Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Remote Automatic Antenna Tuner MFJ-998RT INSTRUCTION MANUAL CAUTION: Read All Instructions Before Operating Equipment MFJ ENTERPRISES, INC. 300 Industrial Park Road Starkville, MS 39759 USA Tel: 662-323-5869 Fax: 662-323-6551 Version 1A © 2011 MFJ Enterprises, Inc.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Table of Contents THE BASICS 1 Introduction Features Specifications 1 2 2 FAST START 3 INSTALLATION 4 OPERATION 5 INTERNAL CONTROLS 6 Control Panel 6 THE MENUS 9 Main Mode Menus Digital Wattmeter Menu Power Bar Meter Menu L-Network Menu 9 9 9 10 Tuner Indicators 10 Setup Mode Menus Target SWR Menu Auto Tune SWR Menu Amp Bypass SWR Menu Meter Range Menu Peak Hold Menu Memory Menu TM IntelliTune Menu
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Location Matching Problems 17 17 APPENDICES 19 POWER-ON OPERATIONS 19 Resetting the Tuner Factory Defaults Factory Default Reset Total Reset Disable Radio Interface Delete Entire Antenna Memory Delete Antenna Memory Bank Self Test Power-Down Circuit Test Relay Test SWR Bridge Calibration Frequency Counter Calibration 19 19 20 20 20 20 20 20 21 22 22 22 List of Accessories 23 FULL 12-MONTH WARRANTY 24 DISCLAI
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual The Basics Introduction The MFJ-998RT IntelliTuner TM is a comprehensive Full Legal Limit remote automatic antenna tuning unit . The MFJ-998RT lets you rapidly tune almost any unbalanced or single-wire antenna automatically. Balanced feedlines may be used with an MFJ-912 1.5 kW 4:1 balun connected to the MFJ-998RT antenna output.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Features • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Automatically matches antennas from 12 to 1600 ohms impedance (SWR up to 32:1) Handles 1500 watts SSB/CW Tune in less than 20 seconds, usually less than 5 seconds Over 20,000 non-volatile memories for tuner settings Eight memory banks with over 2500 memories per bank Highly efficient switched–L network matching circuit 1.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Fast Start WARNING • • • • • • Never operate the tuner with its cover removed. Contact with the components inside the tuner while transmitting can result in painful RF burns. Locate the tuner so that the terminals are not accessible during operation. The single wire connection may have high voltage while transmitting. Disconnect all antennas from the tuner during lightning storms.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Installation WARNING • • • • • • • Never operate the tuner with its cover removed. Contact with the components inside the tuner while transmitting will result in painful RF burns. Locate the tuner so that the antenna terminals are not accessible during operation. The single wire connection will have high voltage while transmitting. Do not mount in a position that will put it under water at any time.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Operation 1. Turn on the tuner power. With the power off the Tuner is in Bypass mode. With power on the unit wakes up in bypass mode till RF is supplied to the tuner. 2. Initial Tuneup: a. Transmit a low power signal (5 to 20 watts, never with the amplifier in transmit mode). b. Wait while the tuner finds a tuning solution for that frequency. Verify that the SWR is below the target SWR (default 1.5:1). c.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Internal Controls The internal control panel is used for testing and specialized setup and is not available for normal operation of the MFJ-998RT. The analog meter is not included in the remote tuner. The other functions are available only when the cover is removed for testing. WARNING Do not operate the tuner with high power when the cover is removed. Do not touch the components while testing.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner • • Instruction Manual TUNE Button: Has three different functions based on the length of time you press and hold it before releasing. Press [TUNE] quickly (less than 0.5 second) to bypass the tuner. One beep indicates bypass mode, where RF from the transmitter goes directly to the antenna with no matching. A second quick press toggles the tuner back to its last L/C setting, and the tuner responds with two beeps. Press [TUNE] for 0.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Figure 2 Mode Button Flow Chart 8 © 2011 MFJ Enterprises, Inc MFJ-998RT Version 1A
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual The Menus Main Mode Menus These instructions are for setup and testing and the functions are not available for normal operation of the MFJ-998RT. When accessing these settings and controls do not touch any of the components other than the switches because of the chance of high RF voltages when tuning. Do not leave the cover off for normal operation. The main mode menus show various tuner settings and status.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual The SWR Bargraph shows the frequency, SWR, forward power, and SWR bar meter. The 12-block (31segment) SWR bar meter indicates SWR of 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6-1.7, 1.8-2.0, 2.1-2.5, 2.6-3.0, 3.1-5.0, 5.1 to infinity. The numeric reading of forward power appears at the end of the bar meter. There is also an audio SWR indicator (see “SWR Beep Menu” section on page 14).
