Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes
Reviews Home

Reviews For: TelePost Inc. LP-100A Digital Vector Wattmeter by N8LP

Category: SWR & Wattmeters & Dummy Loads

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : TelePost Inc. LP-100A Digital Vector Wattmeter by N8LP
Reviews: 189MSRP: 475.
Description:
LP-100A Digital Vector wattmeter with complex impedance display (R+jX) / autoranging 50mW to 3KW (5 & 10KW options) / bright, fast Graphic VFD display / simultaneous display of POWER and SWR (or REF PWR) in numerical & bargraph form. Additional displays for dBm, RL, compression & calibrated field strength in dBm. Automatic band-by-band power correction with built-in frequency counter / peak hold mode / flash upgradeable firmware / serial interface / free control, monitoring and plotting software / SWR alarm / NIST traceable calibration / much more.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.telepostinc.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
251895
N2DE Rating: 2009-12-12
Versatile and Outstanding Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This instrument is pretty unique in the market, with lab grade precision, and vector readings in addition to the usual reflected power and SWR displays. The bar graph displays react much faster than any analogue meter could, and a real time peak reading gives you a pretty good indication how "stiff" your power supply is. Combine this with the protection against high SWR for your amplifier, and this device, even though it's not inexpensive, may pay for itself. It certainly is worth every penny.

N2QQF Rating: 2009-12-08
No Nonsense Meter Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I like most have had the usual watt and SWR meters built by MFJ, Drake etc... Well this is surely nothing like you have ever used before. The accuracy of this meter is unbelievable. It is extremely easy to use and quite a good looking meter as well. Aesthetics play a big role for me in addition to function. This meter has it all, It is very sharp looking and works very well. I received the meter from Larry programmed already with my call sign which i thought was just a little bit of attention to small details. He could have just shipped it but he added my call which to me also shows he turned it on to verify it worked before shipping.

I am very happy with my decision to go with the LP vs the other meters simply because the features and adaptability this meter offered vs some of the others. I recently had an issue and called Larry because I thought it might have been the meter. Well it turns out it was not which was a relief to me but Larry really assisted me in testing the problem and continued to work with me even after finding out the meter was not the problem. He did not jump ship when he realized his product was not the issue he continued to assist. Anyhow, I am very happy with my decision. The product and customer service are Bar None.
W5OMU Rating: 2009-12-06
Excellant Shack Accessory Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I use the LP100A RF watt meter every time I tune up the rig. It is infinitely more accurate than any other single or dual meter analog SWR bridge. It allows me to adjust my antenna tuner to a nearly perfect 1.0:1 match every time. I highly recommend this product as a valuable addition to any ham shack. Be sure to have good quality dummy loads on hand to perform accurate calibrations after construction. (Or send it to the manufacturer for free calibration.) A free Windows application download allows a display on your computer monitor.
AC0DS Rating: 2009-11-25
Outstanding and Versitile Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I put off buying one of these since I already had an AIM4170 for impedance measurements, but I'm glad I finally bought one. I built the kit version and have two remote sensors, both the "standard" HF 3KW units. There are several optional sensors available. It is a fairly quick build, but probably not best for the beginning builder. Instructions are complete and clear with lots of photos. I did my own calibration since I had some standards for comparison. The calibration process is fairly long and detailed, but if you take it one step at a time and pay attention you will be rewarded with an amazingly accurate meter. Both of my sensors, the AIM 4170 and a power standard all agree within 3% over the complete HF frequency range. SWR accuracy is similar. Larry offers a free calibration service also.

This is a nice looking and nifty unit to use. I run two different antennas on the two output ports on the K3, and the auto-sensing feature with two sensors gives me a constant readout of SWR and power as I switch between the antennas. Crisp, legible display. The direct power measurement mode is slick and quite handy around the shack for measurement of power levels in dbm. For example, I used it recently to quantify the power being dumped into my K9AY RX antenna on various bands from my Xmit antennas.

You won't go wrong with this one - highly recommended!

