LDG Z-817 User manual

Z-817 OPERATIONS MANUAL MANUAL REV A
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LDG Z-817 20-Watt
Automatic Tuner with
FT-817 Integration
LDG Electronics
1445 Parran Road
St. Leonard MD 20685-2903 USA
Phone: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]
www.ldgelectronics.com

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Table Of Contents
Introduction 3
Jumpstart, or “Real hams don’t read manuals!” 3
Specifications 4
Getting to know your Z-817 5
Front Panel
Rear Panel
Installation 8
FT-817 Installation
Non-FT-817 Installation
Grounding
Operation 9
Basic Tuning Operation
Toggle Bypass Mode:
Initiate a Memory Tune Cycle:
Force a Full Tune Cycle:
Status Indicators
Application Information 13
Mobile Operation
MARS/CAP Coverage
Operation with a PC / CAT
Theory of Operation 15
The LDG Z-817 17
Care and Maintenance 18
General Care
Internal Battery Replacement
Technical Support 20
Two-Year Transferrable Warranty 20
Out Of Warranty Service 21
Returning Your Product For Service 21

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INTRODUCTION
LDG pioneered the automatic, wide-range switched-L tuner in 1995. From its laboratories in St.
Leonard, Maryland, LDG continues to define the state of the art in this field with innovative
automatic tuners and related products for every amateur need.
Congratulations on selecting the Z-817 20-watt automatic tuner for QRP transceivers. While the
Z-817 works well with any radio with a maximum power of 20 watts, it offers enhanced features
when coupled with the Yaesu FT-817 QRP transceiver. The Z-817 provides semi-automatic antenna
tuning across the entire HF spectrum plus 6 meters, at power levels up to 20 watts. It will tune
dipoles, verticals, Yagis, or virtually any coax-fed antenna. It will match an amazing range of
antennas and impedances, far greater than some other tuners you may have considered, including
the built-in tuners on many radios.
The Z-817 is similar to previous LDG tuners, but is specially engineered to integrate with the
Yaesu FT-817 QRP HF radio. The Z-817 connects to the CAT (Computer Automated Transceiver)
port on the back of the radio. The CAT interface allows an external device such as a PC or the Z-
817 to control the FT-817 by sending it serial commands. The Z-817 takes advantage of this
interface to simplify the tuning process -- one button push is all that is needed in order to switch the
radio to PKT mode, reduce output power, transmit a carrier, measure the transmit frequency, and
then restore the radio to its previous mode and power level!
Of course, the Z-817 will also function as a general-purpose QRP antenna tuner with other
radios. Manual operation will be required in this case.
The Z-817 is powered by internal batteries, so there is no additional power cable required to use
the Z-817. Latching relays are used, so the Z-817 consumes no power when not tuning, so batteries
only need to be replaced once per year or less.
JUMPSTART, OR “REAL HAMS DON’T READ MANUALS!”
Ok, but at least read this one section before operating the Z-817:
1. Turn off power to your FT-8171radio.
2. Connect the rear antenna jack on the transceiver to the “TX” jack on the Z-817, using a 50 ohm
coax cable jumper.
3. Connect a 50 ohm coax antenna feedline to the “ANT” jack on the Z-817.
4. FT-817: (If non-FT-817, skip to step 10) Connect one end of the supplied radio interface cable
to the ACC port on the back of your FT-817 radio.
5. Connect other end of the supplied radio interface cable to the “Radio” jack on the back of the
Z-817.
6. Turn on power to your transceiver. Once it powers up, hold in the F key for one second to
access the extended menus. Rotate the SEL knob until menu #14, “CAT RATE” appears.
Rotate the dial knob until “38400” is selected. Hold in the F key again for one second, to return
to normal operation.
7. Select the desired operating frequency and mode.
1Or any QRP radio with maximum output power of 20 watts or less.

