Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: Youkits FG-01 graphic antenna analyzer

Category: Antenna Analyzers

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : Youkits FG-01 graphic antenna analyzer
Reviews: 59MSRP: 249
Description:
Antenna analyzer covering 1 - 60 mhz
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.youkits.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00594.4
AA4TZ Rating: 2016-01-31
Compact, accurate and great display. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
A very accurate and compact antenna tool. The memories for favorite frequencies is very convenient. The display is easy to read in almost any conditions.

The fact that the unit covers the entire six meter band is a plus, since most modern HF transceivers include the six meter band.

Self contained long lasting rechargeable batteries is a money saver as some other units tend to be battery hogs.

Operation is fairly straight forward and simple which is a plus. If it suits your needs it is highly recommended.




----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by AA4TZ on 2016-01-30

An accurate easy to use antenna tool. The bright display makes it easy to read. The memories for favorite frequencies are a plus. All this in a small attractive package with rechargeable batteries is very attractive.

I had an issue with the battery pack where it would not hold a charge within the warranty period. I contacted Scott at Vibroplex and he forwarded my concern to Yimin at YouKits. Ultimately the faulty battery pack was replaced and the unit performs as it should.

The customer service from Vibroplex and YouKits was very satisfactory. If this unit fits your needs for antenna work, it is highly recommended.
M0HCU Rating: 2015-10-05
Good, but be careful if you take it out /p Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Great piece of kit to quickly setup antennas, I've used mine for a Sandpiper MV10, worked like a breeze, and for setting up a cobwebb and several linked dipoles...
But beware... Especially if you take it out /p, with an internal battery.

The crystal on the internal PCB is higher than the rest of the components on the board, unless you ensure the battery is secure inside the box, it WILL rip off the crystal, and the associated PCB tracks!
ZS5J Rating: 2015-09-13
Cannot be without this Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I agree with the previous review. This is an amazing, must have tool that any ham should have. Far better than my Comet or MFJ antenna analyser.

To a previous review, I have never needed customer support, so I cannot comment. In the two years I have owned this it has worked like a Swiss watch. Regarding RF noise from the charger...I have never noticed any RF noise across the spectrum of my Flex radios. Besides, even if there was noise....I only charge my unit once every 6 months - that is how long the battery lasts between charges, that it would never be a problem anyway. A charge takes just a couple hours. I don't leave my analyser on for any extended period - it gets switched off right after I have done tests, and the 6 months between charges is very conservative....I recharge it long before it needs a charge.

I have a very accurate LP-100 digital vector SWR/power meter. I have compared this analyser to my digital vector meter....as well as other known impedance sources, and the accuracy is spot on. Far more accurate than any of the run of the mill analogue SWR meters out there.

I cannot comment regarding BNC connector or multi knob becoming loose - mine is still as firm as the day it was bought.

To sum up, this is a really handy, solid and accurate analyser. And the factory battery seems to last almost forever between charges. This is one instrument I would not be without.
W3VVV Rating: 2015-09-05
No support from manufacturer Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've owned this product for about two years now so it's time for an updated review.

The sole US dealer was previously Ten-Tec. Now it's Vibroplex. There is absolutely no support available from the manufacturer. When I attemped to contact the manufacturer about some issues by using the form on their web site, they did not even reply.

The good points:

1. The FG-01 is easy to understand how to use.
2. It's one of the cheapest antenna analyzers available.

The not-so-good points:

1. There is absolutely no support from the manufacturer. No phone number, no email address.

2. The battery charger generates stronger and broader RFI than any product that I have ever encountered. I tried contacting YouKits by using the form on their web site and received no reply. I emailed Vibroplex for help and they told me that "the manufacturer is a bit slow responding to them." Slow is right -- about three weeks so far. Vibroplex told me that they are trying to locate an alternate charger that does not exhibit the RFI problem, but they have not come up with an alternate charger so far. It's bad enough that the manufacturer is selling this high-RFI charger at all, but to sell it to ham radio operators is beyond disgraceful.

3. The product looks rugged but actual use reveals that it's not that rugged after all. Even after very careful use -- with a BNC to UHF adapter always attached -- the locknut (on the inside of the unit) that secures the BNC connector became loose. It was easy enough to tighten, but it shouldn't have become loose in the first place.

4. Another issue is that the combo push-button/rotary control failed when the unit was out of warranty. The manufacturer does not repair these units out of warranty, even for a fee. With great difficulty I was able to repair the unit myself. In general, though, this should be considered to be a $260 "throw away" if it fails after the one year warranty is up. (Would you expect to trash a $260 2 meter rig if it failed after its warranty was up? No, of course not. Reputable manufacturers provide out-of-warranty service. It might cost a fair amount, but not as much as a new rig.)

5. The unit is useful for helping to tune antennas, but it's not anywhere near as accurate as an SWR/wattmeter. Before using it to trim a dipole, check SWR or reflected power with a good SWR/wattmeter.

