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Reviews For: RigExpert AA-230PRO

Category: Antenna Analyzers

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Review Summary For : RigExpert AA-230PRO
Reviews: 19MSRP:
Description:
Powerful, laboratory grade antenna analyzer designed for testing, checking, tuning or repairing antennas and antenna feedlines in 0.3 to 230 MHz range. Main features (to name a few): Graphical SWR (Standing Wave Ratio) and impedance display, multi language user interface, memory storage and connection to a personal computer (USB port), etc... The TDR (Time Domain Reflectometer) mode is essencial for quick cable testing and cable fault location.

Product is not in production
More Info: https://rigexpert.com/discontinued-products/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00195
EA2DPO Rating: 2017-08-08
The most useful I have purchased Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have AA 230 PRO for several years. It is the most useful I've had to play with antennas. Its use is very simple and intuitive. With it, I can work in portable without tuners because is very simple and quick adjust the antennas for the band you want.



Tengo un AA230-PRO desde hace varios años. Es lo más útil que he tenido para cacharrear con las antenas. Su uso es muy sencillo e intuitivo. Con él puedo trabajar en portable sin acopladores porque es muy sencillo y rápido el ajuste de las antenas para la banda que quieras.

VA3MW Rating: 2016-11-04
Awesome Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This is my go-to antenna debugging device. The TDR makes it worth every penny. I've loaned it to friends who routinely find issues with their feedlines. You know, the ones that say my SWR is flat all across 80m. Of course, this is not possible for a properly designed antenna.

At our contest station, we found a 150ft of 1/2" hardline that was ... just bad. Again, thanks to the TDR. We replaced the entire piece.

It is also tough as nails and I am pretty sure that if I dropped it off a tower by accident, it would be fine.

You won't be disappointed by the device and the support delivered by RigExpert overall.
G4RNI Rating: 2016-10-24
How did I manage without one? Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've been licensed 35 years and worked as a communications technician too. I never really believed one of these gadgets was totally necessary for the ham operator but saw them as a handy gadget. I already had an abundance of SWR meters, wave meters, noise bridges etc but when a mate decided to sell his "as new" 230 Pro at one third of new price, I took the plunge.
Within a day I'd mapped my inverted L, Hustler 8BTV, loft 3 band dipole, colinears and even portable whips!
Imagine my surprise when I found a commercial "BIG THREE" so called 2 meter whip was actually resonant at 123MHz!. I trimmed it down, bit by bit and watched the dip rise in frequency to 145 MHz then noted a vast improvement in its performance.
I've now plans to revamp my HF aerials so I'm going to be up to the eyes in jobs!

I can express the usefulness of this in one word - WOW!
W4DRH Rating: 2013-11-28
Must have equiptment Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Very well built, will run for several hours on a charge, easy to upgrade software
WB5JHY Rating: 2013-04-03
Fine quality tool Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Not much left to be said about this unit. I guess that's why there are not that many posts being written. It's extremely reliable and stable.
Bob at Array Solutions has been very professional and helpful. However, I just discovered that HRO is now a distributor for RigExpert analyzers now and they discount off of list price. Found out two weeks after I paid full price for the new AA- 600. That was a $75.00 loss for me. HRO also includes free shipping. Another $18.00 out of my pocket. Bob at Array Solutions wouldn't waive shipping to me even on my second purchase of an expensive analyzer. He is in Texas and I'm in Louisiana so you know the shipping wasn't that much. Not much customer appreciation there I would say. So RigExpert AA-230Pro and the AA-600 rate a solid 5.000 but Array Solutions only a 4.0
N4SRQ Rating: 2012-04-09
Great product. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This may very well be one of the best consumer priced antenna analyzer available. It is way better than the MFJ models and the ability to interface the PC and plot the SWR curves makes this guy a winner. This is more than just an antenna analyzer - it is incredibly versatile. You can do cable testing and fault location,
measure capacitance or inductance of reactive loads and then some.
NN5I Rating: 2012-02-29
Stunning excellence Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I've used other antenna analyzers, but recently purchased the AA-230PRO from Array Solutions.

