Palstar AT2K 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 [e-mail]
Rev. 2.0 24 MAY 2010
© Copyright 2010 Palstar Inc.
Printed in the U.S.A.
AT2K 2000 Watt Antenna Tuner
Owner’s Manual

WARNING: TO PREVENT FIRE OR
ELECTRICAL SHOCK DO NOT
EXPOSE TO RAIN OR MOISTURE
1. Read Instructions All the safety and
operating instructions should be read before
the appliance is operated.
2. Retain Instructions The safety 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 by the manufacturer or they may
cause hazards.
7. Water and Moisture Do not use this
product near water for example, near a
bathtub, wash bowl, kitchen sink, laundry 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 may fall, causing serious
injury 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. Any
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 by 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 properly
grounded power socket. Do not defeat the
safety purpose of the supplied line cord and
plug.
11. Power Sources This product should be
operated only from the type of power source
indicated on the marketing label. If you are not
sure of the type of power supplied to your
home, consult your appliance dealer or local
power company.
12. Power-cord Protection Power-supply
cords should be routed so they are not likely
to be walked on or pinched by items placed
upon or against them. Pay particular attention
to cords at plugs, convenience receptacles,
and the point where they 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 may cause
the appliance and cart combination to
overturn.
The lightning flash with arrow head
symbol, within an equilateral triangle, is
intended to alert the user to the presence
of uninsulated “dangerous voltage” within
the product’s enclosure that may 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 accompanying the appliance.
1-800 -773-7931 WWW.PALSTA R.COM
2 Important Safeguards Service and Warranty 19
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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 one ( ) 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 replacement 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
transportation charges prepaid and examination o the product discloses
in Palstar’s judgment, to have been de ective during the Warranty Pe-
riod.
The Warranty Period shall not extend beyond its original term with
respect to interim in-warranty repairs by Palstar. This Warranty Period
shall not apply to any product which has been repaired or altered by
anyone other than Palstar without prior written authorization. War-
ranty does not extend to any products which have been subject to dam-
age rom improper installation, application or maintenance in accor-
dance with the operating speci ication. Palstar neither assumes nor au-
thorizes 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 properly. 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 authorization 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.

18 User Notes
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1-800 -773-7931 WWW.PALSTA R.COM
14. Power Lines An outside antenna sys-
tem should not be located in the vicinity 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 system, extreme care should
be taken to keep from touching such power
lines or circuits as contact with them may 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 any kind into this product through
openings as they may touch dangerous volt-
age points or short-out parts that could result
in a fire or electric shock. Never spill liquid of
any kind on the product.
17. Servicing Do not attempt to service this
product yourself as opening or removing
covers may expose you 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-supply 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 normally by
following the operating instructions. Adjust
only those controls that are covered by the
operating instructions. An improper adjust-
ment may result in damage and will often
require extensive work by 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 by
the manufacturer or have the same character-
istics as the original parts. Unauthorized sub-
stitutes may result in fire, electric shock or
other hazards.
20. Safety Checks Upon completion of any
service or repairs to this product, ask the
service technician to perform safety 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 system 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 may be used as the grounding
electrode where other types of electrode
systems 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.
Important Safeguards cont’d 3

4 Ta le of Contents
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Important safeguards 2
Table of Contents 4
General Description 5
Installation 6
Unpacking 6
Location 6
Installation Procedures 6
Rear Panel Connections 7
Front Panel Description 8 & 9
Schematic 10 & 11
Operating Your T2K 12
Before Operating 12
Tuning 12
Beginning Settings Chart 12
Notes 13
Specifications 14
Service and Warranty 15
Meter Board djustments 16
T2K Internal Photo 17
User Notes 18
Thank you for purchasing a
Palstar AT2K Antenna Tuner.
This antenna tuner has been
designed and manufactured to
high quality standards, and will
provide reliable operation for
many years.
Please carefully read the
Owner’s Manual in order to take
advantage of the many interest-
ing features that will provide
years of enjoyable amateur
radio operation.
AT2K Internal Photo 17
1-800 -773-7931 WWW.PALSTA R.COM
Coupler
Ceramic
Roller
Inductor
Peak/Hold
PCB
Metering
Assembly
Variable
Capacitors

