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| Reviews Summary for Heathkit HM-102 |
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Reviews: 10
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Average rating: 4.5/5
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MSRP: $39.95 (25 years ago!)
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Description: 1.8-30 Mhz Watt/SWR meter
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More info: http://
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write your own review of the Heathkit HM-102.
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KC7NOA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 13, 2009 20:46
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Still a good work horse
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I was looking for the manual because Bama was told not to host heath manuals anymore... found it here http://pdf. textfiles. com/manuals/ SCANNERS-F-R/ Heathkit-HM-102. pdf
hope it stays there for a while ..
Ps .. i added a few spaces to the url
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K2LGO
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Rating: 5/5
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May 31, 2009 05:23
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OVER 30 YEARS & STILL PERKING
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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The HM-102 is indicative of the great stuff that used to come out of BENTON HARBOR..I have used mine for over 30 years, and if I don't see that familiar face in front of me when I'm operating, I feel lost..
As one previous reviewer mentioned the SWR trimmer cap can go west with high power, and a high SWR, so maybe his hint of a piston type cap is indeed the solution..Its been so long since I replaced that cap in mine I have forgotten what I put in there..Bottom line...great instrument, that has proved itself over time..BOB
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KO0T
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Rating: 4/5
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Feb 23, 2009 10:45
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Good classic meter
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I picked one of these up several years ago on Ebay. It is a good addition to any ham shack. It has a nice large meter display that is very easy to read. The calibration is quite easy and within the accuracy specifications. The only real problem that I had was a failure of the SWR null trimmer capacitor, which I replaced with a small air variable unit. One limitation of the meter is the lack of a peak detector, making it less useful for SSB service. I've recently added a peak detector circuit and the old meter rivals the new models now.
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AE5X
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 11, 2007 15:26
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Just built!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I recently bought an unbuilt HM-102 still sealed in its Benton Harbor box. I had one of these meters as a novice many moons ago and have always regretted selling it at some point over the years,so the idea of destroying whatever collector value an unbuilt meter might have did not concern me.
The meter went together in about 2 hours and, true to Heathkit's reputation, the instructions were complete and both clearly written and illustrated. The simple calibration procedure took all of five minutes. My dummy load during the cal was a calibrated communications test set and I was pleased to see a close agreement between the indicated powers on the two pieces of equipment.
I calibrated the HM-102 on 40 meters as per the instructions. The power output as indicated on the test set was 104 watts - the Heath showed just a hair under 100. I then went to 10 and 160 meters to compare reading again and found the greatest difference at the 100-watt level to be 7 to 8 watts, ie within the 10% spec.
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W5RKL
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 14, 2006 09:28
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Very good
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I recently aquired an HM-102 on eBay for $20, included shipping, in excellent physical and electical condition. Now I'm not a purist so simple imperfections such as chipped paint are not show stoppers for me. Since my station is primarily Heathkit, the HM-102 was a very nice addition.
I've read a few posts saying the alignment was a bit confusing or the accuracy is not very good. I found this not to be an accurate assesment of the HM-102. First, the accuracy is 10%. That's a difference of 10 watts using 100 watts or 100 watts for 1KW as the baseline. As to the alignment being a bit confusing, well the alignment section in the manual should be read and completely understood first before stating the alignment. Failure to connect the coax on the rear "correctly" will cause the alignment to fail. My HM-102 aligned within 5 minutes and was well within 10% as stated in the manual.
So, if you're looking for a nice looking and easy to use Watt/SWR meter, the HM-102 will fit the bill nicely.
73's,
W5RKL
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N0CGF
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 5, 2004 08:18
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Dependable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Mine is 26 years old, just as accurate as any
SWR meter I have compared it to.
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W6TH
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 4, 2004 21:05
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Great working meter.
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Have been using mine for many years. Worked so well I installed a 50 ua meter in place of the original meter and changed a couple of resistors. Worked great before and now after with changes. Will look around for a second one if the price goes down on eBAY.
The original factory model was very accurate and never had a problem; the push switch was no problem to get angry over. If I could find many with the original price I would fill my shack with them.
.: W6TH
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N9OH
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Rating: 3/5
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Dec 2, 2002 17:31
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Does the Job
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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This meter is usually found at hamfests for 25-30 bucks. I got mine for about that price on ebay. It is not the easiest thing in the world to calibrate. Even with the manual in hand, you can get confused as to what you're doing. And if its not calibrated correctly... its not working correctly -- so watch out.
For those who prefer "plug-n-play" operating, find something that is calibrated at the factory like a diawa or diamond meter. MFJ if you like taking risks.
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WB8JKR
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Rating: 3/5
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Apr 6, 2001 17:20
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Very useable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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All considered, this really isn't too bad a unit. The pull out swr set is a bit of a pain,
but still useable. In the units I have I installed a seperate calibrate pot for just the high power scale and being able to calibrate the high power scale separately from the low power scale does help its overall accuracy. I also replace the SWR null trimmer with a piston style trimmer, the piston trimmer will work without trouble at up to 2KW whereas the stock trimmer has been know to fail at 6-700 watts at times.
With these simple mods it actually is a pretty good meter and when calibrated properly will track a Bird 43 quite well.
Mark WB8JKR
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