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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