I'm a retired electrical engineer, and used to be an equipment designer. I've used all sorts of test equipment, from the simplest to the most ultra-sophisticated. After using the AA-230PRO for a week, I'm astonished that any others remain on the market. It's that much superior. How did I ever build antennas without it? In a week, it saved me what would have been weeks of work with any other equipment.

Highly, highly recommended; and Array Solutions shipped it almost immediately, so I had it with very little delay. These guys are pros, and give pro-level service.

KG1F Rating: 2012-01-05
Array Solutions - great support for RigExpert AA-230Pro Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I just had such a great customer service experience with Bob W5OV at Array Solutions! I bought a RigExpert AA-230Pro about a year and a half ago, and haver been really pleased with it. See my earlier review here. Last month I took the 230Pro to my local ham club meeting for show and tell, and unfortunately damaged it by transporting it without sufficient protection.

I contacted Array Solutions, where I purchased it, to asks them to repair it. I was ready to pay - I screwed up by not protecting it. But Bob said send it in and they would see what they could do, and today I got it back, and they replaced the damaged parts and it looks as good as new. I am thrilled with the support I got. This was an expensive tool to purchase - I'm glad I bought it from Array. They are a great supplier!
BTW - I have nol personal or business interest in Array Solutiojns. I am just a happy customer.
73,
Fred
KG1F

----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by KG1F on 2010-03-20

I've been a ham w/ HF privileges for just a couple of years, and I'm now at the point where I realize I need a good antenna analyzer to really optimize my setup here for maximum DX performance.

So I did a ton of research, looking at products and reviews here and elsewhere. Initially I concluded that the Palstar ZM30 Antenna Analyzer was the best bang for the buck. But after buying one from HRO I quickly concluded it did not have the functionality I needed. It did not allow me to do scans at the antenna and then access the data later via my PC for analysis. I was unable to get technical support from Palstar - over the course of 6 days I tried to call Palstar a couple of times a day to ask about the functionality of the unit and was unable to get connected to the one person there who could answer technical questions, I sat on hold for almost 20 minutes a couple of times, and then they came back on and said "Oh - he had to leave"

For more detail see my review of the Palstar ZM30.

So I returned the Palstar ZM30 to HRO - they were very accommodating as always - and purchased the RigExpert AA-230 Pro from Array solutions in Texas (http://www.arraysolutions.com/Products/aa-230.htm}

Wow - what a great Piece of hardware! The build quality is top notch. Very robust construction, nice easy to hold case, easily accessible menu system. it has 200 memories to record the data from antenna scans, something the Palstar docs imply that it does but that it in fact does not actually do. (And that I was unable to talk to anyone at Palstar about over 6 days!)

On the RigExpert the LCD display shows lots of info with respect to antenna performance -Enter a freq and see the SWR, L & C values for that freq. You can see SWR info for 5 bands at once - real handy for multi band antennas. It includes a Time Domain Reflectometer, helping you find cable faults. And the menu makes all this plus a lot more functionality easily accessible.

So while this is quite a bit more expensive than the MFJ or Palstar units, the amount of additional functionality and the ease of use, in my mind, make it a good investment to me.

Plus, I'd like to compliment Jay at Array Solutions. He was incredible responsive to all my questions and order processing time was very quick.

[BTW - I have no business or personal interest in either RigExpert or Array Solutions]
VE3LLL Rating: 2011-07-17
Very pleased after a year Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After over a year and a fair bit of use I'm still pleased with this purchase. For me, user of a multi-band trapped vertical antenna, the 230PRO's best feature is it's ability to show VSWR at five different frequencies at the same time... very slick. But it does everything well.
KD0NJP Rating: 2011-05-01
Feature Rich and Easy to Use Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
So far, I have only evaluated one antenna using this meter. A buddy of mine has a 259 and we both agree. The AA-230PRO has some great features. Sending a tone for SWR to a handheld makes triming wire antennas a snap. I will updat this after tuning a Paralle Diapole!