- This can happen if the connection between

the antenna pulse switch (internal to the antenna) either fails, or the wiring becomes disconnected.

2) Motor fails during antenna movement, or antenna current DIP switches are set incorrectly

3) Antenna current limit is reached (when NOT in park mode)- This can happen if there is a catastrophic

failure in the TuneMatic software, major pulse count error, or other software failure.

4) Power to TuneMatic is interrupted during antenna movement – If the TuneMatic power is disconnected

while the antenna is moving, it will cause the pulse count to lose track of where it was last. TuneMatic detects

this loss of power, and automatically puts TuneMatic into the uninitialized state. This process assures you that

the antenna pulse count integrity is maintained through all operations.

You will know the initialized state of TuneMatic upon power up. If you don’t hear the “I I” Morse

message on power up immediately after the ‘OK’ message, TuneMatic is NOT initialized.

It would also be necessary to re-initialize if you disassemble the antenna for servicing. ‘De-initialization’ only

occurs after antenna has been initialized the first time, and any occurrence of antenna/pulse error.

To perform re-initialization if already initialized:

All radiohts reserved.

1) Make sure TuneMatic is powered up, and the motor is not in motion, or in Autotune, and wait for start-up

messages.

2) Press and hold (INIT) button for at least 3 seconds; TuneMatic will repeat the initialization process as

indicated in (2) above. Once you hear the Morse message; you can then release the INIT button.

NOTE- Reinitializing antenna does NOT erase any stored memories. To erase all memories, see section

(D- Factory Reset) below.

C-3 TESTING ANTENNA OPERATIONAL LIMITS:

You may manually tune the antenna, by using an external VSWR meter, or radio-provided internal VSWR

meter. This will give you a good indication as to the operational frequency range of the antenna, and will help

you determine the expected performance of the system. The make and model of the antenna, and its physical

properties, ground system, and overall installation will determine the usable operational range of the

TuneMatic. It is advisable to check the limits of the antenna system, so that you will know what to expect

during operation. Otherwise the TuneMatic may attempt to tune a frequency that is outside the operational

parameters of the system with little or no success, or not even tune properly.

Using the external VSWR meter, use low levels of RF power (10 watts in AM mode) so that you do not cause

interference on the air, or damage to radio and antenna. While adjusting the UP/DN buttons, check the

parameters of the system, by alternately moving the antenna, and spot-checking the VSWR, by keying the rig.

Start at the highest band , and work down to the lowest. This check will assure you that the system will tune

properly, and to what frequency range it will perform over.

NOTE: You can conduct these tests when TuneMatic is either initialized or not initialized. Remember: you

cannot use any of the automatic tuning or storing features until the antenna has first been initialized.

C-4 - MANUAL ANTENNA TUNING AND STORAGE:

Once you know the operational frequency limits, you can manually store frequencies. It is recommended that

you store at least one frequency in each band that the system (antenna and radio) is capable of covering.

Make sure radio is turned on and operational, You will be manually keying radio at a low power level at various

frequencies for this step. When using legacy radios, be sure radio is in AM or CW mode, set between 10-30

watts output. TuneMatic will send a PWR message if power is out of range. Note that the following steps only

work AFTER the antenna has been initialized.

1) Start at the highest band of operation (lowest/shortest antenna position).

2) Manually move antenna UP while testing VSWR of desired frequency until VSWR is minimized.

3) Press (STORE) button. Radio will automatically key for one second, and measure power ‘window’,

frequency, and VSWR.

4) If power is too low or high, TuneMatic will spell out ‘PWR’ in Morse tone, indicating power is out of

range. The range is 5-35 watts, with 10-20w as the optimal setting. If you get this error, readjust power

to within the specified parameters. If you are using a legacy radio, make sure radio is in CW or AM

mode, and power is set within 10-20w. Radios connected to the factory interface will automatically set

the power level for tuning.

