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Reviews For: Comet CAA-500 Mark II

Category: Antenna Analyzers

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Review Summary For : Comet CAA-500 Mark II
Reviews: 38MSRP: 449.00
Description:
The Comet CAA-500 Mark II antenna analyzer is a professional class instrument for measuring SWR, resonance and impedance. It features a highly sensitive, high precision Yokogawa meter for measurement accuracy in seven ranges covering 1.8 to 500 MHz. Impedance is 12.5 to 300 Ohms. VSWR 1:1 to infinity. Digital readout accurate to 1 kHz.

Product is in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
25384.7
WB4IVG Rating: 2020-09-13
One of the Best Analyzers ever Made! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned 10 MFJ units through the years and still own 2 but the reliability of them pales to this unit. The Comet is a quality unit, especially in construction. AS mentioned before this unit and the MFJ have one major fault You MUST add rubber bumper feet on any side that has exposed screws or they will hang and scratch any surface they come in to contact with. As far a functionality the Comet has fantastic capabilities. The only short comings that I have seen are the size of the display and the lack of an I/O port of some kind. I use my unit almost every day working in the antenna industry nd it has never failed me not once. I have not had the experience that another ham reported of mine failing in high RF environments although I could see where it could happen. I am an RF Engineer and use and own several extreamly expencive analyzers some well into the thousands of dollars but for most applications between 1.7 and 550 MHZ, this unit does vittually everything anyone could ask for!
K9OBX Rating: 2020-05-30
Well Built. Rugged. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought this analyzer from R and L electronics. I bought adapters that i didn't have for so-239 to BNC / SMA. This thing works great. Heavy built, feels like quality. I love the large meter on top as my eyes aren't what they used to be. I would definitely buy this again.
k2zz Rating: 2020-04-06
Great analyzer for the price Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is a great analyzer. I've been using to it to test antennas for the last 4 years. It is easy to read and adjust. The analog and digital meter combination shows all the information I need when tuning antennas.
KA6GEM Rating: 2018-12-21
Excellent Antenna Analyzer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have owned the Comet CAA-500 Mark II for about two months and like it very much. I have owned the RigExpert Model AA230 and the MFJ model 269 but find the Comet Antenna Analyzer the easiest to use. It is the best in my experience. The frequency range of 1.8 to 500 MHz leaves nothing to be desired. The color graphics and cross-needle meter display work nicely together. It feels very professional.
I purchased the black carrying case and the analyzer is “upside down” as someone remarked but its position is more far more natural for reading than the reverse. The carrying case also eliminates any worry about the battery plate screws scratching a delicate surface. And the instrument also lays flat. The analyzer with the carrying case fit snugly in a Pelican Model 1150 case. The Comet CAA-500 Mark II has both a SO239 connector for HF/VHF (on the left) and an N-type (on the right) for reading at or above 300 MHz but one should be very careful that SO239 adapters are never placed on the N-type: doing so will split the center pin of the N-type connector.
WD0BCT Rating: 2018-11-15
Great meter Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had this meter over two years now. When looking for an antenna analyzer I decided it was between the Rig and the Comet. At the time of my purchase things were still rocky in the Ukraine and I had difficulty getting parts for another piece of equipment made in the Ukraine. So I settled for the Comet CAA-500 Mark II and have been very happy with it. I think the Rig is a comparable unit but now that I'm fully familiar with the Comet I would recommend to anyone. It does have a quirky freq control knob but I have gotten used to it. Another quirk is when changing the batteries you will get quirky response until you put the battery cover back on the unit. That note was buried in the manual.
W7MCK Rating: 2018-07-31
Best Of Both Worlds Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I looked and used the RigExpert analyzers and owned an MFJ one.
The 266B MFJ I owned was not reliable on the readings, touchy and felt cheap.
The RigExpert was nice with a lot of features but I wanted a graph combined with a real analog meter in one unit.
This was it and so far has been flawless.
N4ZX Rating: 2018-06-14
Very nice! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I have owned 3 or 4 mfj antenna analyzers, various swr meters, noise bridges, etc. over my time as a ham and once worked as a installer of antennas and radio equipment in police and sheriff department vehicles and public service agency buildings. I sure wish I had owned one of these Comet analyzers back then! Without spending big bucks for high-end equipment, this little meter would have done the job nicely.

As the gentleman below pointed out, it does not come with NIST traceable calibration (I guess you could spend the money to have this done, if you really thought it was necessary). It was designed for fairly rough service conditions, outdoor use, up on towers, in vehicles, etc., and the resolution of the controls is more than adequate for this use. If you really are concerned with it scratching your dining room table or some such situation, get the optional soft case! If you really need a bench instrument, there are other, not necessarily better, choices. For normal antenna installation situations, you would be hard pressed to find a more useful instrument than this little gem!

I have used it to identify the impedance of unknown coax. Other measurements are possible with this instrument if you need it. Other advantages are the ability to charge rechargeable batteries inside the unit, or you have the option to use Alkaline AA cells in a pinch. You can switch off the charging option internally, if you are using non rechargeable batteries. Or, it can be used on a power supply without batteries. If you use pl259's or BNC connectors on your UHF radios, you will need adapters, as it has an "N" connector for above 300MHZ (SO239 connector for below 300MHZ). It also has a lanyard attachment post. If you are up on a tower, I would recommend using it!

For the money, you would be challenged to find a more useful meter. If you need vector analysis, etc., look elsewhere. For regular antenna installations, these are hard to beat! Such an improvement over the "kits" you get from a certain Mississippi outfit for just a few dollars more!

A very well-made piece of gear.

N2IPH Rating: 2018-06-08
Buy it Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Only had it a few weeks, but the first few things I see wrong are cosmetic.
1. Manual says use the meter laying down as that is how it is calibrated, BUT THE BOTTOM OF THE CASE HAS TWO SCREWS FOR THE BATTERY COVER STICKING OUT THAT WILL DESTROY ANYTHING THEY COME IN CONTACT WITH. So get yourself some small rubber stick-on feet before you set this thing down or your dining room table or anyplace else you don't want getting scratched up.

2. there is no 'drag' on the frequency tuning knob, which makes it difficult to adjust to your desired frequency. It turns nice and smooth yes, but it's too coarse and makes precise frequency setting difficult.

Wanted features:
a. Add a USB port and offer some simple companion software to connect to a PC -or- better yet a BT link to a smartphone or desktop app.

b. Is this thing calibrated? If yes most instruments that have been calibrated or checked for calibration have a calibration sticker, this has only a QC sticker which is not the same thing.
AH6FC Rating: 2017-02-17
I waited too long Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Some how....too cheap I guess, I only now, after 40 years as a ham, bought an antenna analyzer. Really don't know what I was thinking. Out there fussing with folding back dipoles, trial and error of gamma matches, etc. Just don't get it.

I'm sure there are imperfections with this device, but it sure works for me. Turn it on, look for the swr, etc...done.

Don't wait, buy it. I am sure others are fine too...in any case, get an analyzer.
W2TXB Rating: 2016-09-26
So far, so good. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Having considered the purchase of an analyzer for more than a year and hearing great things about this brand and model, I decided to buy one at the Elmira Hamfest last weekend. As soon as I arrived home, I read the manual (many typos in printed manual, but PDF version is OK) and turned it one. While I still use a Bird wattmeter to test antennas, this device will make antenna tuning a lot quicker and easier.

I am impressed. :)