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| Reviews Summary for RigExpert AA-54 |
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Reviews: 26
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Average rating: 5.0/5
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MSRP: $350
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Description: RigExpert AA-54 is a powerful antenna analyzer designed for
testing, checking, tuning or repairing antennas and antenna
feedlines.
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Product is in production.
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More info: http://www.rigexpert.com
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write your own review of the RigExpert AA-54.
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WW6M
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Rating: 5/5
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Mar 30, 2013 20:47
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Great Analyzer--No Support!
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I emailed the folks at Rig Expert a question about the firmware on my AA-54 and updating it. I never got a reply. Even though I purchased it late last year (2012), the firmware was 2 generations out of date. Additionally, the software that came on the enclosed disk was Windows 98 era! It would not work on an XP system. So I downloaded the latest software, installed the latest firmware and everything is O.K. I just don't get why they don't respond to legitimate questions when they have a support site, and why in the world they would include Windows 98 software in a 2012 shipment...
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KU7PDX
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Rating: 5/5
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Feb 9, 2013 14:47
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Worth the extra cost over a MFJ!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I've put off buying an antenna analyzer for some time. I always thought that I could get away with the old way of measuring wire out and then manually tuning the antenna length up. While this is the "cheap" way to do it, it is a huge hassle if you want to run portable or ever want to try out something new at home.
When I first started looking for a good analyzer, I started where everyone else pretty much does: What is the "best" and what is the "cheapest?"
Well, the "best" would be something like a Timewave AntennaSmith and at $1,000 for the TZ-900 I would certainly hope so. It's what any broadcast engineer that works on AM stations would get, why not amateur radio too? :-)
The "cheapest" would probably end up being something like the MFJ-259B at around $290. You can save $20 if you don't need the analog meters for the MFJ-249B. I thought it was interesting how their antenna analyzers take 10 AA batteries, definitely not appreciated given the reviews I've read. Also, I've noticed that in video reviews, the MFJ units tend to creep in measurement as they "warm up" (or maybe just as the batteries go dead).
Up until about a month ago, I really thought I had settled for something in the middle, the YouKits FG-01. Sure, the manual is almost in English, and you have to get the special sized batteries from somewhere like eBay or Amazon.com, but man that screen is pretty nice! Well, that is until I realized the screen was barely larger than a postage stamp. :-(
This finally brought me to the RigExpert series of analyzers. Perfect 5-star reviews and only costing a bit more than MFJ for their AA-54. Sure, it doesn't do VHF/UHF, but I don't need a box that does everything kinda okay, I needed a box that does one thing extremely well.
The AA-54 has a large screen and the controls are extremely intuitive. Sure, I did have to reference the manual a bit, but now that I have a basic understanding of the button labels I'm confident the manual will just live on the shelf. Another great feature is that it only takes 2 AA batteries! No need to buy the bulk battery packs at Costco just to get my antenna tuned up!
The final selling point for me was that a PC could be connected to the AA-54 to download data. Not just a Windows PC though, they also support Mac OS and even Linux. Well, they'll support anything that supports a COM port as they've published the communication protocol on their website.
I did notice that my unit was shipped with an older firmware, but the latest firmware was published 12/24/2012 so I completely understand. The firmware update process was extremely easy on my Windows 8 computer. I've also interfaced my AA-54 with my MacBook running AAplot.
My latest project has been a portable dipole antenna for 10 through 20 meters (kinda like a Buddipole) and that took about an hour to get dialed in and to get the measurements documented for future deployments. My next project will be a quick deploy fan dipole antenna for 20/40/80/160 and know that the AA-54 will be worth it's weight in gold!
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G6EJD
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 15, 2012 15:54
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Excellent product
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I was on the point of buying an MFJ-259B, then I decided to check these units out in the store, I'm so glad I did, becuase the diference in quality and product is huge for me. The fact that it's accurate, easy to use and runs on 2 AA batteries is a bonus, plus I can download my antenna responses to my computer for reference purposes and to my web page for others to see. Also draws a smith chart for those with an interest and if you understand them, then you'll know what value they provide.
