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Reviews For: Daiwa CS-201 coax switch

Category: Antenna Switching, Phasing, Controllers

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Review Summary For : Daiwa CS-201 coax switch
Reviews: 37MSRP: 26.99
Description:
2 position manual coax switch rated 2.5kw auto grounding of unused terminal, 0.2db insertion loss
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.natcommgroup.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00374.1
W5AOS Rating: 2022-02-27
Greates switch . . . with a small caviat Time Owned: more than 12 months.
These are rated to more than 2kW. Most switches are rated to 1.5kW. So, with those other switches, if you like to run 1.5kW PEP, that means you will void any warranty if running 1.5kW PEP due to losses from SWR and feedline. If you have a 1.5:1 SWR, you will need 1560 watts to get 1.5kW PEP, and this doesn't include feedline loss . . . . you just voided your warranty.

OK, on to the caviat. With every one of these I have purchased over the last 28 years or so (can't really remember how long I have been using these) I have had to remove the bottom cover and tighten the three set screws holding the connectors in place. I am a guy that likes to TIGHTEN my cables on the connectors, so this has become a must for me. If you are one of those guys that just likes to barely finger tighten your cables on the connectors and worry about all the trouble shooting and headaches later when things loosen up, then I guess you don't have to bother. These are very small set screws and I think the factory installs them to the min torque specification or less. Don't worry, you can tighten them easily with an Allen Wrench without stripping threads in the potted aluminum case. Yes, they are that loose. You will have to defeat the factory tamper proof epoxy and stickers on the bottom cover, but IMHO, it is a must. I love these switches and have never had a problem unlike AlphaDelta switches which seem to need constant cleaning and deoxidizing.

Yup, I read the negative reviews of these switches, but I have never had any of those problems in almost 30 years. Honestly the contact spring issues {could be/is most likely caused by} the rotating connectors, and you can solve that problem by tightening those set screws.
K6SDW Rating: 2020-08-30
Mysterious SWR Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've had this switch for 3-4 years. Lately, my SWR on one antenna was bouncing up and down so of course I thought I had an antenna/feedline issue.

Long story short the Daiwa switch is the culprit and I tried cleaning the insides but it didn't fix the problem......so, looking for a better grade antenna switch.

73
W0MPM Rating: 2020-07-31
Good Enough is Good Enough Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I select the Daiwa CS-201 for a (1) unused side grounded (2) non-impulse cartridge - have those outside (3) reasonable isolation (4) electrically and mechanically robust and reliable. Agree with almost all of the critical reviews that internally it's not something designed by the old school engineers at Bill&Daves place. But with reasonable quality control the design should come through operating well. The (only) switch I have torn down to compare is the Diamond CX210. They are very similar with the edge (IMHO) going to Daiwa. If the execution was just a tad better it would be a 5. But then presumably it would say BIRD on the side (I've used those) and would cost something more than it does. The internal construction appears to (this non-engineer) promote isolation. The contact button is a step up over the Diamond and looks as though it supports the advertised power. Daiwa advertise about 10dB less isolation than Diamond (though they use different frequency groups so apples to oranges?) which surprises me. The Diawa visually and with the grounded unused contact would seem to be superior. Both of course are far short of that (expensive) BIRD. Recent samples have a cheaper mat finish paint than the previous gloss. As a practical matter it's harder to keep clean.
N1BEC Rating: 2018-06-09
Budget priced switch with budget priced quality issues. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I picked up one of the switches as part of an estate sale.
The switch looks great from the outside, and seeing that it was possible to open it up for examination, I did so.
What a disappointment! The center pin was misaligned, and one of the two switch contacts made a very poor connection: I worked in the relay industry, so I know a bad build and adjustment job when I see it.
I straightened out the crooked center (common) contact, but I still need to rework one of the two switch contacts.
Even after I eventually rework it, I certainly wouldn't depend on the switch, especially with high power going through it.
I think I'll stick with open wire feeder and SA-13/U knife switches for HF, and look for better switches for VHF.
W8IJN Rating: 2018-05-06
Decent budget switches Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Three radios (hooked up, there're more on shelves I should get rid of before I end up a Hoarders episode) & a batch of remote switched antennas & tuners. All that junk needs switched around, so I have seven of these.

Yeah. Seven. Don't ask about the wiring.

There are at least three different versions/brands of this same switch sold by who knows how many vendors. I've seen & used most of em.

So far so good.

That being said, all the other comments about the parts getting loose, the way the switches work, the reliability &c, well, I agree with most of that.

They're inexpensive, not milspec made, & you might have to open one up now & then to fix, tighten or align some inner doodad. But generally they're good switches for the average guy doesn't have a dedicated megabuck contest station with a 100ft tower & seventy-three elements on 40m.

And I have seven of 'em. Screwed to the wall, hooked up with jumpers, runnin' to three radios & one old 500W HF amp.

So yeah, four stars. Decent switches for the budget or casual radio crazy like me.
ON6AB Rating: 2016-10-24
Fair Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Well, my fellow-countryman ON5MF made me curious.
I have two of these switched which I put away long ago because indeed they had bad contacts.
I was listening on 40m with no conditions at all so I thought, why not dig them up and see what's inside.
ON5MF was right: if you screw your PL connectors on it with elephant-force, the contacts inside will turn and become misaligned.
Inside there are securing screws on the PL sockets of the switch to prevent just that. Guess what, they were all loose. On BOTH switches. One of the switches was still sealed so it was never opened.
With loose securing screws you can align the contacts perfectly by turning the PL sockets a bit and then secure them again. I tried with waterpump pliers, they wont turn if well secured.

I can imagine that after screwing-on a hundred coax cables, they finally get loose again.
So put some Loctite on these securing screws and I think you're safe for many a years.

Ok, they're not professional switches but they're NOT junk neither, if you treat them right.

ON5MF Rating: 2016-07-03
piece of junk Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After some trouble with the switch a little while ago I put it in a drawer. Today, due to bad weather, I decided to open it and see if it could be fixed.
This is what I found inside: due to the rotation of the connectors both contacts inside the switch are not aligned correctly any more.
The switch has a 1kW rating but I guess with mine you'd get smoke signals at a few hundred watts.
VE7IG Rating: 2016-03-08
Questionable internal construction. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
It has been my experience that most of these switches fail after a period of use. When removing a right angle connector from one of these it pulled the centre of the coax connector out with it, including the little contact block.
The contact fingers seem to move up and down on these eventually not making contact or only making partial contact. In others weak spring action makes poor or no contact and you lose one side of the switch until you take it apart and increase the spring action. In another case the finger connection to the coax connector rotated making contact on the edge instead of directly resulting in a burned contact. I've tried and abandoned several.
K5ACL Rating: 2016-02-25
Can't be beat for the price Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I've been using this coax switch for about 3 months to connect two HF radios to one feedline coming in the house. It provides 60db of isolation which I believe to be true. The switch is springy and has a nice solid click to it. Has some options to mount it as well with some screws. I have mine mounted under the desk. Can usually be found for less than twenty bucks.
VE7REN Rating: 2015-12-12
the best Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
bought one on the advice of some older hams who told me about this beast...wayyyy better construction than other brands,its heavy,and is very well built with no bleed over from the other antenna port like my older and other brand switches... this is the best ive used in 30 yrs of radio