I am a former mechanical engineer that likes to experiment with
antennas.
Experimental antennas require a matching system at the top of the
tower
which preferably is physically small..
What I use now is a commercial multi switching transformer where I
use
small pemcil like solenoids to make contacts with the taps
( the taps have copper pennies made into omed contacts soldered on
them)
This provides a multitute of ratios for use with experimental
antennas.
Now I have got too smart for my britches,!
I would like to program it so it will go thru all the possible
sequences possibly like the
AEA auto tuner. I really don't know where to start unless I copy an
existing tuner
circuits. Was thinking in copying the inbuilt tuner in my Icom radios
as a starter
such that the enclosed circuit controlled the tuner on the tower( ie
disconnect
the inbuilt wires and transfer them.

I once used a rotary switch with a slotted star cam such that it
rotated
with a dwell time at each contact, but the problem was in contacting
a
different tap for each full rotation of available taps to compare as
the datum tap.
This required a step motor and program above what I had made so a
different aproach is required that is relatively simple in electrical
terms..
Any ideas out there that I could use without difficulty?
TIA
Art Unwin KB9MZ...xg

"Any ideas out there that I could use without difficulty?"

Art,
Simple answer is, no. Always going to be some difficulty involved,
just
depends on what you call 'difficult'. Seems like that 'stepping-
motor'
would be the 'simplest' thingy.
- 'Doc