Palstar AT User manual

Palstar Incorporated
9676 N. Looney Rd.,
Piqua, OH 45356 USA
Customer Service and Sales Telephone:
1-800-773-7931
Fax:
1-937-773-8003
Email:
in [email protected]
REV 1.2 01.22.2008
© Copyright 2007 Palstar Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
AT1KP 1200 Watt Antenna Tuner
160 Meter to 6 Meter
Peak/Peak Hold Metering
Differential-T Antenna Tuner
Owner’s Manual

1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
2 Important afeguards
WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR
ELECTRICAL SHOCK DO NOT
EXPOSE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE
1. Read Instructions—All the safet and
operating instructions should be read before
the appliance is operated.
2. Retain Instructions—The safet and
operating instructions should be retained for
future reference.
3. Heed Warnings—All warnings on the
appliance should be adhered to.
4. Follow Instructions—All operating and
use instructions should be followed.
5. Cleaning—Unplug this appliance from the
wall outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid
cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp
cloth for cleaning.
6. Do Not Use ttachments—not recom-
mended b the manufacturer or the ma
cause hazards.
7. Water and Moisture—Do not use this
product near water—for example, near a
bathtub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, laundr tub,
in a wet basement, or near a swimming pool—
and the like.
8. ccessories—Do not place this product on
an unstable cart, stand, tripod, bracket, or
table. The product ma fall, causing serious
injur to a child or adult, and serious damage
to the appliance.
9. Ventilation—This product should never be
placed near or over a radiator or heat register.
This product should not be placed in a built-in
installation such as a bookcase or rack unless
proper ventilation is provided or the manufac-
turer’s instructions have been adhered to. An
slots or openings in the cabinet are provided
for ventilation. To ensure reliable operation of
the video product and to protect it from over-
heating, these openings must not be blocked
or covered. The openings should never be
blocked b placing the product on a bed, sofa,
rug, or other similar surface.
10. Grounding or Polarization—this product
is equipped with a 3-wire line cord receptacle.
It is intended for use with a 3-wire properl
grounded power socket. Do not defeat the
safet purpose of the supplied line cord and
plug.
11. Power Sources—This product should be
operated onl from the t pe of power source
indicated on the marketing label. If ou are not
sure of the t pe of power supplied to our
home, consult our appliance dealer or local
power compan .
12. Power-cord Protection—Power-suppl
cords should be routed so the are not likel
to be walked on or pinched b items placed
upon or against them. Pa particular attention
to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where the exit.
13. Lightning—For added protection for this
product during a lightning storm, or when it is
left unattended and unused for long periods of
time, unplug it from the wall outlet.
WARNING: TO REDUCE THE RISK OF FIRE OR ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT
EXPOSE THIS APPLIANCE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE. DO NOT
OPEN THE CABINET WHILE OPERATING. REFER SERVICING TO
QUALIFIED PERSONNEL ONLY.
CAUTION: TO PREVENT ELECTRIC SHOCK, DO NOT USE THE THREE WIRE
CORD WITH AN EXTENSION CORD RECEPTIACLE OR OTHER
OUTLET UNLESS THE BLADES CAN BE FULLY INSERTED TO
PREVENT BLADE EXPOSURE.
An appliance and cart combination should
be moved with care. Quick stops, exces-
sive force and uneven surfaces ma cause
the appliance and cart combination to
overturn.
The lightning flash with arrow head
s mbol, within an equilateral triangle, is
intended to alert the user to the presence
of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within
the product’s enclosure that ma be of
sufficient magnitude to constitute a risk of
electric shock to persons.
The exclamation point within an equilateral
triangle is intended to alert the user to the
presence of important operating and
maintenance (servicing) instructions in the
literature accompan ing the appliance.
ervice and Warranty 15
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
Limited Warranty
Palstar Inc. warrants products manu-
actured by it to be ree rom de ects
in material and workmanship under
normal use and service for a period
of t o (2) years for the AT-
AUTO, AT10K, AT5K, AT4K, and
all other products for one (1) year
from the date of delivery to the
first buyer (the “Warranty Period”).
Palstar Inc’s obligation under this war-
ranty is limited to repair or replace-
ment o the product; at its option at
the Palstar actory in Piqua, OH.
