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Re: [TowerTalk] MFJ226 / SARK110

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] MFJ226 / SARK110
From: Pete Smith N4ZR <n4zr@contesting.com>
Date: Wed, 8 Jul 2015 10:14:27 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
It's a little frustrating. Salivating over it, I tried to find out the price for the SARK-110, but alas, the seedstudio store's url doesn't work and the US distributor, SteppIR, doesn't give any price or how-to-buy information.

73, Pete N4ZR
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On 7/8/2015 9:22 AM, Roger Parsons via TowerTalk wrote:
I have a SARK110. It is beautiful!

It has a cast aluminium body, rather like a high end cellphone. The RF 
connector is an MMX which is pretty small - they do supply a short extension 
lead with a BNC on the end, but I agree that this is probably its weakest 
point. (My friend John, G3PQA, has had one for a year or so and he uses a 
longer very flexible extension lead with a BNC on the end. That way he doesn't 
have to unplug the MMX. The SARK can self calibrate to take out the effect of a 
long test lead.) All of the controls are quite small and the menus are nested, 
so there is definitely a learning curve, but I have pretty much come to grips 
with that now.

It seems to be very accurate - I had some hardline which I assumed had a VF of 
0.83, but the SARK said it was 0.89. I eventually found the cable specs on the 
net and sure enough the SARK was correct.


The display is full colour and pretty. There are some pretty neat features like 
being able to scan four definable frequency bands simultaneously - rather nice 
for adjusting a multiband antenna - although I confess that I haven't tried 
that yet.

It is a totally stand alone unit, but can interface to a PC via USB - there 
some extra functions then available.


I haven't looked closely at the MFJ226, but if its construction is anything 
like my old MFJ259, that and the SARK are chalk and cheese.

The unit is designed in Spain, but is manufactured by SEEED Studios in China. I 
bought mine direct from China as there is/was? no distributor in Canada, and 
that was also a bit cheaper.

I have no connection whatever with the manufacturer or designer except as a 
very happy customer.

73 Roger
VE3ZI
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