16 Meter Board Adjustments
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Note: These adjustments control the calibration and accuracy
of the AT2K metering. Do not adjust unless you are sure the
metering is inaccurate, and you have accurate test equi ment
to check against.
Note: The adjustment pots on your meter oard may differ in
appearance from the photograph.
Peak Peak Power On/Off
Hold Range
Peak Peak
Low High
Reverse Reverse Forward Forward
Low High Low High
AT2K General Description 5
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Building on success, Palstar has
upgraded the best-selling AT-
1500CV throughout to create
the American-made Palstar
AT2K Antenna Tuner.
The AT2K optimizes the per-
formance of your antenna and
transmitter by providing adjust-
able impedance matching using
a T-type circuit configuration.
The AT2K also measures the
power (upgraded to include a
PEAK/PEAK HOLD function)
and Voltage Standing Wave
Ratio (VSWR or SWR) which
allows you to tune the SWR to
the lowest ratio possible for the
selected transmission fre-
quency.
The AT2K also features a preci-
sion steatite ceramic core roller
inductor with a silver plated
roller wheel and roller shaft. It’s
new, smaller size permits opera-
tion on 6 meters.
A high voltage ceramic wafer
switch allows selection between
coax feedlines or wire-fed an-
tennas. DIRECT switch posi-
tions bypass the impedance
matching circuit but allow for the
SWR, FORWARD, and RE-
FLECTED and PEAK power
meter FUNCTIONS.
Tuning is achieved with the front
panel mounted controls. The 6:1
ratio Vernier dials allow for tun-
ing with precision and accuracy,
while the Inductor crank handle
facilitates coarse adjustments.
The range of the meter
(300W/3000W) is selected by a
push button switch located on
the front panel.

W RNING: Balanced antennas will produce high
RF voltages at the output post connectors. RF
burns may result if touched during transmission.
6 Installation
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Un acking
Carefully remove the AT2K from
the shipping carton and inspect
it for signs of damage. If any
damage is apparent, notify the
transportation carrier or dealer
immediately. We recommend
keeping the packing carton
for moving, storing or reship-
ping the tuner to us for repair
if required.
Location
Select a location for the AT2K
that allows the connectors to be
free from any possible contact
with people, pets or objects dur-
ing operation and with unre-
stricted air flow for cooling.
Installation Procedures
(See Figure 1 on next page.)
Connect a coax cable from your
transmitter to the RF INPUT
connector on the rear panel.
Keep the cable as short as pos-
sible. If you use a linear ampli-
fier, connect your transmitter to
the linear amplifier input and the
linear amplifier output to the
AT2K. Do not use more than
1500 watts average (single
tone) through the tuner.
Connect coax cable(s) from
your 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.
Connect a dummy load to the
BYPASS connector using a
coax cable. This lets you select
the dummy load from the
DIRECT/TUNED mode switch.
Any antenna that does not re-
quire the use of an antenna
tuner may be connected to the
BYPASS connector, if desired.
Specifications 15
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Front Panel Indicators and Controls
Metering Dual movement cross needle power and frequency
compensated coupler
Controls
Input & Antenna Tuning Variable capacitor 400 pF 4.5 KV 6:1 Vernier Drive
Inductance 25 µH roller inductor; 12 ga. wire wound on steatite
ceramic core, silver plated bar/wheel.
Antenna Selector Switch 6 position: Coax 1 tuned and tuner bypass
Coax 2 tuned and tuner bypass
Bypass and balanced antenna
Switch wafers are (3kV rated)
Power Range Switch 2 position 300 W /3000 W
Rear Panel Connectors
RF INPUT SO-239 connector
Coax 1 SO-239 connector
Coax 2 SO-239 connector
Bypass SO-239 connector
Balanced Line COAX (Optional Balun)
End Fed Wire High Voltage Nylon66TM terminal post & ground post
12 VDC Input 14mm connector (2.1mm ID, 5.5mm OD, center
positive, 200ma)
Other
Frequency Coverage 1.8 54 MHz
Power Maximum 2000 W PEP SSB, 1500 W single tone
Impedance Range 20 to 1500 Ω 160 m to 10 m (assuming resistive
load) Reduce power for lower Z range
Balanced Output 4:1 current type balun EXTERNAL-OPTIONAL
Dimensions 5” H x 14.5” W x 13.5” D (incl. terminals)
Weight 13 lbs.
Materials Chassis and top cover is 11 ga. (.090) aluminum
that has been chem.-film treated. Front Panel
powder coated and epoxy screened.

