| ON8PV |
Rating:  |
2008-05-17 | |
| to avoid - Wimo |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Bought the unit last year with Wimo in Germany
After putting pressure they send my months later a second one, ........new one ?? ( I don't think so )
The second one doens't work neather !!
sended back on MY costs, you would be surprised about their reaction
It cost me a lot of money, and I'm left with empty hands
Lesson : NEVER buy over the internet,and for sure not with boxmovers.......no technical service !!
I learned my lesson |
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| PA0MJM |
Rating:  |
2008-01-14 | |
| Dead on arrival |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
Bought mine on the DNAT 2007 in Bad Bentheim. At home I installed it and, oh disappointment, it was completly mad. Didn't remember settings on any frequency, picked the wrong antenne entry, etc, etc. Returned it to supplier and changed it for a LDG200pro. By the way: great service from Grenz Funktechnik!
Lesson learned: read the eHam reviews first, before you buy. :-)
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| KD7LQY |
Rating:  |
2007-10-24 | |
| The 2nd one still works!! |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
| Im on my 2nd mac 200. The 1st one lasted 5 days. It turned into a brick. The thing would not power up or reset,not the fuse. Number two is still working, but for how long, i wish i knew? A fellow ham frend of mine is also on his 2nd one. His first one came with two swr meters in it, thats some good qc control. NO MORE SGC IN MY SHACK!! 73S CHUCK KD7LQY |
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| EI6DP |
Rating:  |
2007-09-29 | |
| W A R N I N G |
Time Owned: 6 to 12 months. |
Brethren,
Well, I didn't listen. I read the reviews, I ignored them. My faith in SGC was unshakable. I now have plenty of egg on my face.
Having read the many disparaging reviews on the MAC200 I was convinced that most of all the problems were owner related, INCORRECT.
I have over 30 years interest in Ham Radio and I would consider myself reasonably cognisant of most of the facets of Ham Radio. However, I went ahead and bought the MAC200. When it arrived I was delighted. When I switched it on it worked a treat, in fact I used it both with my SG2020 and my SG2000, it performed great.
Then one day having it switched on, and my SG2020 tuned to 5680mcy monitoring the Search & Rescue operations. Later on I switched over to 14mcy and decided to have a QSO or two. It would not tune. I pressed the Reset Button! it still would not tune. I switched it off and then on again, it still would not tune. I switched it off and left it for an hour or so and then switched it on again and "bingo" it tuned up the antenna ok.
I contacted SGC and they recommended carrying out certain checks / tests which I've done. What I have discovered is that during an idle period, ie; switched on but not transmitting the MAC200 gets hot, yes HOT. The relays get quite hot and so much so as to raise the internal temperature to cause the MAC to be inoperable. Also during transmit some of the coils get quite hot.
To prove a point to myself I left the lid loosely fitted and had the MAC switched on listening to 14mcy. Yep, after a couple of hours it failed to tune up. I removed the lid and switched on a small fan to cool the internal organs of the demon and guess what, after a short while when cool it started to tune up on the various frequencies.
While not claiming any fame in relation to electronic design, I am convinced that the MAC in itself is a good idea, but, is a bad design. The choice of relays used are too small and are so rated that the current drawn by the relay is causing the coil to heat up and consequently raising the internal temperature causing its little brain to have a spasm.
I have decided not to follow up on any repairs or returning it to SGC. It would not be practical and a waste of money, SGC re not cheap when it comes to servicing and repairs, so I shall chalk this one down to a bad experience.
73
Gerald EI6DP
----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by EI6DP on 2007-03-07
Brethren,
Some time ago I received my SGC MAC200 in the post. Having previously read the many reviews (some of which gave depressing reviews) did not sway my confidence in SGC, nor, particularly the MAC200. I put the MAC through its paces both on the Amateur (Ham) Bands and the Commercial Bands. I have to say that the performance of the MAC200, well, the (waling Wilma's) were put to shame.
I have used the MAC with both my (faultless) SGC transceivers, the SG-2020 and the SG-2000PT. The MAC performed as per book, it did not falter, splutter, fart nor fiddle, it did the job with efficiency and devotion. Having read the reviews which disparaged the MAC, I can only say that any difficultys encountered with the MAC 200 were mostly, if not all user problems (READ THE BOOK).
I live in a second floor apartment far removed from a true ground system, not a problem for the MAC. I used the MAC in a portable situation, not a problem. I have used antennas which were short of the mark, not a problem for the MAC. I have used the MAC in difficult locations, not a problem.
The MAC200 will do what its [designed] to do. It is a very good tuner and more-than capable for the job.
73 de Ger EI6DP
www.qrz.com/ei6dp |
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| LX1NO |
Rating:  |
2007-08-08 | |
| Not convinced |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I had mine for abt 2 years and used it only during /P activities. I was quite enthusiastic when I received the box but during first usage, I wasn't anymore. Even with only a bit of bad SWR, like 1.5 to 2:1, it did not find a real good match.
