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Reviews For: W4RT BOSS 2 Automatic Screwdriver Antenna Controller

Category: Antennas: HF Mobile & Accessories

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Review Summary For : W4RT BOSS 2 Automatic Screwdriver Antenna Controller
Reviews: 18MSRP: 149
Description:
W4RT Electronics is pleased to announce the new Antenna BOSS II that interfaces directly with ICOM IC-706 series of radios for automatic tuning of motorized antennas from Hi-Q Antennas (with Blackhawk motors), High Sierra Antennas, and Tarheel Antennas, and others that draw less than 700 mA while running. The tuning is activated by pressing the IC-706 Tune button
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.w4rt.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00183.1
W9PMZ Rating: 2005-08-16
Integrated Accessory Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I'd really like to give it a 4.75, but can't give it a 5 since the back lid won't stay on.

This is a great product that integrates a Tarheel Model 200 Antenna and an ICOM 706MKIIG transceiver.

So far no problems and the setup tunes 10M - 75M with no problems.
K0RFH Rating: 2005-07-22
Quality a little weak Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Bought this from AES along with the High Sierra Sidekick. While the box does work, the fit and finish leaves a lot to be desired. The back panel has no way of staying on and one of the connectors for the db9 connector is missing. The unit does perform as designed, but it is irritating to not get a good looking and correctly fitting unit for the money.
W5TZ Rating: 2005-07-06
POOR DESIGN Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
This controller is not ready for market and reminds me of a garage project. The i/o rf connectors are not tight, the interface cable has way too many dongles using huge D-9 hang off connectors and hardware that weighs more than the enclosure. The only way to communicate with the manufacturer is to send fax's. This controller could not determine the motor direction from the applied frequency change. I returned all three for credit.
K4IA Rating: 2005-05-26
Mine is FB Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I use the Antenna Boss for Yaesu and it works great with a Tarheel and FT100D.

Check out the reviews of this unit under "W4RT BOSS 2 ..." Maybe you got a defective unit. Other folks have had good luck with both the unit and customer support.
W4AEW Rating: 2005-05-26
It does not work!!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It does not work!!!! Bough it after getting tired of manually tuning the antenna coil on my mobile rig. Installation is easy, but after installation the antenna boss could not find a match in any band. When activated it starts searching for a good SWR but it sometimes it trips the antenna motor early or does not sends a signal to the antenna motor at all not finding a match. There is no customer service phone number listed for w4rt, only fax or e-mail so forget about contacting them for any questions. I sent an e-mail, even faxed them but I am still waiting for an answer. If the item is returned they even charge you a fee. For an expensive piece of equipment like this one I would definitively expect more for my money.
WB6QAY Rating: 2005-05-23
Exceptional Support from W4RT Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I recently purchased a W4RT BOSS 2 Controller to use with my Little Tarheel and Icom 706 on my Jeep. The unit was simple to hook up, but I had quite a few problems getting it to work consistently on all bands. Barry provided exceptional support in working through my installation issues including helping me identify a common mode current problem and fixing that. To make a long story short, the unit works great, and I can't stress enough how helpful Barry has been. This company is an A+ to do business with.
W4EA Rating: 2005-04-30
Good Product - Great Service Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Purchased this accessory to use with my N9JMX Predator screwdriver antenna. It works great, just as advertised. It's easy to setup and compact enough to fit just about anywhere. With my IC-706 Tune control I can touch it and let the Boss II do its thing.

The main praise is however for the service received. Barry was very helpful with some questions I submitted, went above and beyond, providing suggestions. I would recommend them to all my friends.
K5WLR Rating: 2005-04-25
Works great! Excellent folks to deal with! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I recently purchased the W4RT Boss 2 to use with my Little Tarheel II antenna and the Ic-706 mkIIG in my new van. Had an issue with the first one. Sent the company an email and received a phone call that evening. Discussed the problem and quickly arranged to obtain an new unit and send back the original one. The new unit arrived in 3 days (over the weekend) and it worked out of the box. Had a slight problem with the reversing at the end of the coil, so I sent another email, got another phone call, threw one of the dipswitches and it now works like a champ!

Fellow hams: This is the kind of company we need to support. This kind of personal service and sticking with the customer until the product is working is a rare thing these days. Would buy this product again without hesitation. Too bad I cannot give them a 10 rating! Thanks for your help, Barry! It is nice to know that the ham spirit is alive and well at W4RT!