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Reviews For: W4RT Electronics

Category: QRP Accessories

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Review Summary For : W4RT Electronics
Reviews: 41MSRP: 49.95
Description:
One BIG Punch (OBP) is a custom add-on accessory for the Yaesu MH-31 microphone commonly used with many Yaesu amateur radios such as the FT-817. The One BIG Punch is an AF-based speech compressor specifically configured to provide remarkable increase in talk power while maintaining good audio quality (articulation) for communication purposes. The unit can be mounted inside the MH-31, requires no additional electrical power, and can be turned on or off by using the MH-31's TONE switch. The One BIG Punch can also be install inside the FT- 817 and then no modification to the MH-31 is required.
Product is not in production
More Info: http://www.w4rt.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00413.8
KI4EKL Rating: 2016-03-19
Bad reports, like RF issues, on HF Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I sent the radio to W4RT in 2014 for installation of OBP, CW narrow filter and BHi DSP. While the other products have performed great, I had a problem with the mike on my last portable outing. I have used the mike on 2m and 440Mhz FM with no problem, although I'm not sure what setting it was on. I typically operate only CW on HF, so I think this was the first time I tried using the mike on HF, I think it was 40m. Contacts said audio was very distorted, barely intelligible and suggested that RF was getting into the mike, which seems to be a systematic issue on recent versions of this mod. I wasn't in a good position to do extensive tests with OBP switching in and out, so I went back to working CW. I'd be curious if anyone has had success in opening the mike and adding shielding.
KF7CLH Rating: 2015-12-13
Love It Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered the one big punch from AES already installed in the mic. I went from working about half of the contacts I tried to about 80 to 85% of the stations. Running QRP, you need all the help you can get. It's an awesome asset to the Yaesu FT-817. I'm in Montana and I'm consistently getting 58 & 59 signal reports from Texas. I get about one more s unit reported to me with it turned one. Is it worth it? I say yes.

My contacts tell me I have better sound and my voice is coming through stronger. Buy it, you'll like it!
KD9MAR Rating: 2015-07-22
Complete junk!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
What a rip off. Getting nothing but bad audio reports with this thing. That's what I get for not looking at product reviews before purchasing. RF feeding back into the mic and sounds like complete garbage. Lesson learned.
W8DMM Rating: 2015-01-27
W4RT One Big Punch Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased the OBP from AES in Clevelandd to use on my FT 897. Could not get any audio at all. Sent Ralph two emails asking for help to figure out the problem--NO RESPONSE. Took it back to AES and hooked it up on their FT450-still no audio. AES gave me a refund. AES called Ralph-guess what-- operator fault. I could go on and on but enough said.
W4RT is what I call a ham screwing another ham.
If he operates this way he won't be in business very long.
Dave W8DMM
VE2DIY Rating: 2014-10-08
One big let down Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
installed on my mh-31 for my yaesu ft-817nd. The compressor is functional but reduce speech intelligibility instead of helping. I tried different mic gain setting, talking closer or far from the microphone. For it to work a little bit I need to shout in the microphone with ssb mic gain at 30-40% and then peoples prefer the compressor off and mic gain to 100%. The original tone control was more useful, don't install this in your microphone but instead get yourself the mh-36.

Maybe this was effective with the heil optional mic cartridge ? maybe it would work better with an electret cart ?

The biggest let down was when I sent an email to W4RT to ask for information and didn't get any answer from them. I'm happy I had a bad experience with only a 50$ product from them, now I know and won't spend anymore money on their products.
Done Rating: 2013-09-19
Excellent product, poor implementation... Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Well, I knew this product would require modification- so went ahead and purchased the "installed" version.
Checking it out on my FT-450 with the dummy load it worked well only with my mouth 2 inches from the mic- I have a soft voice, so this is not too much of a problem. Adjusted the mic gain in the radio for low, EQ flat. Connected to an antenna it would oscillate and put out horrible wind noise. I can only assume as others that this chip is highly sensitive to RF.
Disassemble- wrap in foil as others, and add .1uf decoupling cap across the +5v and ground.
Works well now, good reports. Made 4k mile plus DX contact on first try.
Bottom line- product is a great idea, poor implementation.
NZ1MT Rating: 2012-12-18
One Big Disappointment Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Bought the W4RT Electronics one Big Punch kit from Gigaparts and installed it in my FT-817ND MH-31 microphone per the instructions. Adjusted FT-817ND SSB mic gain in menu settings to control ALC (per instructions). All on air reports report distortion. Have also done the Faraday shield modification wrapping the W4RT board in foil again with no on air improvement.

Ended up buying another MH-31 and tossing the W4RT mic into the spare parts box.

In summary the "One Big Punch" is "One Big Disappointment". Save your money.
AB1QX Rating: 2012-11-26
unhappy Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Purchased the pre-installed microphone, on-air
audio reports were very bad. Notified W4RT, was told he knew about this, it was caused by rf pickup by his "improvement". Suggested I wrap his unit in the foil musicians use to isolate guitar pickups and ground it. I feel that selling a product with such a known and glaring flaw---without even a warning-- is something less
than candid and reflects strongly on his business ethic. While YMMV, I urge caution.
W5NNN Rating: 2012-11-09
Unusable Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased the pre-assembled version. With OBP on, no one can hear most of my speach unless I shout into the mic. In short, things are much better with it off. No response from the vendor whatsoever, not even scorn. I feel scammed.
K8ESE Rating: 2012-10-07
Outstanding service! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Just got my OBP modification done and works out very nice...I never could make a contact on my new Yaesu FT 817 the past few months using a "Miracle" portable antenna until now! W4RT folks answered my emails fast, and the service was quick! It is great to know they stand by their product and are sincerely helpful.....I definitely will purchase and have them install the cw and ssb filter board....It felt like for a time that I shouldn't have purchased the FT 817ND because of experiencing poor qrp performance with it, but W4RT came to the rescue....great reliable folks there! ....and their cost is very affordable...