Yaesu FC-40
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| Frequency | 1.6-54 MHz (with a 20 m+ end-fed wire); 7-54 MHz (with a 2.5 m / 8 ft whip, YA-007) |
| TX power | 100 W (100 W maximum (3-minute max continuous TX). Tunes with 4-60 W; matches to SWR 2.0:1 or less (current-feed design - may not match near antenna lambda/2 multiples); tune-up up to 8 s) |
| Modes | all |
| Weight | 1.3 kg (2.9 lb) |
| rf in | coax from the radio (weatherproof remote mounting) |
| ant out | end-fed wire terminal or whip mount |
| control | 4-wire control cable to a compatible Yaesu radio (powers + controls the tuner) |
| power req | 13.8 V from the compatible Yaesu radio via a 5 m control cable (no separate supply) |
The Yaesu way to run an end-fed long wire: a weatherproof tuner that mounts right at the feedpoint and matches a random wire (or whip) across 1.8-54 MHz, controlled entirely from a compatible Yaesu radio's TUNE button with no separate power supply. Tuning at the antenna - rather than at the shack end of the coax - is the correct place to do it for a wire antenna, and 200 memories make band changes instant.
It is 100 watts only, Yaesu-specific (it needs a radio with the matching tuner control), and it is meant for end-fed wires and whips, not coax-fed antennas you would tune at the desk. It must be mounted outdoors at the feedpoint with a control cable run to it, and it needs a decent ground/counterpoise for the wire to work well.
The remote, feedpoint-mounted automatic tuner for a Yaesu station running an end-fed wire or whip: weatherproof, radio-powered, and matching 1.8-54 MHz from the TUNE button. For a simple wire or vertical at a fixed station or base, it is the natural Yaesu choice; the Icom AH-4 is the equivalent for Icom radios.
The Yaesu FC-40 is not a desk tuner - it is a weatherproof automatic tuner designed to mount outdoors at the antenna feedpoint, which is the correct place to tune an end-fed wire. It connects to a compatible Yaesu radio through a 5-meter control cable that both powers it (13.8 V) and lets the radio's tune control operate it; there is no separate power supply and no front panel. With a random wire of 20 meters (about 66 feet) or longer it covers 1.6 to 54 MHz, and with a 2.5-meter whip such as Yaesu's YA-007 it covers 7 to 54 MHz.
It handles 100 watts (three-minute maximum continuous transmission), tunes with 4 to 60 watts of drive, matches to 2:1 or better in up to about eight seconds, and stores 200 settings so band changes recall instantly. It is a current-feed design, so it may not match frequencies near a half-wave multiple of the antenna element. Tuning a wire antenna at its feedpoint rather than at the shack end of the coax avoids the high feedline losses a mismatched coax run to a desk tuner suffers - which is why feedpoint tuners like this are the right tool for end-fed wires.
Its limits define its niche: 100 watts only, Yaesu-specific (it needs a radio with the matching tuner control - the FT-450, FT-857/897, FT-891, FT-991A, FT-710, or an FTDX10/1200/3000/101D), and intended for wires and whips rather than coax-fed antennas. It also needs a good ground or counterpoise. It measures 228 by 175 by 55 mm, weighs 1.3 kg, and costs around $290. It is, in short, the Yaesu equivalent of Icom's AH-4 remote wire tuner; the QRP-sized AH-705 is the same idea at lower power.