5) If you are attempting to operate the radio outside the frequency limitations of the TuneMatic (between 1

and 60 MHz), it will spell out ‘FR’ in Morse tone, indicating the radio is out of the operational frequency

range. This error message will also spell out if it is unable to read frequency due to low/no power.

6) The TuneMatic will measure the VSWR. If it is too high, it will spell out ‘SWR’ in Morse tone. You will

need to readjust the antenna position (up or down) until VSWR is no greater than 1.5:1 VSWR. It is

best to adjust the position of the antenna so that a ‘dip’ of the VSWR reading before pressing STORE

for accurate results.

All radiohts reserved.

7) If memory is successful, TuneMatic will spell out ‘M M’ in Morse code, indicating successful store of the

desired frequency to memory.

8) Repeat steps 1-7 for each band, one at a time. On 40M and below, store top, middle and bottom of

band.

9) If STORE is pressed additional times without changing frequency, TuneMatic will simply re-write the

memory that corresponds to the transmit frequency, as long as the VSWR is satisfactory.

10) The more frequencies stored at this point, the quicker the AutoTune feature will work, and the faster the

antenna tuning will become.

C-5 AUTOTUNING

The autotuning feature of the TuneMatic allows the unit to automatically tune the antenna, and save to the

corresponding memory slots. The autotune feature is somewhat dependent on what is already stored in

memory, and operates more efficiently as more memories are filled. The storage process is based on

frequency, which utilize more ”windows’ per kHz, as frequency decreases, due to antenna bandwidth requiring

more tuning ‘windows’ as the transmit frequency decreases.

It is recommended that you manually store at least one memory in each band of operation; pick a

frequency in the band close to your normal area of operation, (as explained in step C-4 above), as it

will simplify the auto-tuning process and reduce the needed time to tune new frequencies, starting

from the highest desired band to the lowest. YOU MUST STORE AT LEAST ONE MEMORY FOR THE

AUTOTUNE FEATURE TO FUNCTION. Otherwise TuneMatic will park the antenna if no memories are stored.

Some radios may time-out if the tuning process takes too long. TuneMatic will stop tuning if the RF signal from

the transmitter is interrupted, so it is recommended to store at least one memory in each band of operation.

The Autotune process is a two-step operation, and is initiated by the TUNE button. When pressed, TuneMatic

will start the Memory Tune phase. The radio will key for a moment, measure power and frequency parameters,

and search the memories for the desired or closest frequency. TuneMatic will move the antenna to move as

close as possible to the desired frequency (based on the stored memory, or the corresponding memory to any

previously stored frequency), then stop at the selected pulsecount. If the transmit frequency is already stored,

TuneMatic will send the Morse “A S” message, indicating that this frequency was previously stored. This gives

you an aural indication that the antenna was already tuned at the tranmsmit frequency. If TuneMatic finds a

memory that is close to the transmit frequency, and moves to the memory position, it will send the Morse “N S”,

indicating that the transmit frequency is not stored.

TuneMatic will now automatically enter the SWR tune phase. In the case of a memory that is not previously

stored, TuneMatic will key the radio, and begin moving the antenna towards resonance. As the antenna

moves, the speed of the antenna will reduce in speed as the SWR decreases. TuneMatic will then search for

the lowest VSWR, and move until it finds VSWR ‘null’. Once the fine tune null is found , the corresponding

memory is stored for the selected transmit frequency, in the same way the MANUAL STORE mode operates

(with the ‘M M’ Morse message), and will also send the Morse message “T C” indicating a completed tune.

In the event TuneMatic is unable to find a tune at or below 1.5:1, it will find the best VSWR match possible.

If the VSWR null is at or below 2:1, it will stop at the lowest VSWR point, however TuneMatic will NOT store

the lowest VSWR for this frequency. It will send the Morse “T I” message once the motor stops, and the radio

unkeys, indicating this is the LOWEST VSWR Tunematic is able to find at the transmit frequency.

