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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
VE2JL Rating: 2002-11-06
Bang for your buck! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
RF1
Small, light, easy to use and very versatile. A bit sensitive setting frequency but practice makes perfect. Beams, wires , verticals, no problem , does them all
AD5IU Rating: 2002-11-04
Updated review: Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I've had my RF-1 Analyst a little over 6 months now. I have noticed in the few times I've used it the SO-239 was twisting slightly in the case as I removed the coax after measurement. In spite of being careful apparently this has finally resulted in a loose/broken connection between the center conductor and the PC board.

When I contacted Autek about getting it repaired under their 1 year warranty I was told to first 'Check for a loose connection at the coax connector'. Well, duh.

Otherwise, to return it under warranty I had to verify (within a few weeks) the purchase date or face a $48 repair charge. Apparently Autek does not keep searchable records of their customers. Since I purchased it from their website with a credit card I have no receipt (none came with the device and there is no postmark on the box). I guess I'm outta luck for any warranty service unless I can dig back far enough thru my old credit card statements to find when I purchased it.

Suffice to say, I'm not really happy with Autek right now and their unsympathetic attitude toward customers will make me think twice about buying from them in the future.
WB5VNX Rating: 2002-09-20
RF5 Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Ran the resonant frequency test on a 6m loop 5 times and got 4 results the same and the 5th different so I'll give it a 4/5 rating. Generally speaking it seems to do what it says. However I take what it says with a bit of a sanity check as well. Used it on a Cushcraft 26B2 array which I knew to be tuned and got some very strange results when passing through an Alpha Delta TT3G50. Removed that and got the expected results. Tried it on unterminated coax and got some very strange results also. Tried on a 3' piece of CXP1318 and got the right answer for velocity factor and got the wrong results on a 150' piece.

So my advice would be to use it along with another method where possible and use a bit of common sense with it as it isn't 100% accurate.
KC8TVW Rating: 2002-08-12
Does what they say Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The RF-1 does exactly what the ads say. Its primary function is to find resonance. At $139, I am very pleased. Adjusting frequency is a little touchy, but not enough to downgrade to a 4.
N7NOG Rating: 2002-06-17
Does the job Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have used the RF-1 for about a month. I am amazed at how much capability is packed in one little box. No problems yet. I find that it is sturdy enough for the kind of work I do with it, yet small enough to fit in my pocket or tower bucket. Just tonight I used it to set up traps for a rotatable dipole - turning a several day project into a few minutes at the bench. I love it!
KD5QPF Rating: 2002-02-21
cool tool Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've had my Autek RF-1 Analyst for about a month now and if you want a (relatively) inexpensive timesaver this is it. I have a 20 mtr Isotron and as the previous review mentioned the Isotron is a rather tedious antenna to adjust properly. I was able to plot (and compare) the resonant freq and SWR curve of the Isotron across the entire band before/after adjusting in about 10 minutes. In addition, I also used the RF-1 to 'load' the antenna tuner to find/chart the tuner presets for different frequencies. It's also an educational device, motivating me to learn what/how the Z, L & C of my feedline(s)/antenna(s)/etc. impact design & performance. I'm finding it indespensible and a 'no regrets' purchase.
WA9BXE Rating: 2002-01-28
Pleased Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I received an Autek RF1 today (ordered about a week ago) and I can say that I am pleased. I was able to quickly use it to determine SWR and resonant frequency of my 20 meter dipole and Isotron (both require some attention, especially the Isotron).

I can not complain about quality or switch operation, since all seems fine at this point.

My overall opinion is that this is a good value for the money invested.
KA0VNY Rating: 2001-12-28
The RF1 worked well as long as you could keep it on Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The RF1 I recv. had problems from the start. At first I thought I had a bad battery , so I tried another new one but still no luck. I found if you squeeze it it would come on. In contacting Autek I was told to loosen the screws and knobs this might help. Customer service is not one of their strong points.
AD6W Rating: 2001-11-20
RF1 is indispensable Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The RF1 is the best $130 I've ever spent on test gear, an really incredible value. Hams in my Club borrow it on a regular basis and are universally enthusiastic about it. It quickly proves itself and becomes indispensable in antenna work. The ability to have it cycle through two or three of the measured values automatically is important to the way I adjust antennas. The fact that it fits in a pocket is amazing. I can't believe there are people out there that think $130 is expensive for what the RF1 does. You couldn't buy all these functions in one box AT ANY PRICE until just recently. Only criticism is touchy controls.
WA7OHS Rating: 2001-11-13
RF-1 WONDER TOOL Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I bought the rf-1 after reading all of the reviews. Its not expensive, easy on a 9v battery, light and small enough to carry in your pocket. I am stuck using mobile antennas due to homeowner assn regs. The rf-1 saves hours of time tuning up my r/s 10m and hamstick 20m mag mount mobiles. In a matter of minutes I cut the whip to the exact length to have an swr of 1.6 or less. Using the Autek instruction sheets I can calc the inches to be shortened or made longer. Also good for tuning a telescoping bnc ant for a 10 m Titan handheld.

Negative comments are petty. The tuning is a little touchy. It took me about 2 minutes to get the hang of it. Display is good outside. I'm only sorry I didn't buy the rf-1 a few years ago. It can also show your swr bandwith in Mhz of 2.0 or less.