MM0HRL Rating: 2015-08-27
Visually attractive, but how accurate is it? Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
For HF + 6m use, this little unit is a tidy solution for getting a general idea of how an antenna resonates. You have to remember it's not lab grade kit and therefore not to expect lab grade accuracy in your results.
It scores heavily with its little graphic screen which appeals strongly to the gimmick-lover in me, but I wonder if its standard of manufacture is as solid as the case feels? I've no easy way to measure its frequency accuracy, so can only compare SWR curve results with SWR meters I already owned, one of which is in my MFJ 949e matcher. I don't see any particular discrepancy with these, and antennas I've measured with the FG-01 appear to respond as I'd expect when the settings resulting from its use are made use of.

I wondered if it'd end up a bit of a drawer-queen, but not a bit of it. It's been used a fair bit, in the shack and in setting up various mobile combinations.

However I do regret that it doesn't cover VHF. UHF isn't important to me but 2m is. There's an MFJ unit that also covers VHF but then you're up against MFJ's questionable reputation... Unsure how to proceed - which will probably mean I'll buy a good quality SWR/power meter for VHF. (I have an Avair unit at present, which looks like it performs around its price level. I do wish the FG01 covered 2m! However that's not a criticism, I knew its spec before I bought it. Unsure if I'd buy it again, (I suspect not) but hope the one I have lasts - all my kit gets kid glove treatment so if it does die it won't be from abuse.
OZ1LQO Rating: 2015-08-05
Nice little unit Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I already have a miniVNA but decided to try out this little unit (FG-01A, 1-35MHz), for portable ops. First impression: It's so small! Perfect when /P, but actually, really nice and easy at home base too: No PC booting to do a quick measurement.
As have already been mentioned: It is not a VNA, it is based on a wheatstone bridge, so it will tell you the impedance at a certain frequency, not if it's inductive or capacitive. I found the impedance measurement to be relatively accurate, but somewhat frequency dependent, so don't bet your life on it. Also, the SWR is based on what a 50 ohm transmitter would see.

That said, if you use it for what it is: a quick, portable, and handy way to see how your antenna performs, you'll be one happy camper (or SOTA ops).

cheers and 73
AG6QR Rating: 2015-05-08
Compact, very nice Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the FG-01A version (35MHz) direct from Vibroplex. It now includes the internal battery and charger.

I often operate portable, and when doing so, usually use a Buddipole system. Every time I set up or change bands, I use an analyzer to tweak the length of the Buddipole to get a good match on my operating frequency. Previously, I had used an MFJ-259B analyzer. It worked well, but was big, heavy, and slow to operate. To be fair, the MFJ covers a greater frequency range (up to 2m) and does a couple of measurements that the FG-01a doesn't do, but the FG-01a, with its graphical display and automatic frequency sweep, is faster at telling me what I need to know: whether I need to shorten or lengthen my antenna, and approximately over what frequency range I can operate before adjusting the antenna again. The FG-01a is MUCH smaller and lighter than the MFJ, which is really important for my portable operation style. It's intuitive to operate and works well.
AG6ET Rating: 2015-02-22
Nice simple antenna analyzer, great display Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got the newer 1-72 MHz version. I bought it direct from Youkits, was warned that there would be a little delay, and it arrived in the time expected.

It is NOT a VNA, it will merely tell you that it's seeing a particular number of ohms at a particular frequency, and what the SWR from a 50 ohm transmitter would be.

That said, it's really useful, and it's easy to use, and unlike some earlier products in this area, it gives you a nice easy to read (even in the dark) plot of the swept frequency range.

So far I've used it to trim a shortened 40m dipole to resonance and I've used it to figure out the velocity factor of an unknown transmission line (zipcord matching stub for a portable antenna) by measuring the resonant point of an open stub.
N2PH Rating: 2015-01-30
Does the job Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Received the FG-01 analyzer the other day and was ready to go.

Unfortunately, Ten Tec does not supply the necessary connection to hook up your antenna to the analyzer. I had to order that piece from Ten Tec more waiting and more money. I believe Ten Tec should make you aware you need a connector when you order the analyzer.

Anyway, the connector came hooked my antenna to the analyzer and was very happy with the results and what the analyzer showed. Lastly, the directions are minimal, but it is easy to use.
N6QIH Rating: 2014-12-11
Great little and compact SWR tool Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I just got my Antenna SWR analyzer and put it right to work on my antenna farm here at the QTH. What an eye opener. I always wondered why the tuner on my FT 2000 took so long to tune my antennas and with this great tool and some adjusting I will get on the air a lot better than before. I really wanted the tool for my Buddipole and Ventenna antennas that are used for QRP work on mountaintop sites. This will be a really good addition to my systems when hooked to the Yaesu 817 radio. I can now operate with peace of mind that all 5 watts are getting to the antenna.