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Reviews For: AUTEK RESEARCH VA1-RF1-RF5 RF ANALYST

Category: Antenna Analyzers

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Review Summary For : AUTEK RESEARCH VA1-RF1-RF5 RF ANALYST
Reviews: 109MSRP: 129.95
Description:
The pocket-sized RF1 is designed to check and adjust antennas,
Product is not in production
More Info: https://web.archive.org/web/20130523062036/http://autekresearch.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
001093.2
NL7W Rating: 2006-04-03
RF-1 needs help... Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The RF-1, purchased new about 10 to 12 years ago, has always had the dreaded LCD display problems -- the same problem everyone seems to vent about since its inception. You'd think they'd correct this particular issue over a decade, but apparently unsuspecting hams come along all the time.

Anyway, when I can get the display to function, it works ok.

It rates a 2 because of its frustrating display issue -- the worst rating I have given any product.

The Palstar ZM30 looks pretty good to me right now...

73.
W3UTD Rating: 2006-04-03
Weak Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Worked right out of the box ... once.

The next time I used it, I noticed the display was weak. Needs a new battery I thought. Well , a new battery did nothing, so like a good responsible Ham, I opened up the case:

Only one or two of the pins for the display were actually soldered. Also pins for On/Off, FREQ and SWR buttons were not soldered.

How the heck this thing worked the first time is a mystery. What's more of a mystery is how something like that could get out of the factory.

How do you not solder components to a PC board?!

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Earlier 3-star review posted by W3UTD on 2005-04-17

After not using mine for about a year, I took it out of the toolbox recently, put in a new battery and found that it did not work. So, I opened it up to find:
1. Multiple cold solder joints.
2. There are 7 push buttons on the PC board with two pins each, for a total of 14 solder pads. Only 4 were soldered, the rest were just pushed in and not even crimped in place.
3. Wires connecting the battery to the PC board were so long, that they were touching on the underside.

I cannot understand how things like these could pass inspection.

Anyway, after doing my own soldering job, everything is working. If my score was for performance only, I'd give this unit a 5. It's accurate, small and easy to use. However, the quality of assembly is attrocious, so it only gets a 3.
N7AOB Rating: 2006-02-28
Junk. They have raised the price and not improved the product. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Junk from the get-go

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Earlier 2-star review posted by N7AOB on 2004-01-23

Bought my RF-1 mail order. Had a cancelled check to verify purchase date. Worked ok first time out, then quit. Everything read "H".
Sent in for repair with $8.00. Only cost $2.65 to return it. Had a small paper with it and whatever it said was what they did. It's going on ebay tomorrow.
KD7TCJ Rating: 2006-02-28
Good bargin, easy to use Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Santa brought me my Autek HF and VHF Analysts two years ago and so far I have built and tuned 7 homebrew antennas and verified installations for many others. I use them frequently for spot checks. The units are compact and easy to use but not weather resistent at all but that does not bother me because they easily fit in a sandwich baggie.

I built a loose coupling coil which allowed "dropping in" and fine tuning 8 traps for a homebrew 5 band trap dipole. What fun!
Then I trimmed some brass rods for a few portable 1/4 wave ground plane verticals for 144, 220 and 440. Then I built up and tuned a quadrifilar helix for 130 Mhz WESAT. Then there's the 20 M dipole.

The pot can be sensitive to adjust sometimes. A lot of success with the traps is dependent on the amount of coupling. Too much can drag you off true resonance. That's not a problem with the Analysts though.

I have not opened these guys up to check their construction because I never had a reason to. They can run through the 9V batteries though and a weak battery will produce erratic readings. I just carry a spare.

I've been real pleased with these compact light weight portable instruments. You won't have to hoist them up the tower because they'll be in your pocket.

Scott, KD7TCJ







KS4CN Rating: 2006-02-28
CQ Problem in construction Time Owned: more than 12 months.
RF Analyst Model RF-1. It was purcahsed new and arrived in good condition. The ground bolt was loose but was an easy fix. I payed no attention to the assembly until I read some of the reviews a year later. The first thing I noticed was that six of the eight pins representing the ON/OFF and Band switches were not soldered. Twelve of the twenty pins representing the FREQ, SWR, Z, L, and C switches were not soldered. In addition the tabs on the Tune pot were not soldered. I was amazed the thing functioned. Quality Control in assembly needs some help!
N6NVP Rating: 2005-10-02
I'm Happy Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The RF-1 started solving antenna problems for me right out of the box. (Tuned a PAR End-Fedz 20/40 I've had problems with for months). Now I'm using it to build the coils for my PAC-12. Any of those jobs could've been done without it, but certainly not as quickly and easily. Would I like to have an MFJ-259? Sure! But I'd still keep the RF-1 to haul into the field. The MFJ costs twice as much as either of my transcievers and is about ten times bigger than the ATS-2 rig I use for portable operation. The RF-1 fits right into my "go bag". I only deal with antennas when I've got a problem or I'm trying something new. The Autek handles that with no problem at all.
WA2EGP Rating: 2005-08-27
Excellent for the price! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I purchased a used RF-1 from a ham who probably didn't know how to use it. I also have an AEA RF Analyst, Palomar noise bridge and an Omega noise bridge. In longevity, usefulness and sturdiness compared to price, the RF-1 is on top. It is light weight, good on batteries (unlike the AEA) and doesn't require anything else except for an adapter if your measuring something with a BNC connector or open-wire line. Very easy to carry up to the roof or a tower. I've used mine as a signal generator in a pinch. I also like the feature that you can hold two (or more) buttons down for a second and the display will shift between measurements automatically about every half second. Handy when the RF-1 is out of reach and you want to see SWR and frequency at the “same time”.

