We are pleased to announce that the step by step improvement in the Hi-Q HF antenna’s loading coil’s tuning time From 160 M to the 10 M band went from the DC motor tuned time of > 1 minute to STEPPER motor tuning (controlling) To 20 seconds with appropriate software!
Note that the task is to change inductance from appx. 350 uH down to < 1 uH.
That is: move the contactor appx. 12” in vertical distance and maintain accuracy on frequency repeatability within < 1 kc. This was alright, BUT still not fast enough for ALE.

Further development has led to the NEW RT (Rapid Tuning) Hi-Q HF antenna where great improvement in FRICTION and WEIGHT reduction of the Hi-Q Patented loading coil design. By employing Silver plated BRASS balls and Silver plated loading coil wire the combined friction and contactor weight
Has resulted in a 400% reduction in friction and allowing a size 17 stepper motor to do the Rapid Tuning.
The controller used for the RT antenna was developed for the Hi-Q Military Antennas by QCI, it now tunes ...

From 1.8 MHz to 30 MHz in 700 milliseconds!

However the Radio Frequency Propagation does not require an antenna to be tuned from 1.8-30 MHz normally, it is more standard that one change frequency in smaller blocks keeping up with the Day-Night propagation. Being aware of this we make to loading coil contactor to be in the MIDDLE of tunable coil, therefore cutting the tuning speed to HALF! Further to this now one can achieve very fast tuning, for example: Antenna currently tuned to 10 MHz and need to go to 14 MHz the tuning time is 40 ms!

Software developed to remotely tune the frequency range from 1.8-30 MHz allows having over 500
Channels (frequencies) in addition there is 10 channels can be dedicated to discreet frequencies that are NOT accessible to the radio operator to change, Only to the radio shop technician.