| WO4R |
Rating:      |
2011-10-28 | |
| best watt meter ever |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
This is the best watt meter I have ever owned.
Sure you can spend a lot more but dollar for dollar it is the most bang for the buck. I want to know swr and forward power. I also want big meters. This one has both with no calibrating or reading cross needles.
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| W4DHX |
Rating:      |
2011-08-02 | |
| Great Meter |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Excellent meter - well built, large meters, accurate, and good for mobile use. Be sure to read the instructions when hooking up power (using other than the supplied A/C adapter). |
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| WS7X |
Rating:      |
2011-02-20 | |
| Excellent Meters |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I've had mine for probably 10 years, and I just noticed that I've not written a review before now so thought I'd add my 2 cents. You can spend a lot more for a good meter but this one will do just fine. Mine is accurate and has worked flawlessly with no issues. Nothing else to add that hasn't already been said except the few negative reviews I've read about this meter seem to address a customer service issue. I can't speak to that since my purchase was so long ago and I had no trouble with mine. But as for the meter itself, if they still make them like the one I have, it's a great meter and deserves a 5. I'd buy another one without hesitation if I ever needed another meter.
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| W4QDC |
Rating:      |
2011-02-20 | |
| Great accesory |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I don't know why I didn't get one of these WM-1 sooner. I have never been pleased with most SWR and Pwr measuring devices. Some transceivers have decent metering of SWR, but you usually want to monitor something else and they are had to see on most displays. I have an automatic ant. tuner at the base of my 43 ft. vertical and it keeps track of erratic operating of this tuner when it suddenly decides to go in the bypass mode. In over 60 years of hamming, this is one of the better station accesories I've used. It is as accurate as my Bird Watt Meter. You get instant readings and full time monitoring. I hope they have improved on their service work as this seems to be a problem. Jay, W4QDC |
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| JUNKMAN |
Rating:      |
2011-02-16 | |
| EXCELLENT!! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Had every other wattmeter made so I can't figure out why I have not tried one of these sooner. Excellent meter and I like the way it works. Attack and decay times are perfect for a peak reading meter. Large white face meters are easy to see and seems to be accurate as well. Only thing I had a problem with was RF getting into the wall wart that powers the meter and the meter lights were too dim. To solve the problems I did away with the wall wart and powered the meter from my station power supply and re-wired the lights from series to parallel and the lights are now much brighter. Now it's the perfect meter for my needs and at $159 it's a good deal as well. |
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| VE3PP |
Rating:      |
2010-02-22 | |
| VERY NICE METER |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I recently purchased a new AUTEK WM-1 and I am impressed.
Ordered via the phone, no problem getting through to Autek.
It was shipped and arrived within 10 days of ordering, which is pretty good considering it had to go through Canada Customs.
First impression of the meter is excellent meter. Easy to read, easy to use and the remote control head is a plus. No coax on the desk to the meter.
Power readings are the same as my old trusty YS-60 which I have used for years.
I like the fact there are two separate meters. I also like the fact that I no longer have to do a calibration when checking the SWR.
All in all I would recommend this meter to other Amateurs who do not like the many cross needle meters that seem to be the main sellers from the dealers these days. |
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| K4VUD |
Rating:     |
2009-10-04 | |
| just what u want but grumpy vendor |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have 3 of these, one went to 9N and later to VU4. Work good. Everything others say recently on this site is correct.
-dual meters good
-peak reading good
-very grumpy vendor..what has this "company" got against the world.... basically "buy it and shut up" Also, watch out for their return for repair costs... wow!
-coax power connector will dislodge easily and it is a solder job back onto the board.
I would have no other meter for shack desk use. de HS0ZCW |
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| NC2F |
Rating:      |
2009-07-07 | |
| Smart design, solid performer! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I was fortunate enough to win my Autek WM-1 which was the raffle prize for a fundraiser for a local AR club. While I haven't owned it for very long, it's obvious that this is a quality piece of gear that I feel should be a requirement for all shacks.
