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Reviews For: Coaxial Dynamics 81021 Dual Element Wattmeter

Category: SWR & Wattmeters & Dummy Loads

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Review Summary For : Coaxial Dynamics 81021 Dual Element Wattmeter
Reviews: 1MSRP: $450
Description:
A PEP reading dual X 2 Element meter with superb accuracy
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.coaxial.com/products/81021.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0015
RFEXPERT Rating: 2014-12-31
Excellent Accuracy Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Owning multiple digital meters with all their associated problems. RFI, jumpy meter readings and feature over kill.

I decided I wanted a basic reliable wattmeter. I have been used Birds for decades. After having issues with all the digital wattmeters not reading a tuning pulser correctly, and making it difficult to tune I decided to go back to the old reliable analogue meter standard. Analogue needle meterss have no match when it comes to catching the tiniest peaks. Its the delayed ballistics of the needle meter that allows this fast capture. They vastly superior to a digital meter despite all the claims by the digital meter manufacturers.

I own a Alpha 4510, LP100A, PowerMaster and a Meter Builder. While many of these meters have a nice feature set. These features are rarely used. Then there is the claims about accuracy which only applies when carrier power is used. ON PEP they all jerky and unreliable indicators as these meters calculate, reset and display. Using an oscilloscope I have done extensive testing and have concluded that on PEP the Bird and Coaxial Dynamic meters have better accuracy. The claimed accuracy is 5% or better. This is a better specification than most of the new digital meters.
The digital meters have poor accuracy on PEP and are rarely better than 10 to 15% based on my checks.

I was attracted to the Coaxial Dynamics meter because it offered dual elements, PEP and was widely available with elements that are much cheaper than the Bird Elements. These elements when checked on NIST digital meter are more accurate than their specifications across the HF range.

What I also like the most is the QC connectors. When a connector wears out or has to be changed you just unscrew and put a new one in. Try that with your digital wattmeter coupler. Desoldering and then re soldering coax! Then what happens if you snap the center conductor? New coupler or return to the factory for calibration and repair?
The QC connector system is design perfection at its best.

I also like the Blue styling and the professional looking large analogue meter which is larger than the Bird 43. There is also a minimum of electronics and displays that become dim and obsolete.

You will not be disappointed buying this meter. You can bolt it into your station with no messy cables and couplers. Simplicity at its best. You wont have to mess with messy coupler cables, RFI and other issue. Its elegance for station monitoring and tuning purposes. If I wanted NIST accuracy I would buy a R&S, HP or Boonton meter. Even these cant read PEP accurately. The Coaxial Dynamics is very accurate on PEP.

Dont get hypnotized by the marketing hype of digital meters. Hundreds of features that rarely improve accuracy or that are convenient when connected to your station.

Great product buy 1.