Run an Autotune on the External TGXL¶
This page explains how to start an automatic tuning cycle on a connected 4O3A Tuner Genius XL. Use autotune to find the best C1/L/C2 relay combination for your current frequency and antenna.
Before you start¶
- A Tuner Genius XL must be detected by AetherSDR. The TUN tray button appears on the right sidebar only when a TGXL is present.
- The radio must be connected. The Tuner applet requires an active radio connection.
- The TGXL should be in OPERATE state (button shows "OPERATE" in green). Autotune will not produce a useful result if the tuner is in BYPASS or STANDBY.
Steps¶
- Click the TUN tray button on the right sidebar to open the Tuner applet.
- Confirm the OPERATE button shows "OPERATE" (green). If it shows "BYPASS" or "STANDBY", click it until "OPERATE" appears.
- Click TUNE.
- Wait while the button turns red and reads "TUNING...". Do not transmit manually during this time.
- When tuning completes, the button briefly displays the result — for example, "SWR 1.42" — for approximately 2.5 seconds, then returns to "TUNE".
- Check the SWR gauge to confirm the final settled SWR value.
What each control does¶
| Control | Description | Valid range |
|---|---|---|
| TUNE | Starts the autotune cycle. Turns red and reads "TUNING..." while active. Flashes the post-tune SWR for 2.5 seconds when complete, then resets to "TUNE". | — |
| OPERATE | Cycles the tuner state: OPERATE (green) → BYPASS (orange) → STANDBY → OPERATE. Must be in OPERATE for a meaningful tune. | — |
| Fwd Pwr | Displays TGXL-reported forward power during the tune. Scale depends on your configuration: 0–200 W barefoot, 0–600 W Aurora, 0–2000 W with PGXL. | 0–2000 W |
| SWR | Displays TGXL-reported SWR. Gauge turns red above 2.5. | 1.0–3.0 |
| C1 | Shows the C1 relay bank position after the tune completes. | 0–255 |
| L | Shows the L relay bank position after the tune completes. | 0–255 |
| C2 | Shows the C2 relay bank position after the tune completes. | 0–255 |
Tips¶
- The SWR displayed on the TUNE button after tuning reflects a settled value captured up to 400 ms after the tuning cycle ends. This is the final TGXL-reported figure, not a mid-sweep reading.
- If you need to read the post-tune SWR after the 2.5-second flash has expired, watch the SWR gauge directly.
Troubleshooting¶
- The TUN tray button does not appear — AetherSDR has not detected a TGXL. Check that the tuner is powered on and communicating with the radio or directly with AetherSDR.
- TUNE button returns to "TUNE" immediately without showing an SWR result — The tuner may not have been in OPERATE state, or the tuning cycle completed with no valid SWR data returned. Confirm the OPERATE button shows "OPERATE" (green) before clicking TUNE.
- SWR gauge reads red (above 2.5) after tuning — The tuner could not find a satisfactory match. Check antenna connections and confirm you are within a band the antenna covers.