After reading some negative reviews of Autek equipment, I decided to open mine up and take a look. The only “unsoldered” leads I saw were just ones to hold the fine frequency control to the board, its electrical contacts were fine. No cold solder joint that I found. The reason the frequency controls are not in a line is that the controls are on two different boards and the shaft of one passes through a hole in the other board. Probably the simplest (maybe only) way to design the boards. I never had a problem with the buttons. They are easy to press by accident but since I use a Pelican 1120 case with foam insert to hold my “antenna stuff” I never had the RF-1 get accidentally turned on. The oscillator is as stable as any oscillator that's not locked to a crystal and does not drift that much, especially after it “warms up”. The last segment can bobble between two values but that is the nature of any analog measurement on a digital display. Yes, the controls are touchy but with a steady hand you are where you want to be. Measurements seem to correspond to the AEA and various SWR bridges but I never checked it against a “professional” RF analyzer. It's close enough for me.

My only wishes would be more substantial buttons that are not as easy to accidentally press, a little more stable oscillator which could increase the usefulness of the RF-1 and more mechanical support for the tuning control shafts. They wobble a little and might be easier to use if they were a little “stiffer”. (I was playing with the idea of putting rubber grommets in the holes of the case) The range of each of the frequency controls to me seems more of personal hand control and taste. I'm OK with the range of each.

All-in-all, the RF-1 is a fantastic piece of test equipment for the price. It is not a $1000 analyzer and doesn't pretend to be. I've used it for many different purposes and it has never failed me, even after being dropped on the floor. They are rare on eBay and hamfests (they only one I saw, I bought) so that might indicate some happy users. Other analyzers for sale usually have some “problems” so that might be some kind of indicator. Next to my VOM, it is the most used piece of test equipment here. I would recommend getting one if you are looking for RF analyzers. I don't think you would be unhappy with the bang-for-the-buck you get from this little black box.
N4NYY Rating: 2005-08-18
Piece of Garbage Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I cannot believe they charge so much for such crap. My LED started going out, with certain segments getting lighter. Their repair charges are outrageous. Why do I say that? Because construction is crap, and the components are cheap and can be had at any electronics store for next to nothing. Cheap components like 2N3904 and 2N3906 transistors. Open it up and see for yourself. The only impressive thing is that they are able to command upwards of $150 for this, and people actually pay for it. Take your money and go in another direction. Stay away !
W8LV Rating: 2005-05-26
A Howling Dog.Arf. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I couldn't get my Autek unit to work properly. As a matter of fact, I could not use it as described even to measure SWR. My Daiwa SWR/Power meter shows a good match, the Autek unit can't 'see' a match.
How the Autek unit could not see three watts into a vertical with a PERFECT match is beyond me, and no adjustment of the tuner helped. Maybe I used it wrong?
Too bad, It would have been nice especially in the field to use such a small portable meter, and for checking homemade coils. Methinks that I should have selected the Mississippi Fine Job instead, and in retrospect, I wish I would have, since every other Mississippi Fine Job Product that I have owned over the years has worked with no problems.
WA5UHK Rating: 2005-05-21
VA 1 is great piece of test gear Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
As they used to say on American Bandstand new record reviews: I'd listen to it, I'd dance to it and I'd buy the record...

Bought my VA1 in February and I'm pleased with it. I gave it a 5 because of the value it represents; lots of instrumentation for a fair price.

I bought for a mobile install and for the re-building of my hamshack. I've used the VA1 many, many times. It really saved my bacon when I was struggling with the mobile install. I was able to watch the impedance of the antenna improve as I bonded and strapped the frame and panels. It also guided me as I designed and wound a transmission line transformer for the match. Knowing the impedance in each of the bands I work let me define the number of taps I needed. I couldn't have done the job I did without my VA1.

It is light weight and is not rugged but it does a lot for $200. If it breaks, I'll buy another one. I'm considering getting the VHF RF analyst when I build my VHF/UHF antennas.