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Reviews For: B&W VS-300A Transmatch

Category: Antenna Tuners/Matching Networks

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Review Summary For : B&W VS-300A Transmatch
Reviews: 8MSRP:
Description:
A 1.8MHz to 30MHz transmatch suitable for coax fed, balanced line or random wire antenna
Product is not in production
More Info: http://
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0084.8
VA3XQ Rating: 2021-07-23
great basic tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
this is the 2nd time I have owned one of these tuners. if your running 100 watts and need a low cost but excellent tuner, then this is it. Easy to use, well made,wont let you down. I run 150 watts into mine digital modes, no problem.
KD6AXR Rating: 2012-09-29
For the money it's a good tuner for a tube transceiver. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I fellow ham gave it to me when he sold me his Kenwood TS-530S. It was easy to use for a guy who never used a manual antenna tuner. It also a good match up for a tube based radio. I am going to buy a second on for my Yeasu FT-101. It is easier to use than one would think.
PG00023016 Rating: 2012-01-20
Works Great! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Purchased one from a friend in Puerto Rico. It is a very nice unit with emphasis on quality. I purchased a separate meter which was larger and had a backlight. My advice would be to get one if you get the chance. They are getting hard to come by.
WWØJD
KG6EJT Rating: 2010-11-28
Works great! Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought this tuner from a ham on eBay when I was station building many years ago. It's worked flawlessly for almost ten years now. Well constructed and rugged. My only complaint, and it's a very minor one, would be for the watt meter to be lit.
KC0GSB Rating: 2010-03-28
Worked Fine Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I used this for several years and never had a problem. I didn't like the small meter though. I sold it on EBay for 75 dollars. It's low power rating is why I couldn't use it any more, and as my eyesight got worse with age the small meter became a problem.
M0CRU Rating: 2009-11-29
EXCELLENT Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
i got one a few days ago, soon found out it will tune most anything.
i took it apart and fount the workmanship to be solid (easily better that the MFJ alternative).
the 4:1 balun does what it should,i can actually use my windom 40m on 160m now.
in summary- the meter could be bigger, but it does what it says on the box "tunes antennas"
excellent............
N3WXW Rating: 2008-07-02
Good low power tuner Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have had my tuner for over 10 years. It has been flawless. I never run more than 120 watts thru it. I have used it with G5RV,LOOPS, ZEPS, OCFD and many vertical antennas. This tuner has always operated flawless for me. The meter could be better, but it functions.

73 de Ed
G4IPZ Rating: 2008-04-21
Good but no cigar! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
I bought one of these via Ebay when, after a 15 year lay-off, I got back into ham radio. Somewhere in house moves my original "match anything" home-brew atu vanished so an atu was a must.
The unit looks great, very sleek and slender (10.5" x 3" x 7.5") but therein lies what to me is it's main drawback, of which more later.
It's rated at 300W PEP although there is a warning hidden away in the handbook that this may be too much if using the 1.9MHz band.
The claim is that it will match coax fed, balanced wire fed and randow wires. So far I have only used random wires and it's sort of OK if a bit of a bugger to tune.
On the back of the unit there is a series of connectors and terminal posts for a random wire, balanced line, coax 1 and coax 2, bypass position and TX in. There is also a ground post.
The front panel has a forward and reverse switch for the swr meter, an antenna select switch, and inductor select switch and variable capacitors for transmitter and antenna tuning.
Now we come to the drawbacks. Least first we have the power meter. This is a waste of space as it's far too small to be of any use and unless you're running more than 50 or so watts the reverse position displays nothing unless the match is way out. So this isn't much use for QRP.
Then we come to the selector switches. They are almost impossible to turn!
Partly because they are such tight switches but also because the compactness of the unit means the knobs are too close to each other to get a good purchase with dumpy and/or arthritic fingers.
Also it can be extremely sensitive on it's settings and you can't guarantee what you set it at one day will work the next.
Over all it's ok but nothing really to write home about.