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Reviews For: RadioCraft 3000 Pro

Category: SWR & Wattmeters & Dummy Loads

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Review Summary For : RadioCraft 3000 Pro
Reviews: 24MSRP: $349.95
Description:
300 and 3000 watt auto-ranging. No need to reach for a switch to change power levels.
ALO (Automatic Lock Out) trip adjustable on either SWR or forward power.
Frequency range: 1.8 to 54 Mhz. The RF Coupler has a flat response throughout its range for accurate calibration.
RF Coupler may be remoted up to six feet or mounted directly on the rear panel of the meter.
True "Peak-Hold" memory with continuous sampling adjustable from 0 to 20 seconds.
Large, easy to read, 3-1/2" wide analog panel meters.
"Ice Blue" electroluminous meter lighting, switch selectable, either on, off, or keyed.
12VDC @ 300ma powered with internal polarity sensing.
Reduced power consumption with meter lighting "off". typically 6 ma idle and 75 ma active. Useful when operating battery emergency power.
Black "Polane-T" (tm) texture finish with ice blue trim and white lettering.
Product is not in production
More Info:
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
15245
N4DEK Rating: 2005-09-02
Nothing else compares Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
My new 3000PRO arrived today and boy what a Gem. This is one Awesome meter. This is not your average $100 watt meter. CJ went for quality and it shows in his product. Top notch all the way, inside and out. By far the nicest watt meter I've ever used. Well worth the price. Thanks CJ for finally bringing a quality watt meter to the market that works as advertised. I love it.
WB4OOA Rating: 2005-02-17
You will Want this meter Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.

RadioCraft 3000 PRO Sentinal SN: 0502053

1. The meter was shipped on Monday and arrived in Charlotte NC on Wedensday.

2. The packing box provided extremely good protection for the meter. It was double boxed and well padded inside.

3. The Instruction manual is inside a three ring folder which has the Owners call sign printed on the front (Nice Touch). The pages are high gloss heavy bond paper and include Specifications, Product Description, Installation & Operation, and Warranty pages. The Warranty is for 90 days.

4. My first impressions were: “This meter is BIG,” The quality of construction is extremely good and the attention to detail is very impressive. The case is painted Black with a Tough Powder Coating. The Silk screening is in color and very well done. The chassis has one U shaped Top cover and one U shaped Bottom cover. Four 6x32 machine screws remove the top cover from the Front and Rear panels. The ½ “screws thread into NutCerts mounted in the chassis panels. The whole meter can be easily disassembled.

5. The two meters are large, very easy to read, and have a UNIQUE back light built inside each meter. The Light is a beautiful Ice Blue color which is completely uniform across the whole face of each meter. It will remind you of the Drake R4C and TR7 blue dial light days. I can put my ear up to the back of the meters and hear a very weak transistor switching noise. There is a small power supply inside each meter powering the Electro Lumanescent back light. Each meter has a mechanical Zero Adjustment screw available on the front panel.

6. The Printed Circuit Board inside the meter is made of Good quality Glass Epoxy and has a very qood Solder mask on the board. Seven IC’s and One Bridge Rectifier are plugged into sockets. The TO-220 8volt regulator and 5volt regulator are soldered to the board. There are 4 blue potentiometers on the board labled R16, R29, R40, and R60. The Heavy Duty 12v ALO Relay is soldered to the PCB. The ALO finger adjustment control is soldered to the board and adjustable on the rear panel. All the components are standard and there are no SMT components used.

7. The supplied AC Adapter is a “Wall Transformer” type rated at 12volts @ 800ma. I measured 16volts DC No Load on this adapter. The meter can accept + or – Voltage polarity without damage. This is very helpful feature.

8. The RF COUPLER, (s/n: 0502053) is Aligned to the meter. It is constructed of very thick Gold Anodized Aluminum. The SO239 chassis mounted connectors are mounted with four screws in each. A good quality Glass Epoxy PCB is used. There is one Piston Trimmer installed on this board. The outside case is well marked IN and OUT. This coupler can be used remotely with supplied 4’ cable or mounted on the back of the meter chassis with the supplied nylon spacers and screws. The cable plugs into the meter using a DIN connector.

9. The manual does not include any service information. No Schematic, no component position diagram, and no parts list. RadioCraft told me that when they receive a return on their investment then they will make available a Service Manual complete with Diagrams and alignment information. They are hoping that will be soon.

10. The knob on the MODE Switch is a little hard to turn. The switch detents are a little strong for the knob size. I removed the knob and switch and found it has one good quality ball detent. I lubricated the ball detent using Lubriplate. The switch now turns easier and smoother. This has been corrected in all new meters.

11. I noticed a thin plastic protective covering over the silver insert on the front of each knob. I was able to remove the plastic (using my finger nail) and now the silver inserts look shinny and smooth.

Bottom Line
This is the ULTAMET meter for all you ANALOG meter lovers. It has large easy to read meters; Unique meter lightingand Excellent Quality construction. It is Accurate and reasonably priced. You can’t ask for more than that. Thanks C.J. for a job well done.
K7VRE Rating: 2005-02-14
The 3000 Pro Operates and Looks Like a Pro Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Recently, I decided to find a readily available SWR/Wattmeter that has automatic features. These would include auto-ranging and a meter(s) that illuminated when the transmitter is keyed. Meter illumination that would not be harsh, especially in low ambient light, is a must. The blue electroluminescent meter lighting meets that requirement perfectly. True peak (with adjustable sampling rate) and average power reading is also a necessity. The 3000 Pro does that. The equipment in my station is powered with a 12VDC system. Therefore, it's helpful that the 3000 Pro uses 12VDC. The two large meters with highly visible markings add to the usefulness. Small changes in power and SWR are readily apparent. The adjustable ALO is a positive bonus. I have used a number of SWR/Wattmeters. The 3000 Pro shines as an easy to use, accurate, professional grade instrument. "CJ" responds quickly to any questions. He also ships quickly. "CJ" is a radio communications profesional, and produces an outstanding, practical product. I use it everyday and highly recommend it.
KB8GFF Rating: 2005-02-12
You Miss Your NYE Power Meter??? Then Look at this!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
First of all this is Brand New on the Market from RadioCraft and I am glad to be the first to add and to rate this 3000 Pro in a review here. Its going to be a killer!!!

We all know about the infamous Nye Power meters 003 or 005. The 3kw or 5kw. Hard to find... High Priced used meters with No Repair or Warrenty shop for broken parts or calibration. Why buy Used when you can buy New!!!

RadioCraft's 3000 Pro is the answer!!!

This meter here was designed with the Nye Power meters in mind with the exception of the batteries that the Nye's use for powering. The 3000 Pro is rated 3Kw +/- 5% with beautiful large meters that glow a soft blue in color adding that comfort lighting we hams delight at night in the shack! In brief all the features we hams need!!! Like "ALO" for us big amp guys. And has a 6ft or so cord for remote location of the meter in your shack. Also when you order one the manual comes custom to you and your call sign!!!

Call or Write "CJ" W7ZFX and buy you one. Trust me this a well built beautiful meter. Handles my Big Alpha no problem.

Tell "CJ"..... Steve KB8GFF from Michigan sent ya!!! He will get ya one out in 3 days!!!

Great Product "CJ" keep up the good designing!!!

gff...