If a null of at least 2:1 cannot be reached, TuneMatic will continue to search until it reaches the antenna soft

limit, then it will unkey the radio, and park the antenna, as well as send the Morse message “N T”, meaning

there is NO TUNE possible for the selected transmit frequency.

If the frequency was already previously stored, it will key the radio for a moment, check the SWR, and re-store

the memory with an ‘M M’ message, if the SWR is acceptable (at or below 1.5 VSWR). If the VSWR is above

1.5, TuneMatic will enter a “retune” phase, by sending an “RT” message, and attempt to retune the transmit

All radiohts reserved.

resonant point within a window plus and minus several pulsecounts. It will find a null, and either store or stop

on the null as explained above. If for some reason it is unable to achieve a satisfactory VSWR of 1.5 or better

after retune attempt, a series of “E” ’s will be sent, indicating a mistune, and park the antenna. In this case, it

would be suggested to check the antenna system for proper tuning and alignment, or try the tune process

again. This same error will be generated if the auto-tuning of the SWR is very erratic. You can try autotuning a

second time after parking, as this will re-calibrate an antenna that has lost pulsecounts, and re-align previously

stored frequencies.

You should be aware that the best tune is dependent directly on the antenna performance; if there are

dropouts, antenna installation issues, or any outside parameters that can cause false/multiple nulls in the

tuning process, etc, it may affect how TuneMatic adjusts the match.

Changing frequency and pressing the TUNE button a second time will repeat the process above.

As more satisfactory memories are stored, future auto-tunes will be easier when moving from position to

position, and the less time it will take for the second step of the autotune process.

Once memories have been stored, you will only have to press the TUNE button after selecting your transmit

frequency, and TuneMatic will automatically move to the stored memory frequency, and if necessary, auto-

adjust for best match if unsatisfactory.

You always have the option of ‘fine-tuning’ the VSWR at any time AutoTune is not in operation, measure the

VSWR in AM mode, and move the antenna up and down until you is satisfied with the new match. Then press

STORE, and TuneMatic will over-write the old antenna position into memory with the newly found ta.

If at any time you want to stop TuneMatic while autotuning, you can press the INITIALIZE button, or

remove RF power from the radio. In some cases, Radios may time-out during extended tune times,

which will also cancel the TuneMatic tune step. If this happens, you can select an already stored

frequency in memory, and simply press TUNE to recall it. TuneMatic will simply move to that selected

memory position. If you turn off the rig while antenna is in motion, it will force TuneMatic into an de-

initialized state, and you will have to re-initialize the antenna.

You can override the automatic SWR tune portion of the autotune function. This can be useful when

wanting to simply stop at the memory tune, without further tuning by TuneMatic. By holding the INIT button at

power-up, until the “B Y” Morse message (which reverts back to full auto mode on power cycle) indicating

semi-auto tune mode. When in this mode, TuneMatic will stop at the memory tune, and wait for you to press

the TUNE button within 3 seconds to initiate the second phase SWR tune function. If you do not press,

TuneMatic will simply time out with a ‘TO” message in Morse code.

If DC power is removed from the radio during any motor movement, it will force TuneMatic to revert to

an uninitialized state- because the antenna is moving, and does not store the pulse count until the motor is

stopped by software.

Internal motor speed adjustment compensation control

Located on the main PC board inside the TuneMatic control unit (just behind the socketed microprocessor) is a

variable adjustment, which will adjust the factory slow/medium speeds. This adjustment is used when the drive

signal to the motor does not have sufficient energy to physically move the antenna due to colder weather

conditions, or when the antenna moves too fast or slow during fine-tuning. This is a potential issue on the

larger antenna designs with higher voltage motors (Scorpion) and HI-Q antennas (less pulses per rotation).

Clockwise rotation of the control increases the speed. The factory setting is 9 o’clock position.

