4O3A goodies unpacked

Well, getting unpacked slowly.

Of course, I can’t help myself: as a piece of gear is unpacked, I get straight into it.

Taking the covers off, to find what’s inside is simply irresistible.

After all, glossy brochures and PDF files are one thing; while the quality of workmanship can only be assessed hands on, and sometimes, even under the loupe.

The 8×1 Antenna Genius is a ‘one radio, eight antennas’ switch box. As with most of the 4O3A equipment, it is designed to seamlessly integrate with FlexRadio transceivers. To be completely invisible. Wall-mounted somewhere at the point where your coax cables enter the shack, close to the ‘single point ground’ (you do have a shack ground, right?), not too far from the router.

It’s simple: connect all the antennas to AG, plug it to a 12V power source, connect to the local network – then feed it to the transceiver – and you are done. From that moment on, if you are an owner of Flex, you will never ever have to think of antenna switching – your radio and Antenna Genius will quietly talk to each other and follow your TX VFO anywhere you go, from band to band, effortlessly.

Actually, once you get used to the AG switch box, you will ask yourself: why in the world had I not invested in this remarkable solution ages ago? No more plugging and unplugging, no more guess work, no more transmitting in a ‘wrong’ antenna!

But even if you are not an owner of Flex: worry not. When manual switching is selected, individual antenna selection can be made by a simple click on the app. Practically, the AG will work with any radio, allowing remote switching – as long as you have internet access to a shack located in the basement, on a farm 500km away – or on the other side of the world.

Of course, a more advanced user can still fully automate the AG control with any brand/model of radio with BCD output, which is pretty much a standard feature of most modern transceivers. What is required is a gadget known as a “B2BCD” decoder which takes CAT or CI-V input and converts it to BCD output. More about that next time. The other alternative: the AG accepts direct pin to pin input, so you can make / code your own hardware to control it, if you so wish.

The Antenna Genius is a robust, industrial grade unit. The housing is made of  stainless steel (not aluminium!).

As you would expect, the quality of workmanship is impressive. Modern PCBs, robust relays, adequately-rated components.

I love the compactness and sturdiness – but above all, the 5 min key-down 3KW rating @ 1.5:1 SWR.

Should you invest in one? Absolutely. If you have more than one coax cable entering your shack, the smart antenna switch is a must. And if you plan to setup a remote station, then the Antenna Genius is the very first component in a chain. Irreplaceable.

While some amateurs tend to focus on price, and price alone, others tend to take matters in their own hands. Of course, if you do possess computer programming skills, app development abilities and have an RF engineering background, you would be able to build an antenna switching unit yourself. But would you not rather put your time into engineering and building something that money can’t buy? (Antennas for example!? Chasing DX?).

I personally tend to think of a unit like this as something that inherently possesses a significant resale value. Unlike your homemade gear, a branded piece of equipment would easily find a new guardian in no time.