E ective only when the product is
returned to the actory with all trans-
portation charges prepaid and exami-
nation o the product discloses in Pal-
star’s judgment, to have been de ective
during the Warranty Period.
The Warranty Period shall not extend
beyond its original term with respect
to interim in-warranty repairs by Pal-
star. This Warranty Period shall not
apply to any product which has been
repaired or altered by anyone other
than Palstar without prior written
authorization. Warranty does not ex-
tend to any products which have been
subject to damage rom improper in-
stallation, application or maintenance in
accordance with the operating speci i-
cation. Palstar neither assumes nor
authorizes any person to assume or it
any obligation or liability other than
herein stated.
Repair Policy
When sending in a product or service,
please “double” box it care ully and
ship it insured or your protection.
Please include a note clearly describing
the problem, how you wish the item
returned and how you wish to pay or
the service. Package your unit prop-
erly. Palstar, Inc. is not responsible or
merchandise damaged in shipment.
Our service rate is $30 per hour (1/2
hr. minimum).
Return Policy
All returns must receive prior authori-
zation rom Palstar. Returned items
must be received in original—AS
SHIPPED– condition including the
original box, manuals, accessories, and
copy o sales receipt. Returns must be
within 14 days o purchase. Returned
items are subject to a 25% restocking
ee. Shipping is not re undable.

14 Meter Board Adjustments
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
Note: These adjustments control the calibration and accuracy of the
AT1KP’s metering. Do not adjust unless you are sure the metering is
inaccurate, and you ha e accurate test equipment to check against.
Note: The adjustment pots on your meter board may differ
in appearance from the photograph.
Reverse Reverse Forward Forward
Low High Low High
Peak Peak
Low High
Peak Peak Power On/Off
Hold Range
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
Important afeguards cont’d 3
14. Power Lines—An outside antenna s s-
tem should not be located in the vicinit of
overhead power lines, other electric light or
power circuits, where it can fall into such
power lines or circuits. When installing an
outside antenna s stem, extreme care should
be taken to keep from touching such power
lines or circuits as contact with them ma be
fatal.
15. Overloading—Do not overload wall out-
lets and extension cords as this can result in a
risk of fire or electric shock.
16. Object and Liquid Entry—Never push
objects of an kind into this product through
openings as the ma touch dangerous volt-
age points or short-out parts that could result
in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of
an kind on the product.
17. Servicing—Do not attempt to service this
product ourself as opening or removing
covers ma expose ou to dangerous voltage
or other hazards. Refer all servicing to quali-
fied service personnel.
18. Damage Requiring Service—Unplug this
product from the wall outlet and refer servicing
to qualified service personnel under the fol-
lowing conditions:
a. When the power-suppl cord or plug is
damaged.
b. If liquid has been spilled, or objects have
fallen into the product.
c. If the product has been exposed to rain or
water.
d. If the product does not operate normall b
following the operating instructions. Adjust
onl those controls that are covered b the
operating instructions. An improper adjust-
ment ma result in damage and will often
require extensive work b a qualified
technician to restore the product to its normal
operation.
e. If the product has been dropped or the
cabinet has been damaged.
f. When the product exhibits a distinct change
in performance—this indicates a need for
service.
19. Replacement Parts—when replacement
parts are required, be sure the service techni-
cian has used replacement parts specified b
the manufacturer or have the same character-
istics as the original parts. Unauthorized sub-
stitutes ma result in fire, electric shock or
other hazards.
20. Safety Checks—Upon completion of an
service or repairs to this product, ask the
service technician to perform safet checks to
determine that the product is in proper operat-
ing condition.
21. Outdoor ntenna Grounding—Before
attempting to install this product, be sure the
antenna or cable s stem is grounded so as to
provide some protection against voltage
surges and built-up static charges.
a. Use No.10 AWG copper, No.8AWG alumi-
num, No.17AWB copper-clad steel or bronze
wire or larger, as ground wire.
b. Secure antenna lead-in and ground wires to
house with stand-off insulators spaced from 4
feet to 6 feet apart.
c. Mount antenna discharge unit as close as
possible to where lead-in enters house.
d. A driven rod ma be used as the grounding
electrode where other t pes of electrode
s stems do not exist. Refer to the National
Electric Code, ANSI/NFPA 70-1990 for infor-
mation.
e. Use jumper wire not smaller than No.6
AWG copper or equivalent, when a separate
antenna grounding electrode is used.

