May 28, 2008 Note: some have reported problems with any AH4 control cable length over 30'. I have about 90' of RG-8U coax from my radio to the AH4 tuner. About 10' before the tuner I made about eight, 10' loops with the coax. ICOM Antenna Tuner Control Cables OPC-136 Be the first to Review this product Antenna Tuner Radio Interface Cable, For ICOM AH-4 to ICOM Transceivers, Four Conductor, 16.4 ft.
Technical corner
Using antenna tuner AH-4 with IC-705
Shipment of IC-705 to retailers has started. The antenna tuner for the IC-705 is “to be released”, but “I want to use the wire antenna with the IC-705 soon”, so I tried to verify whether the AH-4 can be used with the IC-705.
IC-705 TUNER Jack and plug pin assignment
The IC-705 has a “TUNER jack” on the right side, and is said to be “connectable to an IC-705 dedicated antenna tuner that will be released at a later date.”
IC-705 TUNER jack position.
The TUNER plug is a 3-pole stereo plug with [KEY], [START], and [GND] assigned from the tip.
Pin assignment of IC-705 TUNER plug.
To connect AH-4 to IC-705
IC-705 does not have AH-4 connector like IC-7610 or IC-7300, but connect each control line from AH-4 side and GND to TUNER jack, and separately add 13.8V to AH-4. Once supplied, the IC-705 will also be able to use the AH-4…
Connection diagram of AH-4 and IC-7300. The AH-4 is powered by 13.8V from the radio itself.
Connection diagram of AH-4 and IC-705. Connect AH-4 and IC-705 to the same external power supply, and ground properly from the GND terminal.
To connect AH-4 to IC-705, connect each control line (KEY and START) and GND line from AH-4 side to the tip and ring of Φ3.5 stereo plug so that 13.8V can be supplied separately. To process. You can get a Φ3.5 stereo plug at a parts shop, but if you just want to verify the operation, a screw-type conversion connector is convenient.
The screw-type conversion connector that can be wired directly to the 3-pin terminal is convenient for wiring confirmation.
To connect the IC-705 and AH-4, prepare either of the following cables.
(1) AH-4 control cable that is specially processed for IC-705 connection using Φ3.5mm plug.
(2) A conversion cable to be attached to the AH-4 control cable connector using the AH-4 connector (female side) parts.
In the case of (1), the control cable attached to the AH-4 will be processed, so I would like to avoid this, and use one side of the separately purchased 4-core shielded cable as the J2 connector of the AH-4 and the other side. Processed so that it can be connected to IC-705. (Red part of the above connection diagram)
The purchased 4-core shielded cable. It can be purchased in units of 1m, and there is a discount if it exceeds 10m.
Hydraulic Control Cable
In the case of (2), a cable of several tens of centimeters is sufficient, so if there is no problem with shortening the control cable that comes with the AH-4 standard, cut the required length from the AH-4 main unit side before using. Would be fine. The shell and pin of the AH-4 side connector (female side) of the conversion cable can be requested for purchase (cash on delivery) from the Icom Support Center mail form.
Parts for AH-4 connectors can be ordered from the Icom Support Center mail form.
A conversion cable that I made by ordering the AH-4 connector (female side) parts.
Connection and operation check
Ah-4 Control Cable
Since the IC-705 has not arrived at hand, I borrowed the display machine of the ham shop to check the operation. When checking the IC-705 function screen before connecting the AH-4, it is natural that [TUNER] cannot be selected.
IC-705 function screen before AH-4 connection.
The TUNER plug is a 3-pole stereo plug with [KEY], [START], and [GND] assigned from the tip.
Pin assignment of IC-705 TUNER plug.
To connect AH-4 to IC-705
IC-705 does not have AH-4 connector like IC-7610 or IC-7300, but connect each control line from AH-4 side and GND to TUNER jack, and separately add 13.8V to AH-4. Once supplied, the IC-705 will also be able to use the AH-4…
Connection diagram of AH-4 and IC-7300. The AH-4 is powered by 13.8V from the radio itself.
Connection diagram of AH-4 and IC-705. Connect AH-4 and IC-705 to the same external power supply, and ground properly from the GND terminal.
To connect AH-4 to IC-705, connect each control line (KEY and START) and GND line from AH-4 side to the tip and ring of Φ3.5 stereo plug so that 13.8V can be supplied separately. To process. You can get a Φ3.5 stereo plug at a parts shop, but if you just want to verify the operation, a screw-type conversion connector is convenient.
The screw-type conversion connector that can be wired directly to the 3-pin terminal is convenient for wiring confirmation.
To connect the IC-705 and AH-4, prepare either of the following cables.
(1) AH-4 control cable that is specially processed for IC-705 connection using Φ3.5mm plug.
(2) A conversion cable to be attached to the AH-4 control cable connector using the AH-4 connector (female side) parts.
In the case of (1), the control cable attached to the AH-4 will be processed, so I would like to avoid this, and use one side of the separately purchased 4-core shielded cable as the J2 connector of the AH-4 and the other side. Processed so that it can be connected to IC-705. (Red part of the above connection diagram)
The purchased 4-core shielded cable. It can be purchased in units of 1m, and there is a discount if it exceeds 10m.
Hydraulic Control Cable
In the case of (2), a cable of several tens of centimeters is sufficient, so if there is no problem with shortening the control cable that comes with the AH-4 standard, cut the required length from the AH-4 main unit side before using. Would be fine. The shell and pin of the AH-4 side connector (female side) of the conversion cable can be requested for purchase (cash on delivery) from the Icom Support Center mail form.
Parts for AH-4 connectors can be ordered from the Icom Support Center mail form.
A conversion cable that I made by ordering the AH-4 connector (female side) parts.
Connection and operation check
Ah-4 Control Cable
Since the IC-705 has not arrived at hand, I borrowed the display machine of the ham shop to check the operation. When checking the IC-705 function screen before connecting the AH-4, it is natural that [TUNER] cannot be selected.
IC-705 function screen before AH-4 connection.
Next, connect both AH-4 and IC-705 to the same stabilized power supply with the power off, and turn on the power in the order of AH-4 → IC-705. When I checked the function screen of IC-705, the text [TUNER] was displayed in white this time, and when I touched it for a long time (about 1 second), it changed from OFF to ON.
IC-705 function screen after connecting AH-4.
When tuning is started with the external antenna tuner, the [TUNE] display flashes red in the upper left of the IC-705 screen, and when tuning is completed, the [TUNE] display changes to lit.
TUNE display on the upper left of the IC-705 screen. When tuning is done, it lights up as shown in the figure.
Precautions when using the AH-4 and expectations for a dedicated antenna tuner
By connecting AH-4 to IC-705, it was confirmed that it works theoretically. I was able to tune without any problems, but it seems that there are some bands whose detection of tuning completion is more severe than other radios. The tuning power of the AH-4 is 10W, and the instruction manual for the AH-4 also states “If you are using a 10W machine, set the transmission output to high power (10W).” In conclusion, I feel that it is possible to operate with IC-705 connected to AH-4, but it is also necessary to divide it from provisional operation.
The IC-705 is compact and can be operated with a battery. In order to maximize the enjoyment, I wanted a dedicated antenna tuner as soon as possible!
At the summit of Asahidake, Hokkaido. I used RH-770 to communicate with ID-51 in the 144MHz/430MHz band.
With the IC-705 and a dedicated antenna tuner, the fun of wireless is likely to spread.
Enjoy the RICE CRACKERS AND LANTERN
