Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: RigExpert AA-35 ZOOM

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 : RigExpert AA-35 ZOOM
Reviews: 15MSRP: 270.
Description:
The AA-35 ZOOM is a portable, self-calibrating analyzer, designed for
measuring SWR (standing wave ratio), return loss, cable loss, as well as
other parameters of cable and antenna systems in the range of 60 kHz to
35 MHz, with incredible ZOOM capability.
Product is in production
More Info: https://rigexpert.com/products/antenna-analyzers/aa-35-zoom/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15153.8
SWLCHRIS Rating: 2019-10-28
Awesome tool for the shack Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I got an antenna that was hard to tune. A base loaded portable vertical antenna. It was hard to tune anywhere near low swr without an hour of fooling around with rig in cw mode with a swr meter and a lot of running back out side.
I went to our local radio club picnic with the antenna and a member had his analyzer with him and I saw in an instant how easy it would be to tune an antenna with one of those .
I went to HRO and looked at what they had. I absolutely refused to buy another piece of crap from MFJ since every single one of my purchases of their BRAND NEW equipment had some sort of defect either minor or worse, major.
I picked out this model because it was on sale, I didn't need VHF and above and it was recommended as a great starting point.
Well , they were right. It does work great. It is so much easier now to tune the vertical for any spot within the hf bands. At a glance I get to see where the good spots are and how much to adjust that coil tap.It even helped me to find the problem with my antenna feedline connector and resolve that for a great night of trouble free transmitting. At the price I paid., this more than makes up for all the effort it took to tune an antenna and the next one I build I won't have to compromise. Or, go off somewhat accurate SWR meter reading and running back out to trim or tune .
It's build quality is sturdy although it does have a plastic casing but it's that tough plastic that bounces when you drop it.... not the kind that cracks.They send it with a usb cord to attach to pc or power the unit and a handy carrying case that is a great touch to protect your not that meager investment.It can run off two AA batteries. As much as I was playing with it I ran those down sorta faster than I thought but then you have to remember you are powering a radio transmitter of sorts too.It's lightweight so not a chore to hold with one hand while adjusting antenna coil with another.
The only drawback is the sun makes the screen hard to read at times but for 200 bucks I'm not complaining.I can use my hand to shade the display and see what I need.
Would I buy another antenna analyzer? Sure !
Would it be a MFJ model? Ummmm that's a bigtime no !
Would it be a Rig Expert model? Sure !
Would it be this model? Sure!
Would I recommend this to a friend? Sure !
KI5GKD Rating: 2019-10-01
Saves a ton of time and frustration Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I spent several hours on Saturday trying to tweak in an MFJ-2240 portable dipole with out any success so I ordered this from Amazon and it was delivered the next evening. This morning I hooked it up and within 45 minutes I had the antenna tweaked to the FX I wanted. I was more than 6" off where I finally quit on Sat. All-in-all I pruned about 8" off the SS whips before I got in the ballpark. Without this tool I doubt I would have ever gotten it tuned.

The only gripe is having to read it in the shade but I'll gladly put up with that!
K4VBB Rating: 2019-09-25
Great tool and more Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought my AA-35 second hand from another HAM. This is a must-have tool if you build your own antennas. Tuning an antenna to SWR minimum is easy with the AA-35. Understanding the plethora of other data that the AA-35 presents you with required a bit of education on my part. I learned a lot using this little device, as I had a real desire to understand all the information that the user is presented with and to be able to use that data to compare real antenna performance. I also learned that with the RigExpert devices you don't have to figure out whether your complex impedance is positive or negative. The RigExpert tells you.

Additionally, I can't speak enough good about their support. After having the AA-35 for about 2 months I fried it by accident. Since I bought the item second hand I didn't plan on getting any help, but Alex from their support team worked with me anyway and helped me to identify exactly what got killed, and how to fix it. I once again have a working RigExpert AA-35, all thanks to the outstanding support team. Thank you Alex for all of your outstanding assistance!
LNXAUTHOR Rating: 2019-09-09
finally fixed serious bugs w/new firmware today Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
this is a nice analyzer for HF antennas that also performs a myriad of other electronic duties... i bought this analyzer to augment my old MFJ unit and to bring new features to my ham toolbag...

i like the fact that this analyzer runs off 2 AA batteries or the included USB cable... this means i can use my 6Ah Lithium Ion battery pack, which has 12V and 3A 5V ports to not only power my Raspberry Pi LCD panadapter, but also the analyzer and my QRP rig

i was initially disappointed in that the Antscope2 software did not work or correctly display under OS X 10.14.6 or Ubuntu Bionic Beaver - additionally, the data import and display did not work at all - until today, with the new firmware update and new releases (i don't care about Windows much)

you can now import and display data stored in the analyzer's 10 memory slots and save them on your digital media - this is good for recording tests of various antennas and placements - now that this feature is working, this analyzer is much more valuable in my eyes and for my needs - i operate mostly 'patio portable' nowadays, and have a variety of antennas to choose from to deploy

i did not like the case included with the analyzer (it was really difficult to put on at first), but if you use AAs in the field, this is a nice and thoughtful addition... i found an old Expedia mini case that holds the analyzer perfectly, along with AAs, USB cable, and a BNC adapter...

the analyzer may seem confusing to use at first, but after practicing with it for a while, you may find it is actually very easy to use... don't forget to set it up for your language and Region first...

i basically go to the SWR chart display page, press 3, select the band by holding down F+ up or down, then tap OK... if i want to save the data, i press 6, select the memory slot, name the slot and go to another band...

several built-in self-tests are handy... you can use this analyzer for simple or much more complex tasks...

downsides?

it's expensive... the antscope2 software is closed source, and the USB serial connection is unusable by other open-source applications... if you buy this analyzer you will be at the mercy of the company for updates or analyzer software... i am grateful that GNU/Linux and OS X is supported...

we'll see how long the analyzer lasts... i seriously doubt that it will last as long as 'Bouncing Betty,' my big, ugly MFJ unit that has been dropped on concrete several times and still works great...

but if you're in the market for a lightweight, capable HF antenna analyzer that runs off USB or two AAs, this is a great product...
DU1ZZ Rating: 2018-10-17
Accurate and Convenient Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I didn't like the idea of lugging around a handful of AA batteries just for an antenna analyzer, so I looked around a bit and saw the favorable reviews on the AA-30. After saving up for it, it was suddenly discontinued and replaced by this- the AA-35 ZOOM.

It came in 2 days after ordering at $250 shipped. I was immediately able to tune my Buddistick to resonance within minutes. Although it is quite heftier and $20 more than the iP30z which Buddipole sells, this thing is packed with more features, is colored and it comes a nice graph for different measurements. The backlight might be a bit dim in direct sunlight. It is solidly built and powered by 2AA batteries. I just put Eneloops in and after a week of use, the batteries are nearly full.

Overall, I would highly recommend this analyzer.