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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
W2MSK Rating: 2005-07-05
A requirement! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The OBP adds significant "talk power" to the FT-817 rig. It is very easy to see the improvement with any Bird meter and I've received many excellent voice reports all preferring the OBP position over the stock mic. This is a must have mod to a fun rig.
IV3EPO Rating: 2004-12-26
Very, very good !! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Ralph N5DOI did a great job with this stuff !!
There's a tremendous difference with it on or off also in FM.....now I can have full power and good audio quality with my FT-817, 897 and 857D.
Not very expensive, good costumer service and easy to build by yourself.
Well done !!

Thanks Ralph
N1KSN Rating: 2004-10-24
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
With the One Big Punch I have completed "tricking out" my FT-817 with the W4RT Big Three: The OBP, the One Board Filter, and the DSP HEAR IT Inside unit.

I just finished testing the One Big Punch on the air with a THP 50 watt linear hooked up to the FT-817, and my evaluators say the OBP sounds great compared to the unprocessed audio, which by comparison is "thin." I am very satisfied, and the installation was no problem for me.

I can recommend this item without reservation.
KG0WX Rating: 2003-11-07
A must have for HF work! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
When you only have 5 watts max, you need every advantage you can get. I had the "max punch" option installed (both the HC4 & 5 elements).

To test the compressor, I hooked up my QRP meter and a dummy load. In USB on 14.250 mhz I keyed up and spoke a long "ahhhhhhhhhhh" while switching the selector on the back of the mic and watching my meter. With the OBP off I was getting about 2 watts and with it on I was getting nearly 5!

W4RT's service was excellent - I mailed the radio via priority mail on 11/1 and got it back UPS ground this morning! That's 6 days, folks!
KF6QPC Rating: 2003-07-14
Great Product & Service Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered the One Big Punch early
hours on Thursday and received the product in the mail that Saturday! I
installed the One Big Punch on my Yaesu MH-31 microphone using W4RT's
high-quality documentation and had successful results. I made a couple of
contacts on Sunday asking them if they noticed any difference. They told me
the tone switch number 2 setting on my microphone, which enables the One Big
Punch, really made a difference in both my tone and clarity.
KE6VG Rating: 2003-05-07
1 "S-Unit" Gain Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I installed this in my FT-817 last night and checked the output with it on and off. I receive a 1 S-Unit stronger signal with it on than with it off. I have a stock element in the mic. Audio sounds great. First contact with it was TX4PG on 18.140. 5-9 from his DX spot in Marqueses Islands. Got him first call with a dipole at 30 ft. The installation was not that difficult. Installing a CW filter in my FT-100 was much more involved. I would recommend this if you like SSB. 6 db gain and I'm still considered QRP. Great service from W4RT also!
K6USN Rating: 2003-03-14
This WORKS! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I own an FT 817 and recently added the One Big Punch. The on air results have been very impressive. I work a lot of DX on HF SSB that I didn't before. I get some S-1, Q-5 reports, attesting to the 'punch' the audio has for my miniscule 5 watt signal.

I have just added the OBP to my Icom IC 706 Mk II
and have noted similar improvement in my audio. Although not as pronounced as with the 5 watt FT 817,there is a significant improvement over the stock HM 36 hand mike on the '706.

The customer service support at W4RT has been exceptional. I sent in a HM 118TN (the Icom touch tone accessory mike) for the OBP retrofit,and Bob, N4BK, went so far as to contact Icom and track down the schematic for this mike to make sure that the OBP was compatible. (This was the first HM 118TN they had seen). He then tracked down an IC 706 and tested the retrofitted mike to make sure all worked well.

Price is reasonable, turn around time outstanding, and customer service is excellent.
Above all, this product produces an immediate and very noticable improvement in my broadcast audio.

I recommend W4RT Electronics and the OBP most highly.


VR2XMC Rating: 2002-11-07
Work as advertised Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I purchased two OBP from W4RT, one for my FT817 and one for my IC706. Delivery from them is quick and the installation is straight forward though you have to work carefully. The trick is to use a fine point soldering iron. My soldering iron is from a CS-20 from Goot specially for SMT components.

The OBP works great with my FT817 and there has been significant improvement in talk power (I can even see it in my Diamond power meter).

One the other hand, the OBP for the HM103 hand mike for my IC706 is only fair. The modified hand mike did give more punch when compared with the original one. However, the difference in performance is not as great as that in FT817.

IC706 is often complaint about not enough mic gain. Without the OBP, I have to set the mic gain to 8 out 10. Once installed the OBP, I can now lower the mi gain to 3-4. This adjustment was not mentioned / suggested in the installation manual.

Furthermore, the compression gain of OBP is not enough in the IC706 version so that I have still turned on the internal compressor of the rig. Interestingly, when the compressors in OBP and IC706 are in cascade, the result is very good. The combination works very well.

In the circumstances, I would suggest W4RT gives more details in their installation manual (in the case of IC706 version) about the adjustment of mic gain and compression gain.

Overall, the FT817 verison is a 5 out of 5 but the IC706 version is just up to 4 out of 5.

73

Johnny Siu VR2XMC
K4FXD Rating: 2002-07-18
W4RT OBP & Heil HC-4 Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
When they first came out I purchased a OBP directly from the folks at W4RT, carefully installed it in the microphone - and was disappointed, lots of feedback - enough so that it was unusable. I reported this to the folks at W4RT who told me a "version 2" would soon (within a week or so) be available which fixes the problem and they would swap it out. I must say that this is a company that stands fully behind their products - they swapped it out the same day they recieved the version 2 units. The unit is installed in the stock FT-817 microphone along with an HC-4 and HC-5 mic element. The OBP is inline with the HC-4 and used for SSB work, while the HC-5 is used for FM work.

How well does it work? At the same time I swapped out the OBP I also upgraded to a HC-4 microphone element. Before using the OBP and HC-4 I was only able to make 3 SSB contacts. I find the two to be an unbeatable combination. Since switching to the OBP and HC-4 I have made 150+ SSB contacts.

Would I recommend this product? You bet.

Terry Bayne
K4FXD

K0NWA Rating: 2002-06-22
Fantastic Reports! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
The stock mic. for the FT-817 is great for FM ragchewing but not so great when it comes to SSB work. This is where the "One Big Punch" is great! Position 1 gives you the studio audio while you talk on FM but switch to position 2 and get ready for a serious SSB microphone with a kick! This mod. really helps out for SSB work.
Nothing but glowing audio reports here too. As you may know you can further taylor the audio to your needs via the FT-817 itself. Furthermore, this mod can be done either in the radio or in the microphone. For myself I opted to have it done to the mic. and love it! That parts up to you! Good luck and have fun with radio!
73
Mike