IC718 antenna

[sloop]

I live in an HOA and have a IC718 connected to a AH-6 antenna tuner located in the attic. I hope to get permission to add a end fed long wire antenna with a manual tuner by summer. My question is how do I switch between the attic antenna and the long wire with out disconnecting the control cable for the AH-6 tuner?

 

[AK9R]

AH-6? I think you mean AH-4.

Your radio only has one antenna jack. In order to switch between whatever antenna you have connected to the AH-4 and the end-fed with manual tuner, you will have to disconnect one coax and connect the other. Or, you can use an antenna switch to select one or the other coaxes.

As for the control cable going to the AH-4, if you don't disconnect it when using the end-fed and manual tuner, it will try to run a tuning cycle but it won't complete since it won't be getting any RF from the radio.

What antenna do you have connected to the AH-4?

 

[prcguy]

Why not go with a resonant end fed that doesn’t need a tuner? You can go about 64ft of wire for a 40-10m version or 133ft will get all bands 80-10m with a 49:1 transformer at the feed point. It will also work better than any random wire fed with a tuner.

 

[krokus]

Remote antenna switch, between the tuner and the antennas? Would that cause too much confusion for the tuner?

 

[sloop]

Finally got an answer...thanks for all that tried to help. According to a Icom tech. what I want to do is possible only if I completely disconnect the AH-4 including the control cable. That is what I was afraid of, o'well back to the 'drawing board'.

 

[prcguy]

Finally got an answer...thanks for all that tried to help. According to a Icom tech. what I want to do is possible only if I completely disconnect the AH-4 including the control cable. That is what I was afraid of, o'well back to the 'drawing board'.

If you have an antenna switch between two antennas, when you switch to a different antenna like a resonant end fed the AH-4 is out of the circuit. Just don’t push the tune button while on the other antenna and it will work just fine. I’ve done this many times.

 

[AK9R]

Just don’t push the tune button while on the other antenna and it will work just fine.

On the IC-718, probably need to go into SET mode and turn off "PTT tune" when using the antenna that doesn't go through the AH-4. When "PTT tune" is on, the radio will tell the tuner to run a tune cycle whenever the PTT is pressed. When "PTT tune" is off, you'll have to initiate a tune cycle manually through the TUNER button on the front panel.