14 Operating Your AT2K cont’d
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10. When you have tuned your antenna to the best SWR, re-
cord the settings of the INPUT, NTENN and INDUC-
T NCE controls on the chart above for future reference.
When you retune, use these settings as your starting point.
Notes
1. n SWR of 1:1 is best, but an SWR as high as 2:1 may be
acceptable. Check your transmitter/amplifier manual for de-
tails.
2. If you cannot get an acceptable SWR, lengthen or shorten
your antenna and/or feedlines and retune.
3. If you get low SWR readings at more than one setting, use
the setting that gives:
—highest Forward power reading
—lowest Reflected power reading
—uses the largest capacitance (highest number) on
the INPUT and NTENN controls.
4. ny time a new or different antenna is connected, it is
necessary to repeat the tuning procedure for each antenna.
5. Once every 4-6 months clean the roller coil with 70% iso-
propyl alcohol and a clean cotton cloth. Do not remove the
conducting grease on the rod that guides the roller wheel.
Do not transfer any of the conducting grease from the rod
to the roller coil body, as this will contaminate the wind-
ings .
Installation continued 7
1-800 -773-7931 WWW.PALSTA R.COM
12 VDC INPUT
(2.1 mm plug, cen-
ter pin +) 12VDC
wall adapter at
200mA to power
the meter lamp,
RF INPUT
coaxial connec-
tor or input
rom transmit-
ter or ampli-
ier.
GROUND post/wing nut
ground connector.
COAX 2 coaxial connector or
output to Antenna Two.
COAX 1 coaxial connector or
output to Antenna One.
BYPASS coaxial connec-
tor or output to
dummy load or third
coax output. Bypasses
tuner, but meter cir-
cuits are on i AC adap-
tor is connected to jack
located on rear panel.
FIGURE 1 — REAR PANEL CONNECTORS
COAX-BAL-WIRE
Use this connector
to connect an
optional 1:1 or 4:1
balun or balanced
or wire eed

