Alpha 4040 QRO Antenna Tuner Rendition (Exterior)
The original Alpha was working on a new Mega-Antenna Tuner, and the various successor owners of the Alpha IP (Intellectual Property) have occasionally mentioned the tuner online, but it has been years since any updates or a prototype was shown. Last update in 2017 said the unit’s development was too immature to make it to even Beta-Testing.
Was the original venture anything more than staking out a prospective place in the QRO antenna tuner amateur lineup?
It is an sad part of our hobby that manufacturers announce “vaporware products” largely to stave off competition, so there are no parallel products brought to market.
When the pre-announcement fizzles and the loudly proclaimed product fails to make it to market our hobby is left with nothing.
In terms of antenna tuners the Alpha 4040 is not alone in undelivered promises. Kessler Engineering has promised a new updated version of the former Palstar AT-AUTO since they won their court case with Palstar. I don’t think a prototype or Beta-Test units have happened. Will a new Kessler unit arrive?
4o3a showed a prototype Tuner Genius at Dayton a couple times, and with their partnership with FlexRadio Systems owes a Tuner Genius to the early adopters of the Power Genius XL amplifier. I’ve heard nothing of a production Tuner Genius despite receiving my very delayed Power Genius two years ago. Will these essential prepurchased units ever appear? [EDIT: By forum post in the 4o3a support forums, the 4o3a team cofirmed that their project is in progress, but offered no further details in that Nov 20th 2019 reply.]
On the plus side Palstar HF-Auto replacement for the AT-AUTO design that is now a Kessler controlled design, has had goo marketplace acceptance, and several other manufacturers have stepped up with new QRO autotuners.
73
Steve
K9ZW
With Varying Frequency - Amateur Radio Ponderings 