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Reviews For: Elecraft XV144

Category: Transverters

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Review Summary For : Elecraft XV144
Reviews: 19MSRP: 349
Description:
Transverter for 2 Meters
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.elecraft.com/XV/XV.htm
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00194.8
W6PSA Rating: 2008-09-05
Great!!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I love this transverter! I use the VX144 with my Yaesu FT-2000 and it out performs the FT-897D. I know that makes sense to most people, but I confirm that it is truely worth the time and money.

This was my first kit, 15hr later, and it was done.

If you don't own a good "Soldier Station" and quality soldier, then add up the start-up cost first.
M0FGH Rating: 2008-05-22
superb performance Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Easy build with very detailed construction and alignment details making the kit just right for a novice constructor like me. Really liked the way Elecraft have taken the trouble to pre-mount the few surface mount devices used. One minor construction query was answered same day by the Elecraft support team. Transverter has worked perfectly right from the initial power-up. Used with my Icom 756 pro 3 I find its performance superb. Background noise is very low and SSB signals that do not move the meter are easy to work even when right next to a strong station. I also own a microwave modules 2 metre transverter and an Icom 910 and after extensive direct comparisons using the same antenna system the Elecraft XV144 is the weapon of choice every time. The only improvement I would like is a 100 watt version.
WA2ODO Rating: 2008-04-14
Beyond Excellent!!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Smooth and painless build. Instructions and pictures better than any kits I have seen in my 50 years of building. Worked Flawlessly from the start and has continued to be the best transverter I have used to date. No Drifting, super low noise floor, and flawless running. I use this for EME and MS with WSJT....and won't give it up for the world.

Also one of the nicest companies I have ever delt with...helpful and courtious, with an attitude that every ham is a very very important customer.
VR2AX Rating: 2007-02-08
Excellent Despite Not Being Perfect Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
A great piece of very high performance electronic gear for 144. Built easily after building a K2. If you own a HF/6 radio and want to try building a reasonably (but not excessively) challenging kit for the first time, and end up with a top end multimode 144 metre station, this is a doable project for theaverage ham if care is taken, and ESD precautions too. A much more relaxing and shorter build than my K2. Recommend you buy the optional crystal oven and the tilt bail stand, which are offered by Elecraft at reasonable prices. It does run slightly warm with extended TX, but a couple of small external computer fans on the bench under the raised bail, blowing air upwards into the two vents in the lower case, and out of the top, will give you all the airflow you will need to keep this baby cool.
VR2XMC Rating: 2006-08-09
Very nice product but need some refinement Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have been struggling for a long time in deciding whether I should give a 4 or a 5 to this XV144. In terms of customer support from Elecraft and product design, XV144 deserves a solid 5. It is performance in RX definitely outperform any V/U all mode station rigs.

However, there is one thing which I am not too happy - heat issue during FM operation. Similar to the comments given by other reviewers in XV222 and XV50, the XV144 becomes very hot during casual FM operation. There is no distinct caveat in the owner or construction manual reminding this to the operator. I only discovered this when I used it for some FM QSOs. The heat dissipation through the metal case is simply not adequate for full duty cycle operation (even a 20 minutes 2 way FM QSO)

I fully apprecipate that the XV144 is designed for SSb weak signal work and it performs very well indeed in this respect.

Honestly speaking, XV144 is not cheap when compared with other V/U all mode station rig. If it were solely used for SSB work, it would be really a waste for such a high quality product.

I believe adding a small computer fan to XV144 will solve the heat issue and will not cost too much to Elecraft. With such a small addition, the XV144 will definitely become an excellent all round product.

Do I regret in buying XV144? No, definitely not, I like its exceptional performance. Through the construction process and communications with Elecraft, I learnt a lot in Electronic thoeries - I am not a radio man by profession.

73 Johnny Siu VR2XMC
AA6E Rating: 2006-06-12
Very nice Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I picked up this unit at Dayton on an (educated) impulse, and put it together over a period of a few weeks. Worked the first time and integrates well with the Ten-Tec Orion -- you don't need a K2. With a 10-ele yagi at 40 ft, I find I can hear more stations than hear me, so the 20 watt power is not enough. (Or the receiver is too hot ;-) Physically, this is a very nice package, and I look forward to getting a 6M unit one of these days.

One slight issue - the crystal local oscillator is not trimmable. For general operation, it is fine, and stability is good. For critical work, a trimmable (or remote lockable) LO would be desirable. Elecraft does offer an oven add-on, which I have not tried.

It helps to have the Elecraft wide-band noise generator for receiver tune-up. An accurate power meter would be helpful, but I used a cheap Diamond SX20C SWR meter to set my level without problem.
K8QT Rating: 2004-09-02
Superb!!! Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I first looked at the "K2 system" at Dayton 2003. That year the K2 with all options came home with me. This year at Dayton a couple of those transverters came home

The "Elecraft system" looks so good on the bench and the high end performance cannot be conveyed on these pages!

Now that I own it --- I am able to say that it is the "BEST ADDITION TO THE K2!!!"

Fellow Elecrafters - You will fall in love with this one. Buy one. You will end up with all of them!!!
N2RD Rating: 2004-09-01
Easy to build, awesome performance Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Took just a few hours to build and align it. Building instructions are very detailed. Step-by-step with tons of photographs and diagrams. There is a photograph included with each of the components which makes it very easy to identify the parts. The instructions are designed to catch most common contruction errors with lots of cautions and warnings. The alignment is very easy. The bandpass and other filters that are in the transmit and receive path are tuned by transmitting into a dummy load. The transverter has power measurement circuitry and this allows the tuning while transmitting to be done with just a dvm. It even tells you when the tuning is broad and when it is not. Really well done indeed. And after this, the performance of the unit is world class - comparable to the best available. Another factor to consider is that all the IF swithcing and control circuitry is built in. There are 8 relays on the circuit board! While it will work with any 28Mhz rig as IF, (I am planning to use it with Kenwood 850), it is desinged to work especially well with an Elecraft K2 transceiver. The transverters are so great, they may drag me into a K2. The day after I got the 2m transverter going, I order the 222MHz one. I am sure you will not be disappointed.
BRIAN_MANNS_EX_W3EME Rating: 2003-10-11
Excellent!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Was fortunate to get one of the first units....it is better than I thought it would be. Perfect!! Just that....well designed, parts layout is great & all materials are top notch!!!
You WON'T be dissapointed.