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Figure 6 LCD Display 11 © 2011 MFJ Enterprises, Inc MFJ-998RT Version 1A
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Figure 7 Display Tuner Indicators Enlarged 12 © 2011 MFJ Enterprises, Inc MFJ-998RT Version 1A
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Setup Mode Menus These instructions require removal of the cover to access. Do not touch the components inside the unit except for the switches. When testing high RF voltages may be present. Do not leave the cover off for normal operation. The setup mode menus allow you to set up how the MFJ-998RT works and behaves. There are 13 setup mode menus arranged in a “wrap-around” structure.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Meter 160 75/80 60 40 30 20 17 15 12 10 Frequency Range (MHz) 1.800-2.000 3.500-4.000 5.3305, 5.3465, 5.3665, 5.3715, and 5.4035 7.000-7.300 10.100-10.150 14.000-14.350 18.068-18.168 21.000-21.450 24.890-24.990 28.000-29.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Radio Interface Menu This function is not used in the Remote Tuner. Leave this setting OFF. Auto/Semi-Automatic Mode Semi-automatic operation is not available on the remote tuner. Leave in AUTOMATIC mode. Pressing [TUNE] and [ANT] simultaneously toggles between automatic or semi-automatic tuning mode.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual matching. One beep indicates changing to bypass mode. Also, the decimal point in the SWR reading is replaced with a comma. Pressing [TUNE], [C-DN] and [L-DN] simultaneously overwrites the tuner memory with the current tuner setting; settings with SWR greater than 3.0 will not be stored. One beep indicates memory overwrite.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual arcing which can damage the relays in the tuner. Check your transceiver owner's manual to see if yours has a foldback circuit. The use of the AM mode normally will drop the radio to around 20 to 40 watts or so. This is a convenient way of reducing power and supplying a continuous carrier for tuneup.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual to 140 feet). The halfwave line repeats the high antenna impedance at the tuner. The antenna system looks like several thousand ohms at the tuner on 40 meters. This places enormous strain on the tuner, since voltages can reach several thousand volts. This can cause component arcing and heating.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Appendices POWER-ON OPERATIONS Figure 10 Power On Operations Resetting the Tuner Each time the tuner is powered off, the microprocessor saves all memories and configurations to nonvolatile memory ready to be used the next time the unit is turned on and transmit power is applied. If the tuner is not working properly, even on initial power on, try resetting to the factory defaults.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Factory Default Reset To reset the tuner to these defaults: 1. Turn off the power to the tuner. 2. Press and hold both the [TUNE] and [L-UP] buttons while turning the power on. 3. Release the buttons when DEFAULTS RESET appears on the display. 4. Resume with normal operation. Note: Resetting to factory defaults does not erase the antenna memories.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual 6. The unit then tests its non-volatile memory. Notice this step will reset the unit to its factory default settings. 7. If the unit is okay, a repetitive message PASS will be displayed and sent as Morse code (di-dahdahdit di-dah di-di-dit di-di-dit). If there is a problem, a failure message will be displayed and sent repetitively. 8. Once you have confirmed that the audio is okay, turn the unit off. 9.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual Relay Test WARNING: Turn off the transmitter power or disconnect the transmitter before performing this test; otherwise, damage to the tuner can result. To test the relays and their control circuitry, press and hold the [C-DN] button while turning the power on. The message RELAY TEST will appear. Six numbers representing the relays will be shown on the display.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual WARNING: Do not touch anything inside the tuner during operation! Serious, painful RF burns can result. 1. 2. 3. 1. 4. 5. Turn off the power to the transmitter and the tuner. Remove the cover from the tuner (16 screws) with a Phillips screwdriver. Connect the 50-ohm dummy load to the COAX connector; connect the transmitter to the TRANSMITTER connector on the tuner. Turn on the power to the transmitter.
MFJ-998RT Legal Limit IntelliTunerTM Automatic Remote Antenna Tuner Instruction Manual FULL 12-MONTH WARRANTY MFJ Enterprises, Inc. warrants to the original owner of this product, if manufactured by MFJ Enterprises, Inc. and purchased from an authorized dealer or directly from MFJ Enterprises, Inc. to be free from defects in material and workmanship for a period of 12 months from date of purchase provided the following terms of this warranty are satisfied. 1.
MFJ-998RT Manual Version 1A Printed In U.S.A.