... Craig AC0DS
K1EY Rating: 2009-11-17
The best of all - bar none! I have 3 units now! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I got all my LP-100(A)s as kits but Telepost offeres factory build and calibrated units as well! The kit is of very high quality and a fun project to build.
The resulting meter is an accurate and feature packed lab grade instrument! I had an Array Solutions Powermaster which was OK but not nearly feature rich as LP-100 so I sold it. The LP-100A is not a simople Wattmeter - it goes beyond what one would expect from a digital wattmeter - it shows complex impedans, R,X and Phase Angle, compression, etc. It has a very high level of customizations and ergonomics features. The meter can be used in dual coupler configuration 1 control head, 2 power sensors. Larry, N8LP offers absolutely excellent cutsommer support. I have not touched my Bird 43 since I started using the LP-100s. My two newer units are LP-100A - Larry is constantly working on the firmware and software (yes, it has a virtual control panel via RS232 interface)

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by NN4E on 2007-10-05

I bought mine as kit and built it myself. The process is very easy and well described. Took me a day and I was really taking my time. It is one of the best Wattmeters you'll find out there - i've checked the Array Solution Power master, the LDG DWM-4 and I still own Bird 43 with a nice collection of slugs but LP-100 is the one I am using all the time! The accuracy is better than Bird's. Absolutly amazing set of features! Pretty much everything one will want from a wattmeter and then some more. The directional coupler is of very high quality and design. The LP-100 has unique design as it brings the RF samples (voltage and current) to the main unit and it is capable of measuring the frequency and correcting the measurements per band. One of the best "features" (and you wont find this one with other models) is the active development - the firmware (user-upgradeable) is constantly developed, tweaked, tailored to user's needs, features are added and polished. Larry listens to user request and comments and takes them in account for each firmware release. There is a very nice and active support forum at Yahoo Groups. I am really happy with my LP-100 and thinkig of buying another one. Larry is a delight to deal with. The user interface is simple yet very functional. The LP-100 has an amazing PLED display. The documentation is excellent. The only thing I didnt like was the lack of an ON/OFF switch but it was very easy to add one (I had to drill a small hole on the front panel for the switch and there was already header on the PCB for the wires). Larry offers a free NIST traceable calibration. There is also a very detailed calibration procedures for those who want to calibrate their unit. There is also a very nice set of windows applications to monitor the readings, set alarm point, change the screensaver, plot antenna characteristics, etc. LP-100 is a precise RF lab instrument! This one has a permanent space in my shack!
SM5CBM Rating: 2009-11-16
Best power & SWR meter ever! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This unit put all other Power & SWR meters in the scrap bin.
I highly reccomend this equipment to all of us.

And as W6VZV said in an earlier statement. N8LP/Telepost had programmed my callsign into the screensaver as a nice little courtesy.
N4CR Rating: 2009-06-21
Get one! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
It's a superbly designed and outfitted kit. Excellent quality and design throughout. It does everything it is advertised to do. I will be taking Telepost, Inc up on their offer of free calibration.

The building time of 8 hours is probably a bit aggressive. I have about 11 hours into mine and I took the time to double check everything. I could probably build a second one in 8 hours.

This makes all other consumer level power and SWR meters obsolete.
AE6JN Rating: 2009-03-22
Amazing Instrument! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Highly recommended! This is truly a work of art. There's a lot one can learn about his/her antennas, and making improvements to them! The LP-100 is everything these reviews said it was. Very handy being able to operate the meter via VCP software, and nice addition to my PC automated shack. It's true, you get what you pay for.
DJ0RD Rating: 2009-03-07
More than a Power Meter Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Not only does it do what the previous reviewer says, the free software allows you to sweep and plot the VSWR of your antenna graphically. It has been invaluable in setting up my K3.
W6VZV Rating: 2009-03-07
The ultimate wattmeter/swr meter Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is a beautiful piece of equipment that surpasses all expectations for a wattmeter/SWR meter. The thing I like best about it (and there is a lot to like) is that you can increase your power (i.e. kick in your linear) and the unit immediately re-adjusts the power bar-graph scale to the closest of three adjustable ranges.

The LP100A features a bright blue display that shows (by default) Power and SWR digitally, and on a bar-graph scale. It also has a mode, selectable from the front panel, that shows compression (for SSB) and various other information that may be of interest to some.

The unit has several modes for measuring power, depending on whether you are running CW, SSB, or other modes, selectable from the front panel. Also, if you are running a linear, you can loop your linear's PTT line through the LP100A and set it to prevent the keying of the linear if a selectable SWR threshold is exceeded--a nice safety feature.

Overall, this is the best power/swr meter that I have found or read about, and while not cheap, it delivers good value for the money.

The folks at Telepost are very pleasant to deal with. They shipped my LP100A immediately, gave me a Fed Ex tracking number, and when the unit arrived it already had my callsign programmed into its screensaver -- a nice little courtesy, thereby saving me the trouble of figuring out how to do it.

Highly recommended.