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8. Push and hold the TUNE button on the front of the Z-817 for one second (until the Tuning
LED comes on), then release. The transceiver automatically switches to PKT mode, and keys up
with a minimal amount of power, and the Z-817 begins a tuning cycle. At the end of the tuning
cycle, the original mode and power level is restored.
9. Wait for the tuning cycle to end; you’re now ready to operate!
10. (Non-FT-817 Radios): Select operating frequency, and switch mode to CW or AM.
11. Key the radio, press and hold the TUNE button on the Z-817 until the Tuning LED comes
on, then release the TUNE button.
12. Wait for the tuning cycle to complete.
13. Un-key the radio, then return to the desired operating mode; you’re ready to operate!
SPECIFICATIONS
•0.1 to 20 watts SSB, CW, and digital modes.
•Latching relays for ultra low power operation.
•2,000 memories for instantaneous frequency and band changing (when used with FT-817
radio. 200 memories otherwise.)
•Battery powered. 4x 1.5V AA (Alkaline recommended for long life)
•Designed specifically for the Yaesu FT-817 QRP HF transceiver.
•Also works with any transceiver with maximum 20 watts power rating.
•Pass-thru CAT port allows Z-817 to control the FT-817 over the CAT bus while still allowing
a host PC to also control the radio.
•1.8 to 54.0 MHz coverage. Frequency for memory storage is read from the radio via CAT.
•Tunes 6 to 600 ohm loads (16 to 150 on 6M), 24 to 2400 ohms with optional 4:1 Balun.
•For Dipoles, Verticals, Vees, Beams or any Coax Fed Antenna.
•Optional external Balun allows tuning of random length, long wire or ladder line fed antennas.
•Dimensions: 5.1L” x 4.7W” x 1.7H”. Fits on top the FT-817 with room to spare, allowing
access to aftermarket add-ons such as internal DSP.
•Weight: 9.3 ounces (without batteries)
AN IMPORTANT WORD ABOUT POWER LEVELS
The Z-817 is rated at 20 watts maximum power input at most. Many ham transmitters and
transceivers, and virtually all amplifiers, output well over 20 watts. Power levels that significantly
exceed specifications will definitely damage or destroy your Z-817. If your tuner fails during
overload, it could also damage your transmitter or transceiver. Be sure to observe the specified
power limitations.

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IMPORTANT SAFETY WARNING
Never install antennas or transmission lines over or near power lines. You can be seriously
injured or killed if any part of the antenna, support or transmission line touches a power
line. Always follow this antenna safety rule: the distance to the nearest power line should
be at least twice the length of the longest antenna, transmission line or support dimension.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR Z-817
Your Z-817 is a quality, precision instrument that will give you many years of outstanding
service; take a few minutes to get to know it.
The Z-817 is designed especially for use with the FT-817. Tuning is performed when the Tune
button is pushed on the front of the Z-817 and held for one second. The tuner can be placed in
bypass mode by pressing the Tune button momentarily.
The Z-817 is powered directly from internal AA batteries; no separate power supply is needed.
The Z-817 automatically powers up at the start of a tuning cycle, and goes into an ultra low-power
sleep mode when tuning is complete. The latching relays hold the tuned configuration indefinitely,
even when DC power is completely removed. Tuning memories are stored in FLASH memory. The
internal batteries should last for approximately one year under normal operating circumstances;
longer or shorter depending upon how frequently tuning is performed.
The Z-817 has 2,0002frequency memories. When tuning on or near a previously tuned
frequency, the Z-817 uses “Memory Tune” to recall the previous tuning parameters in a fraction of a
second. If no memorized settings are available, the tuner runs a full tuning cycle, storing the
parameters for memory recall on subsequent tuning cycles on that frequency. In this manner, the Z-
817 “learns” as it is used, adapting to the bands and frequencies as it goes.
When used with a radio other than the FT-817, the supplied CAT interface cable is not
connected. Instead, the radio must be manually keyed during tuning. Also, only 200 memories are
available when used with a radio other than the FT-817.
The Z-817 is designed to tune with a maximum of 20 watts of forward power. Many “QRP”
radios are capable of transmitting more than the traditional 5 watts maximum for QRP; the Z-817
works well with these radios, such as the FT-897 operating in battery-only mode (20 watts).
2200 memories when not used with an FT-817 radio.

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Front Panel
On the front panel there is one pushbutton and two LED indicator lights.
•Tune: Initiates either a memory tune or a full tune, and also toggles the tuner between
“active” and “bypass” modes.
•SWR LED: Lights steady green at the end of a tuning cycle to indicate a good match has been
found.
•Tuning LED: Lights during tuning operation, will also blink error codes if a good tuning
match is not found.

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Rear Panel
The rear panel of the Z-817 features five connectors.
•ANT connector: Connect the 50-ohm coax antenna feedline to this standard SO-239
connector.
•TX connector: Connect the 50-ohm coax jumper cable from this standard SO-239 connector
to the ANT jack on the back of the transceiver.
•Computer connector: This 8-pin mini-DIN connector connects to a personal computer via
Yaesu’s CT-62 cable or similar computer-to-CAT interface cable. Use of this port is optional; it is
provided for those hams who would like to control their FT-817 via computer. This is a pass-thru
port to the Radio port, and is switched under software control by the Z-817’s microprocessor. The
firmware of the Z-817 has been written such that this will seem transparent to the user -- if using
CAT to control your FT-817, just plug the PC’s CAT cable into this port instead of the CAT jack
on the back of the FT-817.
•Radio connector: This 8-pin mini-DIN connector is for connection to the FT-817’s CAT
(“ACC”) jack. The Z-817 controls the PTT, power level, and operating mode via CAT commands
sent to the FT-817. The Z-817 also reads the operating frequency directly from the FT-817 so that
it knows where to store tuning memory data.
•GND connector (5/16” nut): Connect to antenna system ground.