4 Table of Contents
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
Important safeguards 2
Table of Contents 4
General Description 5
Specifications 6
Installation 7
Unpacking 7
Location 7
Installation Procedures 7
T1KP Schematic 8
Rear Panel Connections 10
Front Panel Description 11
Operating Your T1KP 12
Before Operating 12
Tuning 12
Notes 14
Service and Warranty 15
Thank ou for purchasing a
Palstar AT1KP Antenna Tuner.
This antenna tuner has been
designed and manufactured to
high qualit standards, and will
provide reliable operation for
man ears.
Please carefull read the
Owner’s Manual in order to take
advantage of the man interest-
ing features that will provide
ears of enjo able amateur
radio operation.
Operating Your AT1KP cont’d 13
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
Selecting COAX 1 DIRECT, COAX 2
DIRECT or BYPASS bypasses the tun-
ing selection.
7. Rotate the TUNE and INDUCTOR
controls or maximum noise or signal
as heard on your receiver. Re er to
preset tuning chart below
8. Key your transmitter and adjust the
power level or a reading o 100-150
watts on the FORWARD scale. Adjust
the TUNE and INDUCTOR controls
or a minimum REFLECTED reading
while maintaining a FORWARD read-
ing o 50-100 watts using your trans-
mitter power control.
9. Read the SWR on the red scale at
the point where the two needles inter-
sect. Repeat adjusting the Tune and
Inductor controls until the lowest
SWR reading is obtained.
This procedure takes patience the
first time. The Tune control varies
the capacitor and provides fine ad-
justments. The roller inductor crank
control provides coarse adjustment.
Notes
1. An SWR o 1:1 is best, but an
SWR as high as 2:1 may be acceptable.
Check your transmitter/ampli ier man-
ual or details.
2. I you cannot get an acceptable
SWR, lengthen or shorten your an-
tenna and/or eedlines and retune.
3. Once every 4-6 months clean the
roller coil with 70% isopropyl alcohol
and a clean cotton cloth. Do not trans-
er any o the conducting grease on the
rod that guides the roller wheel as this
will contaminate the windings on the
roller coil body.
4. Any time a new or di erent antenna
is connected, it is necessary to repeat
the tuning procedure or each antenna.
10. When you have tuned your an-
tenna to the best SWR, record the
settings o the TUNE and INDUC-
TANCE controls on the chart above
or uture re erence. When you re-
tune, use these settings as your starting
point.
CAUTION: When ap-
proaching the end stops
of the roller inductor,
(readings of zero or 248)
SLOW DOWN. Running
the roller too hard into
the mechanical end stops
on either end of the roller
inductor can damage it.

1 Operating Your AT1KP
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
Before Operating
1. To avoid possible damage to the
AT1KP set the POWER RANGE
switch to the OUT position (Low
range) and set the TUNE and INDUC-
TOR as outlined in the chart be ore
applying transmitter power.
2. Begin tuning with your transmitter/
amp into the tuner set at a low output
power setting (50-100 Watts).
Tuning
1. Select the band and requency o
desired operation.
2. Set TUNE and INDUCTOR controls
to the suggested setting be ore apply-
ing transmitter power (see chart).
Actual settings will vary rom antenna
to antenna.
3. Set your transmitter/amp to a low
power output. I your transmitter has a
TUNE position, select that position.
4. I you use a linear ampli ier, set it to
Standby. Do not use the linear ampli-
ier until the AT1KP is tuned. Do not
exceed 800 atts average (single
tone) during tune-up.
5. Set RANGE switch to 300 W
(button out).
6. Set the DIRECT/TUNED mode
switch to BYPASS or the position
matching your antenna connection. To
tune your antenna, the switch selection
must be set to: COAX 1 TUNED,
COAX 2 TUNED or WIRE
(BALANCED ANTENNA).
WARNING: DO NOT OPERATE THE AT1KP
WITH THE COVER OFF.