Then, it started to switch antenna connections when only 1 antenna was connected.
Upon TX, it sometimes showed a higher SWR than the antenna actually had.
Not convincing. Maybe I had a bad unit, don't know. I finally gave it away. |
|
| KC4IVG |
Rating:      |
2007-06-14 | |
| OUTSTANDING! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
So far so good! Ordered one for Field day and have tried it on an 80/40 meter fan dipole and a Hustler 6 BTV vertical.
Worked fantasticly at first and then started having problems....I have had every problem described here in eham reviews...Press 1 and power on for RESET! It dont mention that in the manual and And ....I didnt READ the manual..duhhhh!...Now its fantastic and seems to tune almost anything anywhere QUICK!
Its a bit noisy but dont be afraid of the clicking!Handles my 100 watts with ease!
Plan on ordering another after Field Day!
If you get in trouble or it startes acting up because you dont have a good ground ....RESET!
Press 1 and turn it on!
No Problem! Its a GREAT tuner! |
|
| DG8VE |
Rating:     |
2007-04-04 | |
| Pretty good |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| Having made bad experiences with an MFJ971 that would not have worked with more than 30W, I tried my new MAC200 with the same Antenna Installation (2*6m inverted V mounted under the roof fed with 300Ohms wireman ladder line) using 100W. It worked great, no problems. Using 5W, it even works on 80m although the length of the antenna is way to short regarding the description of SGC (40ft. should work on 80/75m and up; the 6m are only about 20ft.). Using those 5W, the tuner offers at least the same performance than the 971 although the 971 is a manual tuner and I tried to find the best match at all events (with success). So, I wouldn't want to miss my MAC200 despite to its tics (sometimes I have to power it down, so it would react again on button entries - it still tunes in this case, but not from memory) |
|
| PD5DJ |
Rating:  |
2007-03-11 | |
| Terrible!! |
Time Owned: 3 to 6 months. |
This was the worst investment i ever made..
First i used a LDG Z11 tuner for my FT-817.
This tuner work very good, so i got enthousiastic about auto L-tuners.
Thats what decides me to buy a MAC-200 since some people advised me of this tuner.
Well almost nothing worked as good as advertised.
Sometimes the CPU crashed when transmitting, and looses all remembered frequencies/setting.
Meter was inaccurate, had to send it back for realignment.
They gave me a new one with the same fault.
Sometimes the tuner finds a High SWR when connected to a tuned antenna.
After trying several times it finds a good swr. The same thing on a dummyload!!!
I have returned the tuner again, and received a new one again!
This time i left the tuner in the box and sold it immediatly!
Now i use a MFJ 993B intelli tuner, and works superb!!! tunes everything i want to tune..
Nearly the same price,, but much much and much more advanced!!
Bjorn / PD5DJ |
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| WA4VJC |
Rating:  |
2006-06-22 | |
| Below Average tuner/fragile/THE WORST SERVICE! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I should have listened to the eham reviews! It worked for about 4 months, then slowly stopped being able to tune. I thought it must be my antennas......Finally, I bypassed the tuner and realized my "limited" auto-tuner on my TS-2000 was able to tune antennas the MAC-200 couldn't! Yickes. To have it serviced it costs $135 plus shipping both ways in advance. Lets see.....$165 to repair/realign a tuner that only cost $250 new!
I would not buy so much as a 4" wire wrap from SGC. Can you say, MFJ!!! I CAN!!!! In the mean time I have a MAC-200 that looks great, it just wont tune anything---up for sale! Cheap! WA4VJC@yahoo.com |
|
| G0OFB |
Rating:  |
2006-06-21 | |
| Does anyone want it for spares? |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I am sorry to say that I am going to very much enjoy writing this damning review - the wrteched thing deserves it. This product has done nothing but raise my blood pressure, so it, its manuafcturers and suppliers deserve a damn good slating. And I feel justified in doing it.
I could rant on, but here are the main points:
* I turn it on, and the meter panel lights go off
* I try to turn it on, and it is dead
* I turn it on, it lights up but none of the buttons work
* (if I am lucky) It just sits there and makes stupid bleeping noises before shutting down
* I switch the PSU off, then on again, and the MAC 200 randomly does any of the above
I have twice sent this unit back to the supplying UK dealers Waters & Stanton for attention, only to be told in patronising terms that there is nothing wrong with it. Customer service from W&S's workshop department, by the way, is a little bit like McDonalds in that it appears to be staffed by children on £5 an hour or grumpy people who like playing with wires whilst hating all who phone in for help with their problem products.
Wow SGC and Waters & Stanton - you have managed to design, manufacture and sell a product which robs consumers of their money, doesn't work and creates a service experience akin to, well, returning a second hand car to Arthur Daley.
I will never buy an SGC product again, nor will I purchase anything from Waters & Stanton.
Blimey, I feel better for that. |
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