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Old 08-05-2019, 17:43   #1
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Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

Hi! A friend of mine gave me a Furuno FS1501 SSB radio with a Icom AT-120 tuner. Does anyone know if these units can work together. I'm new to the subject.
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Old 08-05-2019, 18:58   #2
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

The AT-120 requires some control voltages from the radio which I suspect the Furuno radio won’t supply. I remember that, long, long ago when I had am Icom 735, it had an external box to control the tuner. Maybe you could locate one or perhaps find the manual and replicate it. It wasn’t very complicated. My biggest question with that approach would be that the Icom radio switches to 10 watts output during tuning. So, how to get the Furuno to output sufficient power for tuning without manually changing the mode and maybe reducing power.

I’d probably just go to one of the smaller SGC tuners and build a waterproof case for it.
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Old 08-05-2019, 21:13   #3
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

I have no experience of that particular set-up, but the AT120 only needs power, thats two of the four wires, I think black and red, the other two are to signal the "Tuned" state back to the radio display, and to initiate a manual tune. I am sure that it will work without those two, but the equivalent circuits are available on the Furuno.
A little bit of searching will give you the answers. All it really needs is power and the antenna connections in and out, and the grounding. Use the grounding nut at the bottom, not the stainless steel frame.
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Old 09-05-2019, 15:30   #4
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

I beg to differ. It will not work without at least one of the other wires.

The Icom radio supplies about 6 volts on the START wire. There is a switch in the tuner that needs to be changed if this voltage is more than 8 volts. To start the tune cycle, the START line must be pulled below 1 volt for 200 milliseconds.

The KEY line is pulled low by the AT120 if the tuner correctly tunes. If it can’t or doesn’t tune successfully, the KEY line remains high. Without an indicator of some sort driven by the KEY line, you may mistakenly think that the tuner has successfully tuned when it HAS NOT. THAT’S NOT GOOD FOR THE RADIO.
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Old 09-05-2019, 16:18   #5
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

But it works, Ive done it, multiple times, and the radios are getting 1:1 or up to 1.5:1

I currently have a SEA tuner attached to my Icom 706 MkII, and have NO connection to the radio besides the co-ax and ground foil. There is a 12v supply to it through a switch. It has been working that way for 21 years. I have a power LED and a "tuned" LED next to the switch. Key the mic, and the tuner calculates, the relays rattle, and it tunes within a second, and on memorized freqs much faster.
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Old 09-05-2019, 16:43   #6
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

yes it will work but in a semi automated fashion. YOu might google AH4 tuner on non icom radio for some help. The AH4 is the amateur version of the AT-120 tuner. INterface is the same on both tuners.
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Old 09-05-2019, 17:18   #7
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

Gilliana — The SEA (and the SGC as well) tuners work as you described because THEY were designed to run that way. They start the tune cycle whenever they sense RF from the radio at the input to the tuner. So they were also designed to tune with full-rated power at the input. They can be used, within their ratings, with any radio.

The Icom tuners are designed to work with Icom radios, hence there is control circuitry in the radios to manage the tuner. Part of that circuitry dramatically reduces the output power of the radio while the tuning process is executing. It also shows on the radio display when the tuner is trying to tune and then whether or not it succeeded.

I mentioned in my first post that building an interface to control the tuner is certainly possible. It’s not even very complicated. But, unless it’s much more complicated, as was the Icom supplied external tuner control box for the old 735, it will not be able to reduce the transmitter power during the tuning cycle.

So one can make the Icom tuners sort-of work with non-Icom radios, but not with the full functionality.

The
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Old 09-05-2019, 19:32   #8
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

If the radio doesn't send the right signal to the AT 120 tuner it won't tune. My Icom 718's tuning signal didn't work right so the AH-4 wouldn't tune and the radio had no signal out. Went with an SGC 230 tuner which tunes off the RF output of the radio and all was well. If your radio doesn't send the right signal to the Icom tuner you are probably SOL. Probably no harm in hooking up the radio and tuner to see if it will work but would be surprised if it would. Would bet to get the set up to work you'd have to design a special circuit to talk to the tuner. Nice to have a friend who's an EE to whip up the black box for you.
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Old 09-05-2019, 21:28   #9
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

I Stand Corrected by Bycrick. You might have to have a little interface box built.
The Furuno Couplers pinout is
1-Red +15v [similar to the Icom 13.6v line]

2-Black - 0v [same as the Icom E line]

3-Orange-Tune [Similar to the Icom START line]

4-Yellow-Busy (10 w RF suppression) [Similar to the Icom KEY line]

5-Green-IAnt (Transfers antenna Current to txr) [not used in Icom]

6-Blue-Through (shorts out the coupler to straight through, for rx) [not used in Icom]

All you need to do now is find the signals that come out of pins 3 and 4 against 1 and then against 2 with your multimeter. That will tell what the Furuno coupler would have been looking for ie a down or up signal and how much. IF they are the same as Bycrick correctly stated about the AT120, you're good to go. Otherwise its simple to make an inversion and voltage regulating circuit.
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Old 10-05-2019, 10:16   #10
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

Thanks to Gilana for the Furuno info. There was somebody who had a service manual for the Furuno online, but my Internet was down last night and I couldn’t get it. It might have the voltages for the two wires. Or look at the Furuno manual for the tuner. As he said, it shouldn’t be a big project to make it work.
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Old 10-05-2019, 13:51   #11
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bycrick View Post
Thanks to Gilana for the Furuno info. There was somebody who had a service manual for the Furuno online, but my Internet was down last night and I couldn’t get it. It might have the voltages for the two wires. Or look at the Furuno manual for the tuner. As he said, it shouldn’t be a big project to make it work.
I have a furuno tuner ill sell you for $50 + shipping and you can sell the AT120 or keep it until you decide you need a better radio. PM me if interested.
Dennis
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Old 12-05-2019, 11:27   #12
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

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Originally Posted by flyingnut40 View Post
I have a furuno tuner ill sell you for $50 + shipping and you can sell the AT120 or keep it until you decide you need a better radio. PM me if interested.
Dennis
Flyingnut40,
Thanks for the reply. What model number of tuner do you have to match up with the Furuno FS 1501? Do you have any insight as to its working condition? Please reply to my email address at: airborne1715@gmail.com.
Thanks!
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Old 22-11-2019, 18:26   #13
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Re: Furuno FS1501 SSB compatable with Icom AT-120 tuner

Did you get it working?? I still have the Furuno tuner you need. Maybe you would like to swap as I couldn't use it with my ICOM.
Dennis
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