I have the Stick 230 and this works great for my uses. I mainly use it to set up my Wolf River Coil when setting up in a park. I love e-paper displays. The big benefit for something like this is the tiny power drawl for the screen. The $100 price difference is not insignificant, but for me the deciding factor was that the 230 covers all the bands that I need. As someone else pointed out I pair to my phone often to do other "stuff"
One thing that is worth mentioning is the eInk displays get easier to see in brighter light rather than more difficult. If you're looking for an analyzer to use for field work, such as for analyzing portable antennas before you start your POTA activation, an eInk display is actually a selling point rather than a drawback. The eInk display also uses zero power when a static, non-updating image is shown so it will go far longer on a single charge than something with an LCD display.
Great review. You sold me on the Pro model mostly because of the TDR feature. I don't want to carry around a computer to check TDR. Thanks, Barry, KU3X
Great reviews, as always. Appreciate it very much. Stick Pro may be just work for me. Like the small platform. Bluetooth is an excellent way to pair with my Android tablet/phone.
I bought the stick pro after watching quite a few videos, and nobody mentioned its main shortcoming... NO FREQUENCY COUNTER! I bought it to reduce my kit since it is smaller than my MFJ 269D, but guess what, I still have to take the MFJ 269D with me for the frequency counter feature. Also, the Bluetooth is VERY short range, like one car length, and drops out easily, so the stick pro has become the backup at home in a drawer to the 269D.
As someone who has a NanoVNA, I can tell you it's cheap and it works. It will do the job (and a whole lot more if you really want to dig into it). It does not have a nice interface and it will not hold your hand, that's the downside. You have to know a little bit about how to use it and how the menus work before you can make it do something useful. I also use it most frequently in the field and I find it difficult to read in bright sunlight. That's one of the reasons I think the eInk display on the cheaper RigExpert sticks is actually a selling point rather than a detriment.
I just received a rig expert 500 yesterday and have an ungodly number of problems with it and no way to really contact anyone for help except an email in ukraine. When you finally locate the manual it's in a font size smaller than anything I've ever seen in my life when you print it out, the software doesn't work on any of the three computers that I have and it screwed up the booting on two of them. When you change velocity factor in the settings it's not reflected when you go to take the measurement. The manual does not include any instructions on the functions on the second screen. To top it all off there's really no f****** help at all from the rig expert company for any of these problems they sell it to you and then tell you to go to hell.
I have the Stick 230 and this works great for my uses. I mainly use it to set up my Wolf River Coil when setting up in a park.
I love e-paper displays. The big benefit for something like this is the tiny power drawl for the screen.
The $100 price difference is not insignificant, but for me the deciding factor was that the 230 covers all the bands that I need.
As someone else pointed out I pair to my phone often to do other "stuff"
Appreciate you explaining the details and functionality of especially of the Stick Pro.
I just ordered one to replace my AA 50 .
73 Steve AA4SH
I grabbed a RigExpert Stick Pro from GigaParts last month. I’m still getting to now the analyzer. I do like it a lot!
One thing that is worth mentioning is the eInk displays get easier to see in brighter light rather than more difficult. If you're looking for an analyzer to use for field work, such as for analyzing portable antennas before you start your POTA activation, an eInk display is actually a selling point rather than a drawback. The eInk display also uses zero power when a static, non-updating image is shown so it will go far longer on a single charge than something with an LCD display.
Great review. You sold me on the Pro model mostly because of the TDR feature. I don't want to carry around a computer to check TDR.
Thanks, Barry, KU3X
Great reviews, as always. Appreciate it very much. Stick Pro may be just work for me. Like the small platform. Bluetooth is an excellent way to pair with my Android tablet/phone.
It would benefit the new hams by showing how to use one.
Hi thanks for your video 👍
I bought the stick pro after watching quite a few videos, and nobody mentioned its main shortcoming... NO FREQUENCY COUNTER! I bought it to reduce my kit since it is smaller than my MFJ 269D, but guess what, I still have to take the MFJ 269D with me for the frequency counter feature. Also, the Bluetooth is VERY short range, like one car length, and drops out easily, so the stick pro has become the backup at home in a drawer to the 269D.
What would you choose - RigExpert stick pro or the newest NanoVNA for a H-Q 6/160 antenna?
As someone who has a NanoVNA, I can tell you it's cheap and it works. It will do the job (and a whole lot more if you really want to dig into it). It does not have a nice interface and it will not hold your hand, that's the downside. You have to know a little bit about how to use it and how the menus work before you can make it do something useful. I also use it most frequently in the field and I find it difficult to read in bright sunlight. That's one of the reasons I think the eInk display on the cheaper RigExpert sticks is actually a selling point rather than a detriment.
Wait I ll send ya my address for the 1400 ☺️ thanks buddy 😉
Awesome!
Wish I saw your comment first, just sent it to someone elses address 2 minutes ago :)
Want one now!!! Price???? 73
Why would you review this without it connected to an antenna. Sorry but I feel like I wasted my time watching.
I just received a rig expert 500 yesterday and have an ungodly number of problems with it and no way to really contact anyone for help except an email in ukraine. When you finally locate the manual it's in a font size smaller than anything I've ever seen in my life when you print it out, the software doesn't work on any of the three computers that I have and it screwed up the booting on two of them. When you change velocity factor in the settings it's not reflected when you go to take the measurement. The manual does not include any instructions on the functions on the second screen. To top it all off there's really no f****** help at all from the rig expert company for any of these problems they sell it to you and then tell you to go to hell.