The mercuryAT automatic antenna tuner from KM3KM arrived here on Monday. It’s an impressive bit of hardware that matches the mercuryIIIS amplifier. It looks and feels rock solid. There are no buttons or knobs, the entire user interface is facilitated by a 5-inch touchscreen display.

Complete specifications and photos are available here.

I ordered the mating control cable for my IC-7610 which made getting this hardware up and running even easier. Just a touch of the tuner button on the transceiver activates the tuner. Finding a match was rapid. The tuner has a built-in fan that was so quiet I didn’t notice it at first.

Of course, I’m still waiting on the amplifier so I was only able to use the mercuryAT at 100 watts. I decided to give it a try first with the 17-foot vertical mounted on the ground in the backyard. I was able to easily tune 40-6 meters with it.

As you might expect, the display provides continuous status and information including output power, reflected power and SWR. Touch screen buttons permit selection of up to three antennas, bypass mode, manual tune mode, sleep mode, and access to the setup.

It’s simple, direct, and user-friendly.

I’m impressed with the build quality, styling, and the results so of course now I’m even more anxious for the amplifier to arrive so I can complete the main station ensemble.