To test for this condition:

1) Initialize antenna,

2) move antenna up and make sure there is actual movement in slow mode (when direction

button is first depressed, antenna should move slowly, approx. 1-2 flashes per second on display),

All radiohts reserved.

3) If antenna does not move up, rotate speed adjustment control potentiometer clockwise, then

re-cycle power to TuneMatic. If you change the setting after power-on, the new

setting does not take effect until TuneMatic is power cycled again. Adjust this control for

approx 1-2 flashes per second, which can be seen with the sun LED symbol on remote panel.

4) Larger antennas may need a greater amount of compensation than smaller antennas, and if

you change the antenna model, it may be necessary to re-adjust this setting.

D- FACTORY RESET:

In the case you want to clear all memories and settings, and return unit to factory default condition:

1) Press and hold both ‘STORE’ and ‘INIT’ buttons while applying power, hold until TuneMatic responds in

step (2).

2) TuneMatic will send out ‘M R M R’, indicating a master reset, and start the memory erase process.

Release the ‘STORE’ and ‘INIT’ buttons at this point.

3) Allow unit one(1) full minute to clear all memories. During the reset process, a beep will be heard every

few seconds until fully cleared. There will be eight (8) beeps in sequence as the memory clears.

4) When complete, unit will spell out ‘O K’ in Morse tone, indicating factory reset is complete.

It is required to factory reset the TuneMatic controller if you change antenna make/model, as the

operational parameters will be different from previous.

E- SAFETY FEATURES:

The safety features of the TuneMatic keep the antenna protected against catastrophic and accidental

conditions. These safety features include:

a) Antenna current limiting- This forces all movement to stop once current limit is reached. You can move

the antenna in the opposite direction from the current limit position to resume operation. Once the

TuneMatic is initialized, the current limiting only operates in case one of the other safety devices fails.

This current limit must be properly set prior to operation. Otherwise damage to antenna could

occur, including frying the motor windings.

b) Pulse ‘soft’ limits- Once TuneMatic is initialized, the soft limit detection prohibits the antenna from

traveling beyond these limits, which provides a safety point in case you forget to release the UP or DN

buttons, and antenna moves close to the ends of travel.

c) Missing pulse detection- Once initialized, this detector keeps track of pulses during movement. If the

antenna is moving, and the pulses stop, TuneMatic will stop the motor, and spell out ‘P E’ in Morse tone,

indicating pulse detection has failed. It will also force TuneMatic to un-initialize.

NOTE- If the sensor switch for the pulse detector fails, you will still be able to move the

antenna up and down, but will not have the TuneMatic auto-tune features available.

This allows you to move the antenna manually with the UP or DN buttons during sensor

failure.

d) Reverse DC power polarity protection- contains internal circuitry to protect TuneMatic from

voltage spikes or momentary reverse DC polarity. Reversed polarity will cause the 3A in-line

fuse to fail. DO NOT REPLACE FUSE WITH LARGER THAN 3A, OR WARRANTY WILL BE

VOIDED SHOULD DAMAGE OCCUR.

All radiohts reserved.

F- APPENDIX:

a) Morse code messages –listed by priority and operation:

Power-up messages:

OK startup message: Sent on power-up and re-set- This will be heard each time TuneMatic is powered

up, and after memories have been cleared.

BY autotune bypass: TuneMatic in auto tune bypass mode, disabling automatic SWR tune function.

I I unit initialized: TuneMatic has been initialized. This message will be heard after the “OK” startup

message, and after TuneMatic has gone through the initialization process.

Initial movement and initialization:

IN Initializing: TuneMatic entering initialization mode. This message is heard after pressing the

Initialization (IN) button.

CL Current limit: Antenna reached current limit. This message will be heard if antenna is moved into the

ends of travel for the motor, and motor has reached the current limit point, as determined by the current limit

DIP switch settings inside the TuneMatic chassis. It is also heard when the upper and lower limits have been

reached during initialization.