This meter is well thought out in it's design (individual meters for both SWR & Watts) and it shows in it's performance and construction as well - excellent! The Autek WM-1 is now my primary station SWR/Watt meter. I have a Elecraft W1 140W Computing Wattmeter and SWR Bridge kit that will move from my station and now be part of my pelican case for mobile use.
If you want a great commercially-made SWR/Watt meter, forget about the cross-needle meters, get yourself a better dual meter solution like this very nice Autek WM-1. |
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| K4LVR |
Rating:     |
2009-05-19 | |
| Good performance, Secretive Manufacturer, Not inexpensive |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I required a replacement for my venerable Heath HM102 which I have had since my Novice days (Built in 1976 and still working!). I was looking for an automatic SWR/accurate RF power output meter that would enable peak SSB power readings to keep my amp and tuner’s meters honest.
I looked at things like Wavenode and Larry Phipps’ LP100, but as nice and high tech as these are, they don’t seem to be as useful as something with analog meters to me. Simplicity has its virtues! I guess I'm just old fashioned!
The Autek WM1 had all the prerequisite features I was looking for, (since Nye stopped making their superior unit). I was not impressed by any of the imported units that are available. And my HM-102 spoiled me with the remote sensor layout, which works perfectly for my station setup.
Autek’s customer service reputation is somewhat mixed. The secretive principals of this company live around my neighborhood, but are very good at hiding from us "great unwashed masses"… They certainly love their privacy. No one knows who they are! They also deal with customers on their own rigid terms and make no excuses about it. Its all very spooky to a customer from a PR point of view.
I found, however, that my WM1’s order was handled well and in a timely manner. I received the unit, very well packed and padded with brown paper for shipment, and within plastic bags, via UPS Ground, three days from placing my order.
Opening the box, everything was correctly screwed on, no missing parts, no QC issues (this is definitely not an MFJ product!). The left hand meter (for measuring SWR) had a small scratch on the top of the plastic lens, but that is truly a minor nit pick, and when placing it on my console, you cant even see it.
The unit works as advertised, matching almost exactly with a recently calibrated Bird wattmeter in CW power. The SSB peak power readings match exactly what my amplifier’s peak SSB readings display, but are much easier to read on discrete meters without the cross needle confusion. The attack/decay action is flawless. And I can place the readout conveniently near my computer monitor, so I can see it when operating. Its wider than the HM-102, but shallower, which necessitated a small reorganization of my operating position.
Minor negatives are the stiffness of the switches on the front panel and the gaping hole in the back of the unit’s case, which could have been done cosmetically better for the price of the unit.
The case is very sturdy, as is the remote sensor’s case. I wish the connectors for the sensor were on opposite sides of the case, but that is just because of the way my station is laid out… Others might find this convenient.
At $180 new, this tool is not inexpensive, however, it is very accurate, looks solidly built to last, and is very functional. It will look good in any station environment. I am hoping it lives as long a life as my HM-102 has lived.
For the price, however, while functionally it deserves a 5, I will rate it at a 4 as the value proposition of what you get for what you pay for is a bit on the high side of the curve.
W4LT
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| NI4F |
Rating:  |
2009-04-06 | |
| OK Product-but horrible service |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I have owned the WM-1 watt meter for a couple of years without any issues. However, recently, I attempted to plug in the 12v adapter plug for the AC wall transformer, and the flimsy female jack detached from the circuit board. Uneasy with making circuit board repairs, I consulted the Autek web site and noted there were no instructions on repairs. Following the order information on the site, I returned the meter to Autek with my credit card citation for repair. About a week later, I received a curt email reply criticizing me for not including a personal check. In this email, I learned that a minimum WM-1 repair is $60 with $11 return shipping, for a total of $71 or half the cost of the original meter. The meter works OK, but don't depend on any reasonable support from Autek. I certainly will never order another Autek product. |
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