Autek vs Daiwa Meter?

[Sonar]

I am in the market for a true peak watt meter. Been using a Dosy for radio alignments and I will not do that any more.

Right now, I am trying to choose between that Autek WM-1 or the Daiwa CN-801Hp. Ebay has the Daiwa for $159/free shipping from Martin RF Supplies. The Autek is also $159 plus $15 shipping.

Daiwa CN-801HP HF/VHF Cross Needle RF Wattmeter 1.8-200 MHz (New) | eBay

WM1 Deluxe Computing SWR/WATTMETER. Autek Research

If what Autek says about their meter is true; their meter is more accurate than a Bird 43. The Daiwa meter has a large following, and owners seem to be quite pleased with it. Since I need a meter that is fairly accurate, I need a true peak reading meter. The Daiwa is supposed to be +/-10%; while the Autek claims are +/-5%. Doubtful; but in reality - is it truly better than the Daiwa? And if so; it is worth the extra $15 for shipping even if it isn't quie as accurate as claimed.

Thoughts?

Anyone that has/had both - or either meter - I would appreciate your input before the dreaded 'buy now' button gets mashed . . .

Although this post is several years old I was wondering if you went with the Autek wm 1? If so what were/are your thoughts on it (wm1?)
I own two and although in having issues with the backlit one they're the best meters I've
ever had the pleasure of using. PS. I thought Autek stopped making and selling them long before 2012. 73's

 

[Robb]

Although this post is several years old I was wondering if you went with the Autek wm 1? If so what were/are your thoughts on it (wm1?)
I own two and although in having issues with the backlit one they're the best meters I've
ever had the pleasure of using. PS. I thought Autek stopped making and selling them long before 2012. 73's

I just have the one and it has been a workhorse. If I needed to buy another meter, I would probably go with the Daiwa since it has been vetted and approved by so many other operators. I don't need a meter to have SWR and modulation % function, just a dependable, consistent meter that can be relatively accurate with dead key and peak watts for radio work that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Thanks for asking.

 

[Sonar]

I just have the one and it has been a workhorse. If I needed to buy another meter, I would probably go with the Daiwa since it has been vetted and approved by so many other operators. I don't need a meter to have SWR and modulation % function, just a dependable, consistent meter that can be relatively accurate with dead key and peak watts for radio work that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Thanks for asking.

I knew that you were still a member Robb that's why I asked. I have 2 wm1's. The non illuminated, and illuminated one. Unfortunately my illuminated one caused my 300a to take a dump.
I remove the pl259 from the meters remote head (so239) when I'm not using my station. All that connecting and unconnecting apparently loosened the nut that secures the so-239 to the remote head. I opened it and titenened it up. I think what happened is that while tightening it the center the core and the ground must have came together. As soon as I tapped the microphone the amplifier shorted out. Something's not right inside. It seems to be arcing from underneath the amplifier. The track lighting
in The Shack immediately dimmed and no output on the amplifiers meter or the Autek. It's sort of like a lightning show comming from underneath the driver tube side of the amp. I'm going to have to send it out. I did learn a lesson. Never start out with any of my amplifiers in the the on position. I will always first key the microphone with my amplifiers in standby in order to check swr with the meter in the 20 watt position first. I don't know much but I thought I could have handled this mnor repair. Big mistake!! I am currently using the non-illuminated backup wm1. And a thunderbolt 305 (which I never liked.) Not that it's any better or worse than the Palomar i just always enjoyed the 300 a. Live and learn. Fortunately the Uniden Madison did not suffer the same fath. It was such a quick tap of the microphone. As soon as I saw the red high SWR light up on the Madison II immediately unkeyed the microphone. Unfortunately it only took that one second with the amplifier basically being connected to what I'm assuming is as I mentioned the the center copper core making contact with the ground on the cable Autek uses inside the remote head. It was all it took to ruin a good working amplifier. Besides that incident which was absolutely my fault the wm1 is an excellent meter and although I haven't owned many meters it's definitely the best one that I have owned. I was going to box up some stuff in order to send it out for repair. I'll be adding the wm1 to that out going box. Thanks Robb. Stay warm. We've been without electricity since Wednesday, and our electric company (mofos they are) are telling us we will not be back online until 11 p.m. Sunday evening. 7the generators been running 24/7 ever since. 73 s

 

[Mudfoot]

The guy that ran that company (Autek) was a peach to talk to.