PE Pulse error: No pulses detected during motor movement. This message will be heard if TuneMatic

fails to detect any motor pulses during movement after initialization. This error will force TuneMatic to de-

initialize.

IC Initialize complete: TuneMatic has completed the initialization process.

RI Reinit: TuneMatic is reverting back to un-initialized state. Typically created if pulsecount or current

limit failure has occurred after TuneMatic has been initialized, or if TuneMatic lost power during antenna

movement.

PA Parking: Antenna parking. Message will be heard any time TuneMatic is placed into a park mode,

either manually or automatically.

LL Low limit: Antenna at lowest “soft” antenna limit position.

HL High limit: Antenna at highest “soft”antenna limit position.

Either message indicates antenna has reached travel limit. It will not travel past these limits once

TuneMatic has been initialized.

Storing and memory operations:

MM Memory write: Valid memory store in progress. This message will be heard upon any successful

write to memory once a successful STORE or autotune event occurs.

PWR Power error: RF power out of range/no power. This message will be heard if you are attempting to

store or autotune TuneMatic with too little/no or too high power (5-35w). Make sure radio RF power is within

this range.

FR Freq error: Transmit frequency out of range or no frequency read. This message will be heard if you

are attempting to either store or tune TuneMatic outside the operational frequency range (1-60 mHz), or no

frequency data is read.

All radiohts reserved.

SWR SWR error: VSWR too high. This message will be heard if you are attempting to store a frequency

with an unsatisfactory VSWR, typically above 1.5:1.

Tuning operations:

NS Not Stored: TuneMatic has completed the memory tune phase, but the transmit frequency is not a

match to what is in memory.

AS Already Stored: TuneMatic has completed the memory tune phase, and the found antenna position in

memory that is an exact memory window match for the transmit frequency.

TO Timeout: (only heard when autotune is bypassed) Memory tune (step 1) timeout. This message will be

heard once starting the autotune process, and antenna has moved to the initial position, and you did not press

the tune button a second time to activate Autotune (step 2) within the 3 second timeout period.

PS Park Set: No memories found in memory tune, antenna will park.

TC Tune Complete: Autotune is completed. This will be heard after a successful autotune.

TI Tune Incomplete: Unsuccessful full autotune. This will be heard when TuneMatic is able to find an

SWR between 1.5 AND 2.0, AND TuneMatic did NOT store a memory at this antenna position.

TS Tune Stopped: Tune cancelled by user or rig power interrupted…See section 6 for this feature.

NT No Tune: Unable to autotune across entire antenna range; TuneMatic is unable to find a VSWR

below 2.0 at the selected frequency.

RT ReTune: TuneMatic is re-calibrating and re-tuning the stored memory by re-tuning.

EEEEE Stored Tune error Heard if TuneMatic is unbable to tune an previously stored memory after the re-

tune attempt. It may be necessary to check antenna system if this message is heard, or attempt to tune again.

b) Troubleshooting:

1) Unit will not power up-

a) Check in-line fuse (3A standard GMA 5x20mm fuse, not SLO-BLO). DO NOT USE LARGER

SIZE!!

b) Check power connections.

c) Make sure radio is supplying power through radio interface cable.

2) No motor movement when UP or DN buttons are pressed (pulse error may also occur).

a) Check antenna motor leads

3) No pulses detected (PULSE LED not flashing when antenna moves)-

a) Check wiring from antenna to TuneMatic.

4) Unit tunes erratically or not on best VSWR null-

a) Check antenna internal connections, contacts, reed switch, oxidation, etc.

b) Check for loose/intermittent coax connections, or connector contamination.

c) Check for good RF and DC grounding.

d) Antenna may be tuning on a harmonic, store a manual frequency and re-try.

5) Unable to find a good VSWR or get a frequency to store (VSWR error message)-

a) Check all antenna connections. (use radio VSWR meter to verify)

b) Make sure antenna is designed to cover operating frequency.

d) Make sure antenna installation is correct.