TUNE INDUCTOR
SUGGESTED ACTUAL SUGGESTED ACTUAL
160 M 52 44
80 M 52 132
60 M 54 221
40 M 53 201
20 M 48 231
17 M 47 234
15 M 56 236
12 M 55 234
6M 85 241
BAND
10 M 62 230
General Description 5
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
The Palstar AT1KP Antenna
Tuner is an American made im-
pedance matching network that
can provide balanced and un-
balanced output.
The AT1KP optimizes the per-
formance of our antenna and
transmitter or SWL receiver b
providing adjustable impedance
matching using a T-t pe circuit
configuration with a dual-stator
differential variable capacitor.
The AT1KP also measures the
power and Voltage Standing
Wave Ratio (VSWR or SWR)
which allows ou to tune the
SWR to the lowest ratio possible
for the selected transmission
frequenc .
The AT1KP features a precision
roller inductor with a steatite
ceramic core. The innovative
differential capacitor design sim-
plifies operation b reducing the
number of knobs and eliminat-
ing false peaks while tuning. It
also results in a more compact
case that takes up less room on
the operating desk.
The AT1KP is designed to han-
dle both Balanced line feeds
and Coax feeds with a front
panel mounted switch to select
between feeds.
Tuning is achieved with the front
panel mounted controls. The
Vernier dial allows for fine tun-
ing with precision and accurac ,
while the Inductor crank handle
facilitates coarse adjustments.

6 pecifications
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
Front Panel Indicators and Controls
Metering Dual movement cross needle power and frequenc
compensated coupler
Controls
Input Tuning Dual-stator differential capacitor (408 - 14 - 408) pF,
4.5 kV) with 6:1 precision vernier drive
Inductance 15 µH roller inductor; 12 ga. wire wound on steatite
ceramic core, silver plated bar/wheel. 10 µH fixed
toroid inductance, 14 ga. Teflon wire switched in and
out of circuit b front panel switch-controlled rela
Antenna Selector Switch 6 position: Coax 1 tuned and tuner b pass
Coax 2 tuned and tuner b pass
B pass and balanced antenna
Power Range Switch 2 position 300 W /3000 W
Rear Panel Connectors
Coax 1 SO239 connector
Coax 2 SO239 connector
B pass SO239 connector
RF INPUT SO239 connector
Balanced Line Dual High Voltage N lon66TM terminal post
End –Fed Wire Dual High Voltage N lon66TM terminal post
12 VDC Input Adaptor for meter light 2.1 mm con. (center positive)
Other
Frequenc Coverage 1.8 — 54 MHz
Power Maximum 1200 W PEP SSB; 800 W CW
Impedance Range 20 to 1500 Ω 160 m to 6 m (assuming resistive
load) Reduce power for lower Z range
Balanced Output 4:1 current balun
Dimensions 5.3”H x 12.25”W x 13”D (incl. terminals)
Weight 8 lbs.
Materials Chassis and top cover is 11 ga. (.090) aluminum
that has been chem.-film treated in gold color. Front
Panel powder coated and epox screened.
Front Panel Description 11
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
1. POWER/SWR METER Dual needle
meter displays FORWARD and RE-
FLECTED power in watts. SWR is meas-
ured where the two needles intersect on
the red scale.
2. PEAK HOLD Select to read Peak Hold
on the SWR meter.
3. PEAK Selects between PEAK and AVER-
AGE Power metering display.
4. RANGE Two-position switch selects the
range o FORWARD and REFLECTED
power displayed on the power meter.
When the RANGE button is OUT, the
FORWARD meter scale reads 300 watts
ull scale and the REFLECTED meter scale
reads 60 watts ull scale. When the RANGE
button is IN, the FORWARD meter scale
reads 3000 watts ull scale and the RE-
FLECTED meter scale reads 600 watts ull
scale.
5. POWER Select to turn on the backlight
in the meter and enable Peak, Peak Hold,
and 160 Meter unctions. The jack on the
back panel must be supplied with 12 VDC
or this to unction.
6. INDUCTOR 15 µH continuously vari-
able ceramic roller inductor driven by a
crank handle. Coupled to the crank handle
is a gear-driven precision mechanical
counter.
7. TUNE Continuously adjustable
di erential capacitor.
8. 160 METER SWITCH Pushing this
button to the IN position switches in extra
inductance or the 160 Meter Band. The
button should be in the OUT position or
use on all other bands — 80 through 6
Meters.
