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write your own review of the Oak Hills Research WM-2 QRP Wattmeter Kit.
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W0GI
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 14, 2009 18:11
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Great Meter of QRP
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I built my kit today, and it was a breeze. The instructions are very good. There are only two toroids to wind, and it isn't a big deal to wind them.
I read some reviews about it being flimsy for the money. I don't agree. The rotory switches, and other parts are high quality, as is the meter.
The only issue I had was adjusting the calibration voltage on R6. It is touchy as was mentioned, mostly on the 100mw voltage. However with a little work, you will get it set to the correct voltage. It really is a minor issue, it just adds a little time to the process. But once done, you won't need to touch it for quite a while.
On the alignment subject, I read a review, that stated you better get it right as you then clip the jumper and you can't align again. Not true, just put a glob of solder on the jumper for future alignments. Easy.
If you do QRP, this is the meter to get. For more accurate rig alignments alone, this meter is well worth the money.
5 stars as there is nothing else like it for QRP.
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K6WHP
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 20, 2009 20:13
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A Revised Opinion and Good News!
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I would like to amend my previous review to (1) bring joyous news and (2) correct some bad math on my part.
Firstly, I made a grievous error when I said Marshall Emm was a[n] SK. The glorious news was that I was in error; Marshall (one of the finest you will find in this hobby of ours) is very much with us.
Secondly, Marshall informs me that my purchase of the WM-2 was after he took over the stewardship of Oak Hills Research and I had paid $89.95 + s&h in November of 1999. Using that as a baseline, the increase in price from that amount to the current $109.95 is more than reasonable considering the inflation we have experienced on "other necessities"..
..and, let's face it, a good QRP[p] watt meter *is* a necessity. That you can build it yourself and calibrate it very simply is a treasure beyond price. And, as I said, the WM-2 is a very good instrument -- especially when compared to a Bird watt meter or similarly higher-priced ones.
If I have any regret, it is that is that the OHR-500 is now an SK, ao to speak. I had built and used one of those and eBayed it so that I could purchase an Elecraft K-2. I miss that OHR-500, a sturdy and whisper quiet radio.
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WV4R
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 2, 2008 10:42
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Wattmeter_WM-2 is Truly QRP
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Wattmeter_WM-2 is Truly QRP
I have quite the story to tell about my very SPECIAL WM-2 wattmeter which I used for many years until I recently got talked out of it by a ... you gessed it... a QRPer!
One CHRISTmas many years past, NT5W/Atlee surprised me with a gift of a FACTORY WIRED WM-2. I believe he told me at the time he ordered it, he was the first purchaser to order it Factory Wired so you can imagine how long ago!
I went thru the QRP craze and when the dust settled, I felt no need to transmit Less than 15-25watts so my Special WM-2 sat in a zip-lock baggie on the shack shelf for a while.
When I opened the box my unit looked good cosmetically with no damage.
My WM-2 did not smell of stale cigarettes nor did it have cigarette ashes inside the box. Of course I was only too eager to compare this wideband unit with my Bird Model 43 with 5w and 10w slugs. Amazingly, the accuracy was the virtually the same! The current drain is very low and No R.F. got into it. I like the ole analog meter design too.
So, for design, execution, low power consumption, reliability & Factory built/tested for a fair price, my WM-2 easily earns the WV4R “FIVE” star rating.
73 es GOD bless…. murf/WV4R.
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W8BBM
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 2, 2008 07:05
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QRPp Must Have
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I bought and built my kit several years ago and it is an outstanding little piece of equipment. It went together just as the instructions said it would and I had no difficulties at all. Like building any kit, all one needs to do is take their time and double check EVERY step BEFORE it is made. None of it is rocket science and I would say that a careful 11 or 12 year old could easily do the work.
I love this little meter and if you are planning on doing QRPp, it is great to know, document and say with confidence that you are putting out a 20mw signal. The actual meter is nice, large, easy to see AND adjust. Next to accuracy, that is a critically important feature that even most full power meters don't offer.
This is a solid little piece of equipment that is recognized by the established QRP community as essential and accurate when built and calibrated to manual specifications.
Build and enjoy!
Peter W8BBM
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IW3FZQ
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Rating: 5/5
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May 7, 2008 10:45
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Great Wattmeter !
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I also have 2 Daiwa meters and one Bird 43 but WM-2 is very funny to use! I've built it in some hours, if you read the included manual it is impossible to mistake or obtain bad behavior. It has a good nquality meter while all components are medium quality. Very low consumption, it works with 5 Volts too!!! I haven't found cigarettes ash inside like many HAMs !! It works until 70 MHz. After alignment, I compared it to my Bird 43 with a very minimum difference on HF and without difference between 28 and 70 MHz. OAK, well done! 73 de Enrico, IW3FZQ
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N6HI
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 25, 2008 23:46
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See Link for step-by-step photos of kit construction
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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The Oak Hills Research WM-2 QRP Wattmeter is a great kit building experience for beginners and a VERY useful accessory item for any QRP station or test bench. Before I built this kit I had no way to really measure the output of my QRP rig accurately, and had to "guess" at my output power.
The guessing game is over, and the WM-2 is a great addition to my station. I am a dedicated QRPer, and have not used more than 5 Watts on ANY band or mode in the last 12 years. I don't know how I ever got along without one of these meters!
As digital photography is one of my "other hobbies" I decided to photo-document the entire process of building the WM-2 Kit, and have published the results on my website. If you are considering building this kit, you can see exactly what the process will entail if you go to my website at at:
http://members.cox.net/jrehak/
... then click on "The Joy of Kit Building"
I highly recommend the OHR WM-2 Wattmeter to all QRP operators!
"72" John N6HI
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K2JJ
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 18, 2007 14:16
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Nice unit with a few construction caveats.
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I wouldn't recommend this as your first kit but if you are reasonably careful and have some help it could certainly be done. A few construction hints. Clean the PC board solder side carefully before you begin to remove any oxidation. This will help solder flow quickly and cleanly, The lands on the board are not uniform and only have a small area for the solder to stick in some places. A brown paper bag material is abrasive enough for the job, add a little contact cleaner to the paper if you wish.
On the external power/battery switch solder the wires to the switch BEFORE you mount it to the rear panel. The terminals on the switch are small and are easily shorted together or to the retaining tabs on the switch. This will allow you to inspect it easily. Very hard to see after it is mounted.
If you are not familiar with winding the coils get some help or use the the OHR contractor to do it for you. It is very important that these coils are wound properly.
Inspect the board carefully for solder bridges after installing each component particularly the 2 IC's. This step will save you trouble later as it is not that easy to remove the board for troubleshooting after it is installed.
Other than that everything goes together very easily. Alignment is easy but the pots can be a bit touchy to get the exact voltage you need. The meter works very well and is quite accurate as compared to my HP-436A power meter. All in all I think you'll be very satisfied with this product
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NU4B
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 7, 2007 16:29
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Very nice Kit
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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This is a great kit for QRP'ers. My kit had all the parts. The instructions were easy to understand. Everything went together well. Alignment was also easy to do. I ended up with a nice looking piece of equipment that has already come in handy measuring milliwatt levels. If your running QRP or QRPp you will enjoy this kit.
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OE3SGU
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 1, 2006 00:35
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Must have for the QRPer!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I am not an experienced builder but the WM-2 was a great experience. It was no problem to build it and it works very fine. A very useful tool in the QRPers shack. Highly recommended!
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AE6CP
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 25, 2006 20:22
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Must have for kitbuilding
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Not much to say, the kit is well put together. Worked fine the first time. Makes TX alignment a snap.
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