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Reviews For: Nye Viking MB-VA

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : Nye Viking MB-VA
Reviews: 43MSRP: 830
Description:
3KW, Pi impedance matching network, makes a tuned RF circuit
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.skyport.com/rogue-press/nye1.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00433.6
KG2IC Rating: 1999-12-25
Outstanding, if you understand what a transmatch i Time Owned: unknown months.
I currently use two of the Nye Viking tuners in my hamshack, both have seen full strap AM power levels with nary a problem or flashover.

After the reading the previous reviews, I am left with the impression that some of the previous reviewers were not quite of the understanding of what to expect from this "tuner" or any transmatch for that matter. The antenna to be used should be at least somewhat near the desired band. You will not be able to load up your 11m whip on 160, nor will this tuner work on the old set of bedsprings sitting in the basement. It will however do an outstanding job with any somewhat reasonable match. Frankly, any tuner that would would with such a mismatch is going to burn up a great of your potential RF energy as heat! So what is point with that?


In my opinion, next to some megabucks military or commerical unit, or the Johnson KW Matchbox, this is the tuner for the your money. I also have a Matchbox, but it's lack of 160m was what prompted my purchase of the Nye unit.

The lack of peak and hold metering presents no problem to me either. Since the antenna would be matched using a constant carrier RF emission mode, AM/CW, could calculate your power level quite nicely. In my experience, the majority of the peak reading meters are simply a guess anyways.

For my money, it is the Nye. I liked the first one so well I bought a second one!

One problem that I have had, and it was may fault, not the tuner. The diodes in the bridge measuring circut can fail. However this only happened when I had a problem with the antenna switchover relay, and the 500 watts of RF had to go somewhere. I found the Nye people very friendly on the phonem, sending me replacement diodes, which took less than 1 hour to install.

Tnx Nye,

-Bruce KG2IC
K3USC Rating: 1999-09-19
Nye Tuners- WAY overpriced and overrated ! Time Owned: unknown months.
I've had 2 and sold 'em both ! Keep coming back to Ten Tec # 238's. Buy 'em used for $ 250-275. Or the different cosmetics but same internally # 229B for less $$. The Ten Tecs handle all the power my Henry 3K Premier can produce and work 160 with no problem. Use them with 160 and 80m dipoles fed with ladder line and a coax fed 160m Carolina Windom. 2 thumbs up for the Ten Tecs !
K2WE Rating: 1999-09-18
Nye Tuners.. Over priced & Not user friendly Time Owned: unknown months.
I too, have tried this tuner and was very dissapointed. At a cost of over $650, it's way out of line. I was unable to tune my inverted Vee (which is 126' on a leg) fed with ladder line on the low end of 160 meters. I called the company and was told I would have to experment and add more capatance to get it to work correct. I was amazed!! I thought this was the "Top of the Line" tuner.. They make a great peak reading meter (RFM-003) so why couldn't they build it into this tuner?? I replaced it with a Vectronics HFT-1500. It has worked fantastic and tunes my wires anywhere.The vectronics has a peak & hold cross needle meter and a great bar-graph which makes tuning a snap. I also have my old E F Johnson Matchbox, and even this 40+ year old piece out performs the Nye tuner and it cost me less than $100!! There are much better units available for a fraction of the cost...