6) STORE or TUNE not working-

All radiohts reserved.

a) Make sure TuneMatic is initialized

7) TuneMatic is not stopping at stored presets-

a) Re-park antenna and try again.

8) TuneMatic stops at top of antenna movement during initialization, and gives “P E” error-

a) current limit may be set too high- check DIP switch settings.

9) Antenna sends current limit (“C L”) message with any movement-

a) Antenna DIP switch current setting too low, set to lower setting

G- QUICK START GUIDE:

Perform these steps as a minimum.

1) Connect unit per manual,

2) Set antenna current limit DIP switches correctly for the antenna,

3) Apply power, test antenna up & down (UP/DN arrow buttons),

4) Initialize by pressing “INIT” on remote, wait until complete,

5) Start storing frequencies from high-frequency end of antenna to low, using “ST” button, it it

tunes it will spell “MM” in code, if not, it will spell “SWR”.

At this point, you can recall the stored frequencies by setting radio to stored frequency, press TUNE

button, and TuneMatic will recall stored frequency, and move antenna to set point. The more that is

stored, the more presets will be filled up (or overwrite).

H- GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS:

Operating Frequency range: 1-60MHz

Insertion loss: typ. <0.2 dB @ 50MHz

Max power rating: 200W PEP

Operating voltage range: 10-28v DC (motor dependent)

Max. motor load: 3A (in-line fused)

Max. PTT load : 0.5a (internally limited)

Operating Temp. range: -10 - 50 degrees C

ONE-YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY ON PARTS AND LABOR-

Covers Product purchased as new only.

JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC provides a warranty to the original purchaser of new

Products against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of

One (1) year of normal consumer (non-commercial) usage.

This warranty is not transferrable.

If a Product covered by this warranty is determined to be defective within the warranty period, JT

COMMUNICATIONS LLC will, unless otherwise required by applicable law, either repair or exchange the Product

at its sole option and discretion

How to Obtain Warranty Service

(An RMA required) To obtain warranty service, contact JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC Technical Support via email:

TechSuppo[email protected] or by telephone at 352-236-0744(USA) from 8:00AM to 6:00PM Monday through Friday (holidays

excluded), Eastern Time zone.

PRE-AUTHORIZATION MUST BE OBTAINED BEFORE SENDING PRODUCT TO A JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC SERVICE

CENTER. Proof of purchase in the form of a purchase receipt or copy thereof is required to show that a Product is within the warranty

period.

All radiohts reserved.

Exchange: Should JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC elect to exchange a Product due to a covered defect during the warranty period, the

replacement unit may at JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC’s Sole option and discretion, be new or one which has been recertified,

reconditioned, refurbished or otherwise remanufactured from new or used parts and is functionally equivalent to the original Product.

Repair: Parts and Labor There will be no charge for parts or labor to repair a Product for a covered defect during the warranty period.

Replacement parts may, at JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC’s sole option and discretion, be new, used, reconditioned, refurbished or

otherwise remanufactured or recertified as functionally equivalent replacement parts.

Remaining Warranty: Repaired or exchanged units are warranted for the remaining portion of the Product’s original warranty or for

ninety (90) days from warranty service or exchange, whichever is longer. Any upgrade to the original Product will be covered only for

the duration of the original warranty period.

Returning a Product for Warranty Service: After obtaining pre-authorization from JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC Technical Support (see

above), defective Products within the warranty period must be sent to a JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC service center to obtain warranty

service. JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC is not responsible for transportation costs to the service center, but JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC

will cover return shipping to the customer. Products returned to JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC’s service centers must be shipped in

either the original carton box and shipping material or packaging that provides an equal degree of protection. JT COMMUNICATIONS

LLC Technical Support will provide instructions for packing and shipping the covered Product to the JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC

service center.

