Recommend to a Friend
Excellent tool
5.0
I purchased this for a few different reasons. I wanted to tune in TV antennas and I needed to diagnose the in-house cabling at a large apartment complex. Being able to see what the signal levels are doing helps pinpoint troubles much faster than the guess work I was doing before. I found that a cable in my home was causing significant signal drop from the antenna to the splitter. I also use it at work to verify signal levels and replace splitters and cables if needed.
The interface is simple enough to navigate but isn’t for the average Joe. An understanding of what’s available and what your looking at is necessary to use this effectively. It took me a few minutes of playing around to get the hang of it and set it up for the different applications. Now it’s quick and simple for most of what I’m doing and offers a great visual of what’s happening.
Verified Purchase
Steve on
Feb 10, 2020
Recommend to a Friend
Happy with my new Applied Instruments XR-3W
5.0
This meter is intuitive to use with a simple, almost self explanatory, menu driven configuration, setup and status display.
I love how rugged it feels in the hand and the rubber protective bump guards reassure you that, even if you were to have a wee accident with it, it will survive the worst knocks that you will probably give it.
The screen is plenty bright to be able to be read from a fair distance in bright daylight, with back lighting available for when it's a little darker outside. The padded screen protector that it came fitted with is added insurance.
It can be updated easily using the supplied USB cable. Firmware and field guides are available from the AI website, as are other software utilities to make managing your stored data a snap. It has the ability to produce and store proof of performance reports that can be used as a baseline for new complex installations and aid troubleshooting later or simply just for customer satisfaction. Either way, it's a very handy feature to have.
As this is a modular meter, it has the ability to be used across a variety of platforms from CATV to Satellite. The modules easily swap out and lock securely in place. I am only using the DBS Satellite module with mine at the moment.
You can leave the meter connected to a convenient point in the installation and use the inbuilt WiFi to connect to a smaller, lighter device, like a cell phone or small tablet etc. I opted for the W version, over the standard one. I wanted the ability to just use my cell phone on an arm band connected to the meter when working off ladders or on a roof, both for safety and not having to lug yet more tools up and down with me.
I did buy the app for it and although not fully complete, as of this writing, it's a usable work in progress. I would like to see the app being included free in the package though. The price paid for the app was not outrageous by any means, but this was a premium feature of the meter that helped drive my decision to buy it, over the standard version. Having already paid extra for that feature, I was a little disappointed to find out later that I had to spend yet more money to complete the loop. It's not a deal breaker by any stretch though, there's much more to love here, it's just a wee gripe on my part.
While this meter seems, at first blush, to be quite expensive, and let's face it, it's not the cheapest meter out there, when you compare the features and functions available on it, like its heavy duty construction, its ease of use, software upgradeability, accuracy and telemetry abilities, it's really easy to justify buying it. I for one, am very happy with the one I purchased and expect many years of useful service from it. This meter will find many a happy home with professional installers and contractors alike, of that I'm certain.
Verified Purchase
Alastair McGloan on
Feb 21, 2019
Recommend to a Friend
Product
5.0
Wonderful piece of equipment, very versatile, change a module to change function.
Charlie on
Sep 06, 2018
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