I figured I would hardely ever use an analyser above HF as most VHF antennas are fixed or have little tuning facilities or have suffient bandwidth that detailed analysis is not required, that for me discounted the MFJ-259B.
The unit does everthing, VSWR, impedance (r+jx) and it gives you the sign of the jx component so L or C. Measures cables, finds fault positions, measures velocity factor, etc. The multiband VSWR display is very useful if you have an antenna that when you adjust one element affects another. BTW you can see chnages in real-time which is neat for tuning.
Like others I continue to be extremely impressed with this AA-54 analyser, frankly the MFJ-259B looks out-dated now.
There is little, if any to fault this unit if your interested in HF/6M antennas.
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W3HKK
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 12, 2012 12:29
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Neat-o, quality gadget
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Bought mine from Array Solutions. It arrived promptly and was easy to use.
Favorite Features:
1. the visual graph display of swr helps you spot where you are and estimate any trimming or lengthening needed.
2. being able to download the swr graph onto my computer via the software provided with the unit. ( For years Id plot SWR points manually and then enter them into a spreadsheet and finally print out the graph, for future comparison purposes. It took time. With AA-54, its quick and easy.)
3. my 2 el. phased vertcal array for 40m needs accurately cut coax phasing lines. With my MFJ-259, the resonant point was a wiiiide dip in swr- NOT good enough for cutting coax to its most effective length. With the AA-54, a SHARP dip was noted, making cutting to length a breeze.
4. Everything works, unlike the loose bandswitch on my MFJ that causes analyzer output to disappear. Constant jiggling restores it for a while.
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KW1ND
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 12, 2012 08:43
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Great instrument
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Recently purchased the AA-54 from RigExpert.net, and got a good price and fast standard shipping. If it proves to be durable & lasts, I'll be even happier.
I used this to add 12m & 17m mods to my Hustler 6BTV, as well as generally tweak the antenna. I had previously used a borrowed MFJ analyzer on this antenna - so glad I never bought one. The only advantages I can see the MFJ models having over this model would be higher frequency coverage (unnecessary to me) and a metal case. Otherwise, the multi-bands-at-once feature, graphic display, computer interface & easier battery life make this a winner.
As an added bonus, the included software is very handy. It runs in Windows, but there's also a version on the CD (or in the download) that's optimized to run in Wine on Linux systems. Sweet! This occasionally gives me an odd minor graphic glitch, but that could just be Wine interacting with my video driver.
Stand-alone, the analyzer records 100 data points, no matter what bandwidth you have it scan. When connected to a computer, you can set the number of data points for better resolution. As an example, after I had used the analyzer as a stand-alone to adjust my vertical, I brought my laptop out & ran it via USB. I set the software to do various sweeps, up to the full 0.1 - 54 MHz range, with 1000 data points - pretty cool. As an aside, I discovered a peculiar resonance (below 2:1) around 4.4 MHz. Wish it was around 5.4 MHz, but oh well. All data can be exported to .csv files, then brought into a spreadsheet or graphing software, if desired. My primary software wish would be to have the ability to display more than 1 data file at a time, whether in separate windows or overlayed. This would make it easier to note changes over time, or compare multiple antennas.
A factory case for the analyzer would be nice, but I found an old case from an Eton radio that was a perfect fit, after adding just a little packing foam for protection.
I had been planning on getting the YouKits analyzer, but the expense of the battery and lack of computer interface annoyed me. For not much more money, for my needs, the AA-54 trumps it and anything from MFJ.
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VE4AMN
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 28, 2012 20:44
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Sweet
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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My MFJ-249B gave up the ghost after 15+ year of decent service. After reviewing options I decided that the AA-54 offered the best combination of price and features. What sold me was the ability to view bands simultanously which is very useful for adjusting trap antennas and the 2 AA batteries in an easily accessed compartment. (The MFJ units are a real pain when it comes to batteries)
This unit is easy to operate. It is very cool to see the graphical trace of your system. You get a ton of information and it is easy to adjust the antenna while viewing the results of the changes. Highly recommended.