Exclusions- This warranty does not cover, for example: abuse, accident, acts of God, and protective coatings, cosmetic damage (e.g.

scratches, dents, cracks), damage caused by misuse with other products (e.g. accessories, housing, parts or software), damages from

shipping, improper installation or operation, failure to follow installation/operation instructions, improper voltage supply or power surges,

operating with higher than rated fuse, lack of reasonable use, misuse, modifications or alterations, normal wear and tear or aging, as

well as installation and set-up issues or any tampering. Product repairs attempted by anyone other than by a JT COMMUNICATIONS

LLC authorized service center. Products with unreadable or removed serial numbers or requiring routine maintenance are not covered.

This one year limited warranty does not cover Products sold “AS IS”, “FACTORY RE-CERTIFIED”, or by a non-authorized reseller.

Limitations- THERE ARE NO EXPRESS WARRANTIES OTHER THAN THOSE LISTED OR DESCRIBED ABOVE. ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES,

INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, SHALL BE LIMITED IN

DURATION TO THE PERIOD OF TIME SET FORTH ABOVE. JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC'S TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ANY AND ALL LOSSES AND

DAMAGES RESULTING FROM ANY CAUSE WHATSOEVER INCLUDING JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC’S NEGLIGENCE, ALLEGED DAMAGE, OR

DEFECTIVE GOODS, WHETHER SUCH DEFECTS ARE DISCOVERABLE OR LATENT, SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED THE PURCHASE PRICE OF

THE PRODUCT. JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS OF USE, IINFORMATION OR DATA INCLUDING THAT

CONTAINED IN OR STORED ON ANY DEVICE RETURNED TO JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC, WORK STOPPAGE, SYSTEM FAILURE OR

MALFUNCTION, FAILURE OF OTHER EQUIPMENT OR PRODUCTS TO WHICH THE PRODUCT IS CONNECTED, COMMERCIAL LOSS, LOST

REVENUE OR LOST PROFITS, LOSS OF GOODWILL, LOSS OF REPUTATION, OR ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES.

NO ORAL OR WRITTEN REPRESENTATIONS MADE BY JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC OR ANY SELLER, RESELLER OR DISTRIBUTOR OF THE

PRODUCT, INCLUDING EMPLOYEES AND AGENTS THEREOF, SHALL CREATE ANY ADDITIONAL WARANTY OBLIGATIONS, INCREASE THE

SCOPE, OR OTHERWISE MODIFY IN ANY MANNER THE TERMS OF THIS LIMITED WARRANTY. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE

LAW, JT COMMUNICATIONS LLC DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE OPERATION OF ANY PRODUCTS OR SOFTWARE COVERED UNDER THIS

LIMITED WARRANTY WILL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, WORK IN COMBINATION WITH ANY HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE APPLICATIONS OR

THIRD PARTY SERVICES, BE UNINTERRUPTED, ERROR FREE, OR WITHOUT RISK TO, OR LOSS OF, ANY INFORMATION, DATA, SOFTWARE

OR APPLICATIONS CONTAINED THEREIN, OR THAT DEFECTS IN THE PRODUCTS OR SOFTWARE WILL BE CORRECTED.

SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW LIMITATIONS ON HOW LONG AN IMPLIED WARRANTY LASTS OR THE EXCLUSION OF INCIDENTAL OR

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE LIMITATION S OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RADIOHTS, AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS, WHICH VARY FROM STATE TO

STATE.

THIS LIMITED WARRANTY IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

In the event that any term or provision contained in this limited warranty is found to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable by a court of competent

jurisdiction, then such provision shall be deemed modified to the extent necessary to make such provision enforceable by such court, taking into account

the intent of the parties. The invalidity in whole or in part of any portion of this limited warranty shall not impair or affect the validity or enforceability of the

remaining provisions of this limited warranty.

JT Communications LLC 579 NE 44

Ave. Ocala, FL 34470 USA 352-236-0744

www.tunematic.us

Table of contents