 

[Robb]

Sonar, I doubt very much that the meter was the cause of failure. Because they use a sensing coil/sampler system to send info to the meter itself - which is a passive system. Even cheap Dosy and Radio Shack meters use the same system for that same reason. The sensing coil goes around the center of the coax core and allows it to pass on thru untouched/unaffected. Unless there is a break in that coax or a very bad solder joint, it would otherwise be impossible to have a problem there.

Bad jumpers that are either sporadically open or shorted would be my first guess for a failure scenario. Without a load - this would be the open condition in the jumpers or coax - this condition would play havoc on any amp. IIRC; didn't you have a problem like that a couple of months ago with your antenna system?

I have seen more that a few cheap jumpers or homebrew ones that had these problems. Even pre-made high end coax can go south - seen that too. More common and likely than other coax issues, such as a deviated center conductor - due to the coax getting pinched/crushed. This changes the neutral 50 ohm status of a coax. Thing about the end PL-259 connectors is that they are the most common part to create an intermittent condition.

 

[Sonar]

Sonar, I doubt very much that the meter was the cause of failure. Because they use a sensing coil/sampler system to send info to the meter itself - which is a passive system. Even cheap Dosy and Radio Shack meters use the same system for that same reason. The sensing coil goes around the center of the coax core and allows it to pass on thru untouched/unaffected. Unless there is a break in that coax or a very bad solder joint, it would otherwise be impossible to have a problem there.

Bad jumpers that are either sporadically open or shorted would be my first guess for a failure scenario. Without a load - this would be the open condition in the jumpers or coax - it would play havoc on any amp. IIRC; didn't you have a problem like that a couple of months ago with your antenna system?

I have seen more that a few cheap jumpers or homebrew ones that had these problems. Even pre-made high end coax can go south - seen that too. More common and likely than other coax issues, such as a deviated center conductor - due to the coax getting pinched/crushed. This changes the neutral 50 ohm status of a coax. Thing about the end PL-259 connectors is that they are the most common part to create an intermittent condition.

That is excellent information and I do appreciate it. I purchased brand new LMR 240 jumpers. I also purchased a new two position switch. II also removed 3ft of my lmr400 and replaced the pl-259. My SWR has never been lower. This problem occurred immediately after I tightened up the nut that holds the so-239 in place on the M1 s remote box. Before that the so239 was spinning freely. I may have inadvertently spun that SO2 so 239 to a point where I possibly broke the solid off the copper connector that is attached to the remotes so-239. I replace the meter with my backup wm1 and have had no issues since. Now I'm actually worried that it possibly could be a bad jumper. As I mentioned I purchased 6 brand new jumpers. I replaced the Dawia 2 position switch with with a new one and my SWR has never been lower. Where should I start? I still I have the old LMR 240 jumpers. But being that my SWR is so low how and where should I begin to check what the possible issue might be? I purchased a cable inductance meter that unfortunately didn't work. I sent it back for a refund as opposed to asking for a new one. Looking back that may have been a mistake. II think before I fire up the station again I'm going to send that meter out along with some other items I need repaired. I'll have my friend Loose Cannon check out the inside of the wm1 remote. If he says everything's okay then obviously I have a problem on this end and we'll have to figure it out before firing the station up up again. It's not Worth the Chance damaging anything else. Thanks for all the great information. Maybe I should purchase that coax test meter again. It was only $49 and probably worth every penny. I'm veryI'm very sorry I sent it back for a refund as opposed to having them send me another one. I just didn't think I would need it. In hindsight I guess a meter like that is always good to have around. thanks again for the excellent information. I do I do appreciate it. 73 s PS. II actually forgot that when this happened it was hooked up to the the mfj 1500 watt dummy load. Maybe it was the dummy load. Mfj! I have not had Any luck with anything I've ever purchased from them. I actually removed the 915 choke thst has been on my antenna for almost 2 years now. I removed it when I replaced the pl259. Now the pl259 goes right to the antenna. No more 9:15. I've had no stray RF in the shack since I removed it. I'm beginning to believe it may have been that fucking dummy load! Might that be feasible?