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K1KRW
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Rating: 5/5
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Nov 23, 2012 20:02
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Good stuff Why did I wait?
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I had borrowed a buddies MFJ to check an antenna and was able to get readings but when it came time to get my on AA this one seemed like a better option. I was right. This is so easy to use and the graphing display really works great to quickly convey your antenna situation. A picture is worth a thousand words they say. Got it a week ago and have already fixed my tuning issues with a PARZ 80m end fed, tuned up 4 MFJ Ham Sticks in 10, 20, 40 and 80m, and checked some buddies mobile antennas (bad news for them).
Ease of use is great and ability to scan 5 freqs at the same time is so quick when checking out multi-band antennas.
Next project is to completely map out my buddipole antenna to setup for MARS frequencies which I have not been able to find any data on the internet.
If you are looking at getting an AA I would recommend you take a long look at this product before making your decision.
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W7AV
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Rating: 5/5
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Oct 25, 2012 15:08
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Really Works!!!!!
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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I had been trying to tune a 160m Inverted L for a week with my MFJ-259B. I have only used 1 other vertical in 55 years, so I know very little about them. The reading from the MFJ were not stable, not knowing much I tried everything (won't go into every little detail), remeasuring, more radials (have 70 @ 130' each), loading coils of various sizes. Nothing made sense----ordered an AA-54 from RF Solutions and from the moment I started using the analyzer I knew what was going on--- I trimmed the wire, and was on 1830 khz in no time. This is a great product, easy to read and understand. Love it!!
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CX3AT
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Rating: 5/5
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Sep 8, 2012 11:57
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5/5
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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RIGEXPERT AA-54 EXELENTE !!
Realmente es el mejor analizador y con mas prestaciones en relacion utilidades-costo que podemos comprar en la actualidad.
Ademas de alimentarse con solo 2 baterias de 1,5v.lo que lo hace mucho mas liviano y manejable a la hora de manipularlo a grandes alturas.
Anteriormente usaba el 259B muuuucho mas pesado y que usa 10 baterias de 1,5 v !! pero como veremos ya fue superado pues con el AA-54 tenemos muchas mas ventajas.
El AA-54 permite chequear una antena yagui tradicional 20-15-10 con una sola mirada pues despliega un analisis de hasta 5 bandas a la misma vez, ( lo que es muy ventajoso para ajustar antenas yagui y verticales multibanda ).
Tambien nos permite ver en pantalla una grafica con el comportamiento de nuestra antena (en tiempo real) a lo largo de toda la banda que estemos ajustando en ese momento y que efecto resulta de nuestro ajuste con respecto a las otras bandas que maneja nuestra antena.
Todo nuestro ajuste lo podemos memorizar por antena y por banda independientemente y estudiarlo luego con nuestro PC.
Con el software incluido con el analizador y luego de instalarlo en nuetro PC podemos realizar varias mediciones mas que nos dejaran muy conformes y veremos reflejado el valor de lo que pagamos por nuestro nuevo " juguete" .
Personalmente he realizado Baluns 1:1 ,medido bobinas ,ajustado mis filtros pasabajo,stubs y mas.
Es una verdadera y justificada inversion para nuestra estacion lo recomiendo 100%.
LALO
CX3AT
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K3IT
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Rating: 5/5
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Jun 27, 2012 15:17
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must have
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Time owned: 6 to 12 months
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I've been using this analyzer for almost a year and it continues to impress. Besides tuning antennas, I have measured feedlines, coils, capacitors, even tuned an old SB-200 amplifier input "slugs" with it. The measurements are precise and repeatable. The AntScope software works great and adds functionality to the analyzer. For example it allows add or subtract feedlines, analyze cable faults etc. Pretty useful thing for the tool bag!
rigexpert.net looks like the right place to buy from. They have good prices and service by VE3DZ.
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