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Reviews For: SGC SG-230

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : SGC SG-230
Reviews: 66MSRP: 595.00
Description:
SG-230 Smartuner automatic microprocessor antenna coupler.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.sgcworld.com/products/230/sg230.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00664.6
K7NG Rating: 2007-04-19
Fine accessory Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought my SG230 in 1993...I am still using it and so far as I know all the relay contacts are still good. Definitely there is potential to burn relay contacts since they ARE 'hot switching'. The unit works as advertised. It is rugged as all get-out...Mine has been mobile, field-day portable, roof mounted fixed site, etc. and has never had a problem with what I wanted it to do. You need a good ground...If it is to be used with something like a loop that theoretically doesn't need to be grounded, you still need to have a ground somewhere or the tuner might not give you the SWR presented to the radio you want - even though the internal sensing circuits are happy with what tuning gets done. I have never seen anything worse than 1.8:1 VSWR at the radio, assuming that my ground was OK and that the radio wasn't hot with RF or something. One thing I ran into was that in the initial instant you apply RF the tuner presents a high SWR to the radio. My TS-940 could care less, and an FT-757 and FT-900 didn't seem to care but two TS-440's and a TS-450 folded their TX outputs back so far that the tuner wasn't sensing enough RF to work with and would never tune. Not necessarily a problem but something to be aware of. I sadly discovered that my SG230 is too old to be retrofitted with the Smartlock option...Maybe I will just have to buy another one.
M1DNO Rating: 2006-10-22
Does what its supposed to (so far) Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I was going to buy a commercial vertical, but thought about how they would perform on 20/40/80, and realised because of the traps, the antenna was unlikely to be using its entire length on each band.

I decide I would use a homebrew vertical (using antenna wire wrapped around fishing rod) and an sgc 230 to match it to each band.

The tuner matches perfectly 80m and up (usually swr less than 1.5, often 1.2). Thats all I wanted it to do, so am so far quite pleased.
SWL377 Rating: 2006-05-30
longevity problems Time Owned: more than 12 months.
The 230 works great, but only for a while. When used on commercial fishing vessels 24/7/365 they last about 3 years. This is based not on one anecdotal experience, but fleet experience. Still, not so bad since they are reasonably priced compared to commercial couplers and replacement is dirt simple since you only need RF and 12 VDC. Don't know what the failure mode is but suspect reed relay contact degradation. Remember this is a salt air environment and these couplers are in constant use, lots of band switching and max rated power transmissions.
WA2ZDY Rating: 2006-02-18
love it Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have a 37 foot long linear loaded dipole in my attic. It is fed with about 20 feet of ladder line. I use about 4 inches of RG58 connected to the standoff insulator and the shield connected to an adjacent cabinet screw to connect a 4:1 current balun on the output of the tuner.

The SG230 tunes that antenna on all bands and it is effective even on 80m.

It's a useful device in my situation and the very short piece of coax, just enough really to connect the balun, is not detrimental to the situation.

KG4RWQ Rating: 2005-05-03
RF Sense Circuit failures Time Owned: more than 12 months.
We have experienced two SG-230 coupler failures. SGC replaced the guts of the tuner under warranty at the end of the five year warranty period. It took two shipments of complete rig back to company to get a working set. Only cost was shipping.

We just experienced a second failure in the Mediterranean. RF sense circuit failed on two year old replacement unit. Repair cost would be $245 plus shipping from Europe to Seattle round trip. Replacement tuner would be $595 plus shipping into uncertain Italian customs system.

Better worldwide repair capability needed.
K2GWB Rating: 2005-01-06
Good performance, but overpriced and odd service Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought the SGC-230 about 8 years ago, when it was pretty much the only autotuner game in town.

If I had it to do over again (and I do, read on)I probably would try some of the new MFJ and LDG products first, at half the price.

The SGC-230 tuner does a good job of tuning random wires, and the concept of putting the tuner at a distance is a good one.

However, for the asking price, they really should include a control-box (I built my own).

Also, the tuner ought to be able to tune at something like 300 milliwatts, rather than 3 watts, for QRP use and to reduce QRM. It just doesn't take 3 watts to determine SWR.

My SGC230 met a sorry end when the weatherproof enclosure it was mounted in failed, and it filled with water.

I asked SGC for a quote on replacing the corroded tuner board, and they didn't want to do it...they wanted me to buy a whole new unit, for $600. Even though the SGC's own enclosure probably only needs a new gasket.

When pressed, they indicated that they would do the repair for $370... "Oh...would that be better for you?" SGC seems quite generous with money...their customer's money. Then they took back that offer.

I asked for a quote on buying just the part for me to do the work myself. It's essentially bolt in. Nope. They won't sell it. They keep calling that a 'kit.'

SGC tries to present themselves as the Mercedes of their field. Their service and support feels more like Yugo.

I may pick up a used one on EBay or a hamfest. Failing that, the reviews here convince me that both LDG and MFJ now have a lot going for them at nearly half the price. What I don't want to do is to generate a new sale for SGC at this point.
M1EZF Rating: 2004-12-06
SGC SG-230 Smartuner Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have a small back garden and with 40 foot of wire running North/South at 30 foot agl and Im working the world on 80m - 10m with good reports.


Only thing you must remember with the sgc smartuner is a good counterpoise is needed. This for me is about 60 feet of wire zig zaging under the flower beds with a 4 foot earth spike at each end. Its a simple as that.

The optional control unit can be bought or homebrewed as the schems are in the instruction book. It's not essentual but sometimes it would help.

The instructions are very well written and can be downloaded off the internet. The build quality of the unit is fantastic. I wish I bought one of these smartuners years ago.
VA3AXL Rating: 2004-11-09
Awesome! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Used it to tune vertical whips and random wired with no problems!
Right now I'm using it on an 80m dipole fed with 450 ohm feed line worst match I've gotten yet was 1.5 to 1! I couldn't even get that good with my manual tuner!
Would definutely recommend to anyone as long as ur not going for 6m. But make sure to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST!!!
MW0KIK Rating: 2004-05-04
easy Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Easy to install.
Easy to use.
200 watts.
Exellent.
KY6R Rating: 2004-04-07
Excellent Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
As an experiment, I replaced the center loading coils on my 24' short hatted vertical dipole (4' hats) with a short run of ladder line to an SGC 230. It works so well on 40 - 10M that I was able to take down my (beloved) Sigma 5 GT.

Now I have the best multiband DX antenna that I have ever owned because of this tuner. It even tunes up on 80M, but it only has seriously good DX performance on 40 - 10M. Not bad!

Occasionally I have to reset this bugger, but it always works.