9. DIRECT-TUNED MODE SWITCH
Six-position rotary switch selects an output
coaxial connector with direct mode which
bypasses the tuner and tuned position
which passes antenna through the tuner
components.
a. DIRECT BYPASS selects BYPASS COAX
connector, bypassing the impedance matching
circuit but providing SWR, FORWARD and RE-
FLECTED meter readings.
b. DIRECT COAX 1 selects COAX 1 connec-
tor, bypassing the tuner matching circuit but
providing SWR, FORWARD and REFLECTED
meter readings.
c. DIRECT COAX 2 selects COAX 2 connec-
tor, bypassing the tuner matching circuit but
providing SWR, FORWARD and REFLECTED
meter readings.
d. TUNED COAX 1 selects COAX 1 connec-
tor through the impedance matching T circuit.
e. TUNED COAX 2 selects COAX 2 connec-
tor through the tuner matching T circuit.
. BALANCED OUT selects the balanced and
End Fed Wire output connectors located a ter the
impedance matching circuit.
1 2 3
6 7 8
4 5
9

10 Installation cont’d.
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
RF INPUT coaxial con-
nector or input rom
transmitter or ampli ier.
GROUND connector.
BALANCED OUTPUT two
nylon High Voltage post
connectors or output to RF
balanced wire ed antennas.
Copper strap jumper must
be connected between the
END FED WIRE post and
the JUMPER post.
COAX 2 coaxial connector or
output to Antenna Two.
COAX 1 coaxial connector or
output to Antenna One.
BYPASS coaxial connector or
output to dummy load or third
coax output. Bypasses tuner, but
meter circuits are on i AC adap-
tor is connected to jack located
on rear panel.
FIGURE 1: REAR PANEL CONNECTORS
END FED WIRE post connector
or output to a single-wire antenna
(do not use jumper). Ground post
must be connected to good RF
ground.
12 VDC INPUT (2.1 mm
plug, center pin +) or sup-
plied (US only) 12VDC wall
adapter at 200mA to power
the meter lamp, Peak/Peak
Hold unction and 160M
inductor relay.
JUMPER post connector. Con-
nect the jumper between this post
and the Wire post when using the
Balanced Output terminals to eed
ladder line.
J
W RNING: Balanced antennas will produce high
RF voltages at the output post connectors. RF
burns may result if touched during transmission.
Installation 7
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M
Unpacking
Carefull remove the AT1KP
from the shipping carton and
inspect it for signs of damage. If
an damage is apparent, notif
the transportation carrier or
dealer immediatel . We recom-
mend keeping the packing
carton for moving, storing or
reshipping the tuner to us for
repair if required.
Location
Select a location for the AT1KP
that allows the connectors to be
free from an possible contact
with people, pets or objects dur-
ing operation and with unre-
stricted air flow for cooling.
Installation Procedures
Connect a coax cable from our
transmitter to the RF INPUT
connector on the rear panel.
Keep the cable as short as pos-
sible. If ou use a linear ampli-
fier, connect our transmitter to
the linear amplifier input and the
linear amplifier output to the
AT1KP. Do not use more than
800 watts average (single
tone) through the tuner.
Connect coax cable(s) from
our antenna to COAX 1 or
COAX 2 connectors on the rear
panel. These connectors are
either direct from the transmitter
or through the tuned circuit de-
pending on the setting of the
DIRECT/TUNED mode switch
on the front panel.
For a balanced feed antenna
connect a balanced feed line the
upper and lower BALANCED
OUTPUT posts, and the sup-
plied jumper strap between the
END FED WIRE post and the
post provided for the jumper
(see pg 10).
If using a single wire antenna,
connect it to the END FED
WIRE post and remove the
jumper strap. When using an
END FED WIRE antenna the
GROUND post must be con-
nected to a good RF ground.
Connect a dumm load to the
BYPASS connector using a
coax cable. This lets ou select
the dumm load from the
DIRECT/TUNED mode switch.
An antenna that does not re-
quire the use of an antenna
tuner ma be connected to the
BYPASS connector, if desired.

8 AT1KP chematic
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AT1KP chematic 9
1-800-773-7931 W WW.PALST AR . CO M