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write your own review of the Autek WM-1.
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K4VUD
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Rating: 4/5
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Oct 4, 2009 21:54
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just what u want but grumpy vendor
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have 3 of these, one went to 9N and later to VU4. Work good. Everything others say recently on this site is correct.
-dual meters good
-peak reading good
-very grumpy vendor..what has this "company" got against the world.... basically "buy it and shut up" Also, watch out for their return for repair costs... wow!
-coax power connector will dislodge easily and it is a solder job back onto the board.
I would have no other meter for shack desk use. de HS0ZCW
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NC2F
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Rating: 5/5
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Jul 7, 2009 22:10
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Smart design, solid performer!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I was fortunate enough to win my Autek WM-1 which was the raffle prize for a fundraiser for a local AR club. While I haven't owned it for very long, it's obvious that this is a quality piece of gear that I feel should be a requirement for all shacks.
This meter is well thought out in it's design (individual meters for both SWR & Watts) and it shows in it's performance and construction as well - excellent! The Autek WM-1 is now my primary station SWR/Watt meter. I have a Elecraft W1 140W Computing Wattmeter and SWR Bridge kit that will move from my station and now be part of my pelican case for mobile use.
If you want a great commercially-made SWR/Watt meter, forget about the cross-needle meters, get yourself a better dual meter solution like this very nice Autek WM-1.
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KE4ZHN
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Rating: 5/5
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May 19, 2009 12:58
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Nice meter
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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I got mine in a trade. I like the auto calibrating SWR scale and the peak reading power scale is nice to keep tabs on your amplifier. The switches that are attached to the circuit board in the meter head are a bit sloppy but they function fine. This is about the only negative I found with this meter. The meters themselves are easy to read and I like the remote pick up rather than having to plug the coax cables into the meter itself. All in all, a nice meter for the money and it seems to be as accurate as any priced much higher. It wont win any beauty prizes but its quite functional.
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K4LVR
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Rating: 4/5
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May 19, 2009 12:09
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Good performance, Secretive Manufacturer, Not inexpensive
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I required a replacement for my venerable Heath HM102 which I have had since my Novice days (Built in 1976 and still working!). I was looking for an automatic SWR/accurate RF power output meter that would enable peak SSB power readings to keep my amp and tuner’s meters honest.
I looked at things like Wavenode and Larry Phipps’ LP100, but as nice and high tech as these are, they don’t seem to be as useful as something with analog meters to me. Simplicity has its virtues! I guess I'm just old fashioned!
The Autek WM1 had all the prerequisite features I was looking for, (since Nye stopped making their superior unit). I was not impressed by any of the imported units that are available. And my HM-102 spoiled me with the remote sensor layout, which works perfectly for my station setup.
Autek’s customer service reputation is somewhat mixed. The secretive principals of this company live around my neighborhood, but are very good at hiding from us "great unwashed masses"… They certainly love their privacy. No one knows who they are! They also deal with customers on their own rigid terms and make no excuses about it. Its all very spooky to a customer from a PR point of view.
I found, however, that my WM1’s order was handled well and in a timely manner. I received the unit, very well packed and padded with brown paper for shipment, and within plastic bags, via UPS Ground, three days from placing my order.
Opening the box, everything was correctly screwed on, no missing parts, no QC issues (this is definitely not an MFJ product!). The left hand meter (for measuring SWR) had a small scratch on the top of the plastic lens, but that is truly a minor nit pick, and when placing it on my console, you cant even see it.
The unit works as advertised, matching almost exactly with a recently calibrated Bird wattmeter in CW power. The SSB peak power readings match exactly what my amplifier’s peak SSB readings display, but are much easier to read on discrete meters without the cross needle confusion. The attack/decay action is flawless. And I can place the readout conveniently near my computer monitor, so I can see it when operating. Its wider than the HM-102, but shallower, which necessitated a small reorganization of my operating position.
Minor negatives are the stiffness of the switches on the front panel and the gaping hole in the back of the unit’s case, which could have been done cosmetically better for the price of the unit.
The case is very sturdy, as is the remote sensor’s case. I wish the connectors for the sensor were on opposite sides of the case, but that is just because of the way my station is laid out… Others might find this convenient.
At $180 new, this tool is not inexpensive, however, it is very accurate, looks solidly built to last, and is very functional. It will look good in any station environment. I am hoping it lives as long a life as my HM-102 has lived.
For the price, however, while functionally it deserves a 5, I will rate it at a 4 as the value proposition of what you get for what you pay for is a bit on the high side of the curve.
W4LT
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NI4F
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Rating: 0/5
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Apr 6, 2009 11:45
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OK Product-but horrible service
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have owned the WM-1 watt meter for a couple of years without any issues. However, recently, I attempted to plug in the 12v adapter plug for the AC wall transformer, and the flimsy female jack detached from the circuit board. Uneasy with making circuit board repairs, I consulted the Autek web site and noted there were no instructions on repairs. Following the order information on the site, I returned the meter to Autek with my credit card citation for repair. About a week later, I received a curt email reply criticizing me for not including a personal check. In this email, I learned that a minimum WM-1 repair is $60 with $11 return shipping, for a total of $71 or half the cost of the original meter. The meter works OK, but don't depend on any reasonable support from Autek. I certainly will never order another Autek product.
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AB1HD
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 26, 2008 09:59
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A great meter!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This meter came with my radio. It works great and I'm always looking at it to see how I'm doing. It's especially useful for doing PSK31 as I can watch the ALC on my rig and the SWR and power on the Autek. This is one item that I feel I can't do without.
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W2DWL
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 29, 2007 15:32
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One of the best!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Had this meter just over 1 year and it is par to my bird meter. This is one well built meter that can handle anything you can put through it. With the handy remote is just another plus from the good people at Autek.
73
Dennis
W2DWL
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W3NRL
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 28, 2007 11:07
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this one is a keeper
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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this little guys works very nice, i like the separt meters ( dont like the cross meters) and the light meter and the remote. this one is a keeper.
My bird meter shows very close to this little guy.
since i just got this little guy about a week ago
futher review will follow
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AD4C2006
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 5, 2007 06:53
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Great afordable meter
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I got mine two years ago second hand at qth.com for just $100 and its been sitting in my shack since then,have compared its acuracy against BIRD meters and its very very close,only problem these meters has is that the power transformer and cable it has to feed the board tends to pick up RFI within your radio room specially if you are running full legal power,I had that problem and I solved it running RG-174 shielded cable from the meter to my Astron 13.8V 35A power supply and it was not more crazy out of range performance,to have real PEP reading is very need at the shack to know exactly what's going on in your radio and/or amp.It has good quality built except they should use a more profesional transformer but I still will rated it 5.
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