8 Front Panel Description
1 2 3
1. POWER/SWR METER Dual needle meter displays FOR-
W RD and REFLECTED power in watts. SWR is measured
where the two needles intersect on the red scale.
2. PEAK HOLD Select to read Peak Hold on the SWR me-
ter. Peak switch [3] must be in PE K position.
3. PEAK Selects between PE K and VER GE Power me-
tering display.
4. RANGE Two-position switch selects the range of FOR-
W RD and REFLECTED power displayed on the power
meter. When the R NGE button is OUT, the FORW RD
meter scale reads 300 watts full scale and the REFLECTED
meter scale reads 60 watts full scale. When the R NGE but-
ton is IN, the FORW RD meter scale reads 3000 watts full
scale and the REFLECTED meter scale reads 600 watts full
scale.
5. ON Select to turn on the backlight in the meter and enable
metering, and 160 Meter functions. The jac on the bac
panel must be supplied with 12 VDC for these functions
to wor .
6. INDUCTOR 25 µH continuously variable ceramic roller
inductor driven by a crank handle. Coupled to the crank han-
4 5
6 7 8 9
Operating Your AT2K cont’d 13
1-800 -773-7931 WWW.PALSTA R.COM
Do not exceed 1500 watts average (single tone).
5. Set R NGE switch to 300 W (button out).
6. Set the DIRECT/TUNED mode switch to the TUNED po-
sition matching your antenna connection. To tune your an-
tenna, the switch selection must be set to: CO X 1 TUNED,
CO X 2 TUNED or B L NCED LINE.
Selecting CO X 1 DIRECT, CO X 2 DIRECT or BYP SS
bypasses the tuning circuitry, and tuning is not possible.
7. Rotate the INPUT, NTENN and INDUCTOR controls
for maximum noise or signal as heard on your receiver. Re-
fer to preset tuning chart on page 12.
8. Key your transmitter and adjust the power level for a read-
ing of 50-100 watts on the FORW RD scale. djust the IN-
PUT, OUTPUT and INDUCTOR controls for a minimum
REFLECTED reading while maintaining a FORW RD
reading of 50-100 watts using your transmitter power con-
trol.
9. Read the SWR on the red scale at the point where the two
needles intersect. Repeat TUNING the input and antenna
controls until the lowest SWR reading is obtained. The SWR
should be 2:1 or lower.
This procedure takes patience the first time. The input and
antenna controls vary the capacitors and provide fine ad-
justments. The roller inductor crank control provides
coarse adjustment.
CAUTION: When approaching the end stops of the
roller inductor, (readings of Zero or 279) SLOW
DOWN. Slamming the roller wheel into the mechani-
cal end stops on either end of the roller inductor can
damage it.

12 Operating Your AT2K
1-800 -773-7931 WWW.PALSTA R.COM
Before Operating
1. To avoid possible damage to the T2K set INPUT, OUT-
PUT, INDUCTOR, and POWER R NGE switches as out-
lined in the chart below before applying transmitter power.
2. Begin tuning with your transmitter/amp feeding the tuner
set at a low output power setting (50-100 Watts max).
Tuning
1. Select the band and frequency of desired operation.
2. Set TUNE and INDUCTOR controls to the suggested set-
ting before applying transmitter power (see chart). ctual
settings will vary from antenna. to antenna.
3. Set your transmitter/amplifier to a low power output. If
your transmitter has a TUNE position, select that position.
4. If you use a linear amplifier, set it to Standby. Do not use
the linear amplifier until the T2K is tuned.
WARNING: DO NOT OPERATE THE AT2K
WITH THE COVER OFF.
INPUT OUTPUT INDUCTOR
SUGGESTED ACTUAL SUGGESTED ACTUAL SUGGESTED ACTUAL
160 M 50 65 32
80 M 55 45 183
40 M 45 56 239
20 M 50 60 264
17 M 50 60 267
15 M 24 35 268
12 M 24 35 271
10 M 26 40 274
BAND
6 M 40 30 265
MIN = 279
dle is a gear-driven precision mechanical counter. The end
stop readings on the turns counter are Zero and 279. Zero is
maximum inductance, and 279 is minimum inductance.
7. OUTPUT Continuously adjustable output capacitor.
8. INPUT Continuously adjustable input capacitor.
9. DIRECT-TUNED MODE SWITCH Six-position rotary
switch selects an output connector as follows—
a. DIRECT BYPASS selects BYP SS CO X CONNEC-
TOR, bypassing the impedance matching circuit but pro-
viding SWR, FORW RD and REFLECTED power meter
readings.
b. DIRECT COAX 1 selects CO X 1 CONNECTOR, by-
passing the tuner matching circuit but providing SWR,
FORW RD and REFLECTED meter readings.
c. DIRECT COAX 2 selects CO X 2 CONNECTOR, by-
passing the tuner matching circuit but providing SWR,
FORW RD and REFLECTED meter readings.
d. TUNED COAX 1 selects CO X 1 CONNECTOR
through the impedance matching T circuit.
e. TUNED COAX 2 selects CO X 2 CONNECTOR
through the impedance matching T circuit.
Front Panel Description 9

10 AT2K Schematic
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25uH
AT2K Schematic 11
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Optional
External