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Reviews For: West Mountain Radio RIGrunner 4005

Category: DC Power Supply Distribution

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Review Summary For : West Mountain Radio RIGrunner 4005
Reviews: 18MSRP: 49.95
Description:
Description: A RIGrunner is the most convenient and safest way to connect all your 12 VDC equipment to a power source. It is a 13.8 VDC power panel that uses the excellent Anderson PowerPole connectors. Standardize all of your 12 VDC connections using the amateur radio ARES & RACES, RSGB, ARRL PowerPole system. The RIGrunner 4005 is rated at 40 amps maximum and has 5 outlets.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.westmountainradio.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00184.4
N4MGR Rating: 2007-02-02
Great product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a great product to power everything in the mobile setup.
K2GW Rating: 2006-02-24
Simple and Solid Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I've used two of the 4005's for two years. One is supplied by the battery in my vehicle ad directs power to all of my rigs in my car. The other is in my go kit.

Both have worked flawlessly as have the few hundred Anderson PowerPoles connectors I assembled over the past few years. I've never had any disconnect accidentally and assembly is now a breeze withthe PowerCrimp tool.

Some complain about a lack of lock or strain relief, but a connector that's designed to safely seperate with a five pound pull actually doesn't need either!
N9DEK Rating: 2006-02-01
Pleased with purchase Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I liked the idea of a distribution panel and the powerpole connectors. Works well for this new ham. It is too bad that the power supply does not come with a panel, but this performs the function well.
W7RJR Rating: 2005-04-26
Update Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a followup to the review I just made. The problem was attributed to a weird fuse problem, not an RFI problem. After opening the rigrunner there wasn't much to talk about, resistor, capacitor, LED, fuse.

I think I would have felt better about the price I paid had I not opened it :-)


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Earlier 3-star review posted by W7RJR on 2005-04-26

I found the rigrunner to be a nice addition to the shack as far as distributing d/c to my vhf/uhf equipment and accessories. My HF rig is another story.

Oddly enough, my HF rig (IC756Pro) will randomly lose power when transmitting causing it to reset. When the rigrunner is bypassed the problem goes away. Perhaps it is a current rating issue rather than RFI, but this model is rated at 40 amps and the load I put on it never exceeds that??

Haven't opened it up to see what is inside, but presumably there is some kind of monitoring circuitry responsible.

KY6R Rating: 2004-10-14
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
An excellent way to get your DC power distributed and wires organized. Using super glue to keep the connectors together, and using the West Mountain crimper made this little project easy and solid.
AE7Q Rating: 2004-07-13
Everybody should have one Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Reasons:

1. PowerPole connectors are THE new amateur power standard (OK, it would be nice if the connectors locked together), especially for ARES/RACES work.

2. Well built, with standard automotive fuses.

3. Comes with extra PowerPole connectors for your DC cables.

Hints:

1. When soldering cables to connectors (I prefer soldering to crimping for power), take 0.5" of solder, fold it into a ball, and stuff it in the end of a connector before inserting a wire and heating the connector. This helps keep the solder inside the connector (it is important not to get solder on the connector's contact area).

2. In order to secure the two assembled PowerPole connectors into one unit, some have suggested a tiny amount of glue in the boundary gap. I use a clipped toothpick instead; the toothpick is non-conductive and has some "give" as you insert it into the boundary gap hole, which helps it to be retained.

K0KAV Rating: 2004-01-11
Terrific product Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Outstanding DC distribution panel for fixed, portable or mobile operation.
WA4FOM Rating: 2003-10-25
Please refer to my review of the 4010S Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
My 4010S review says it all; I have both.