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INSTALLATION
The Z-817 tuner is designed for indoor operation only; it is not water resistant. If you use it
outdoors (Field Day, for example), you must protect it from the rain. The Z-817 is designed for use
with coax-fed antennas. If use with longwires or ladder-line-fed antennas is desired, an external
balun is required. The LDG RBA-4:1 or RBA-1:1 is ideal, depending on the antenna and
transmission line used.
Always turn your radio off before plugging or unplugging anything. The radio may be damaged
if cables are connected or disconnected while the power is on.
Connect the rear antenna jack on the FT-817 to the TX jack on the back of the Z-817, using a
50 ohm coax cable rated 20 watts or greater.
FT-817 Installation
Connect the supplied radio interface cable to the mini-DIN 8-pin jack on the rear of the Z-817,
marked “Radio”. Connect the other end of this cable to the “ACC” port on the rear of the FT-817.
On the FT-817, press and hold the “F” button on the front panel for one second, to enter the
extended menu. Rotate the SEL knob until menu # 14, “CAT RATE” is showing. Rotate the tuning
dial until “38400” is displayed. Now press and hold the “F” button again to resume normal
operation.
If it is desired to operate the FT-817 via computer control, connect the Yaesu CT-62 CAT
interface cable to the Z-817 port labelled “Computer”. The Z-817 will automatically feed through
any CAT commands coming in over this port to the FT-817 and vice versa. Note that any software
used to control the FT-817 will have to be set for 38,400 baud while connected through the Z-817.
Non-FT-817 Installation
As above, but do not connect the supplied CAT cable, and no radio menu settings are required.

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Grounding
Grounding the Z-817 tuner will enhance its performance and safety. LDG recommends that you
connect your tuner to a suitable ground; a common ground rod connected to buried radials is
preferred, but a single ground rod, a cold water pipe, or the screw that holds the cover on an AC
outlet can provide a serviceable ground. LDG strongly recommends the use of a properly installed,
high quality lightning arrestor on all antenna cables.
OPERATION
Basic Tuning Operation
The Z-817 is operated from the front panel TUNE button on the Z-817 itself. Two types of
tuning cycles are available; a memory tuning cycle and a full tuning cycle.
The memory tuning cycle attempts to tune quickly based on having previously tuned on the
present frequency selection. If the tuner previously was successful in tuning on the currently selected
frequency, the settings for that match will be loaded into the tuner relays, and checked to see that an
acceptable SWR match is found.
A full tuning cycle “starts from scratch” and begins a fixed tuning sequence where the Z-817
rapidly tries varying combinations of inductance and capacitance values, and then zeroes-in on the
best match possible. When the tuning cycle is complete, if an acceptable match was found, the
inductance and capacitance settings are saved in a memory associated with the selected frequency, so
that they may be recalled quickly in the future via a memory tuning cycle.
In this manner, the Z-817 “learns”; the longer you use it, the more closely it adapts itself to the
bands and frequencies used. Most users will probably use memory tuning most of the time; it takes
advantage of any saved tuning settings, but automatically defaults to a full tuning cycle if no stored
data is available.
In both cases, at the end of the tuning cycle, the carrier is held for 1.5 seconds after tuning is
complete, so that the final SWR may be read on the transceiver’s internal SWR meter or another
inline SWR meter, and the front panel LEDs will indicate the status of the tuning cycle.
The tuner may also be placed in “bypass” mode where it is electrically removed from the
antenna system.
Although the FT-817 transceiver is designed to transmit and receive on all HF bands plus 6
meters, 2 meters and 70 centimeters, the Z-817 is designed only to work on HF and 6 meters. The
Z-817’s microprocessor will check the operating frequency before tuning, and will not allow tuning
on 2 meters or 70 cm. If tuning on these bands is attempted, the Tuning LED blinks 10 times
quickly, and no tuning is performed.

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Toggle Bypass Mode:
To toggle between bypassed and active mode, press the front panel Tune button on the Z-817
momentarily. The SWR LED will flash three times to indicate that the tuner is in bypass mode.
Press the front panel Tune button momentarily again to recall the previous tuner settings. The SWR
LED will flash once to indicate that the tuner is no longer bypassed. This function may be useful if
you wish to compare antenna performance with and without the benefit of the tuner’s matching
network.