 

[Robb]

If you have a really low SWR; then chances are that everything is OK.

But one way to check the coax and their connectors out, would be to wiggle around each coax end and see if the SWR meter fluctuates when testing SWR. This will tell you if something is amiss with any jumper or coax connection. If there is no change, then you should be good to go.

 

[Sonar]

If you have a really low SWR; then chances are that everything is OK.

But one way to check the coax and their connectors out, would be to wiggle around each coax end and see if the SWR meter fluctuates when testing SWR. This will tell you if something is amiss with any jumper or coax connection. If there is no change, then you should be good to go.

Thanks Robb. I actually did that with the original LMR 240 jumpers I was using and nothiing as far as any swr changes.what changed my swr from a 2 (and above after a snowstorm and single-digit temperatures) to an excellent 1.1:1 was removing three ft of my lmr 400, and replcing it's pl259. I'm fairly positive my jumpers are good (the new and old ones.) The 300a blew it's RF deck fuse while I had it and the Madison hooked up to the mfj dummy load.
This is exactly what happened. I noticed that the wm1's so239 began to freely spin to the right and left about 30 degrees. I opened the remote head and tightened the nut that holds the wm1's remote head so239. I hooked uo the mfj dummy load, turned on the 300a and the Madison. Waited 4 minutes. Keyed the mic and instantaneously noticed the Madison's SWR warning light on the Madison while the 300a's (RF deck) fuse immediately blew out. I unkeyed the microphone almost simultaneous with the notice of the high swr warning light on the Madison (it was obviously too late.) I thought the 300's fuse saved the amp. I replaced the fuse and the 300a fired up. I left the amp in stby. With the dummy load and same wm1 in line I keyed the mic. The swr was 1.1:1. I wasn't looking at the wm1 when the Madison's warning light lite so I don't know what the swr was at that point in time. But this time the light didn't glow red and the swr was 1.1:1 because I took notice this time. I took the amp off stby and keyed the mic. The amp dimmed as did the three bulbs in the shacks tract lighting. The amp also sparked like a tesla coil from underneath (on the driver side.) I didn't trust the wm1 anymore. I replaced it with my backup. Removed the dummy load, and hooked up the antennas pl259 to the backup wm1. I removed the 300a and replaced it with a thunderbolt 305. Crossed my eyeballs and keyed the mic. Swr was 1.1:1 with the Madison. I took the 305 off stby. Switched the wm1 to the 2000 watt range tuned the amp. If the swr changed with the amp on it was negligible. I ran that setup for an hour with no issues. I've since replaced the 305 with a Palomar 350z. Used that setup about 5 times since the 300a's demise with no issues. I'm convinced I fucked up the wm1's so239 soldering or did something to the inside of that remote box. Could it be the dummy load? It's an mfj. Need I say more? I don't know but what I do know is that I won't be using that dummy load any longer and I won't be using the illuminated wm1 that I "tried" to repair. Your advice means a lot to me Robb. All I can say is that the way everything is set up now it's working fine. I'm still guessing it's that wm1. I have several items that I need repaired and will be getting all those things out to my friend shortly. In all honesty I should have never opened the remote box to the wm1 as I really don't know what I'm doing in the first place. I thought it would be a simple repair and it probably is for somebody who knows what they're doing. I should have just replaced the wm1 with it's spinning so-239 with the backup one that has no issues. Lesson learned. I will get back to you when my friend takes a look at that wm1 remote head. I am pissed off at myself because I should have never had the 300 a in the on position without it being in standby. I would have saw the Madison's red warning light and unkeyed quickly as I did. No harm was done to the Madison and if the amp was in standby it too would not have been damaged. Just a freshman mistake. 73 S 4 now.