Another swr question

I have almost the same radio is you and I checked mine with a external meter both were the same . Did you calibrate the external meter ?

 

X2...also the internal meter has an adjustment on it that will read incorrectly if incorrectly adjusted.

 

Out of curiosity, how long is the cable between your radio and SWR meter?

 

The coax in your setup is acting as an impedance matching network. Adding the extra coax is upsetting that match. I bet that if you coiled up a few feet of that coax and measured again, the SWR would change.

The proper place to check SWR is right at the antenna. Any other place has the coax influencing the reading.

 

Actually I find the internal SWR bridge to be just fine, only if some screwdriver jockey has been in there to mess it up. I find about a 3 foot jumper works fine.

 

Pretty much. If your antenna has a PL-259 connection at the antenna, you can use the existing coax. I use a short (6") jumper between the meter and antenna.

To be honest, since the internal and external meters agree, I would just trust the internal meter on the regular coax. <1.5:1 is fine.

It just occurred to me that your jumper coax may be bad, as well.

 

I'd never contradict MsJamie but here is my experience...

I've noticed that alot of drivers believe that they can adjust the swr with with the calibration knob on their radio or meter. This is not true!

For those of ya that may not know...here's the drill for checking swr no matter internal or external meter.

I go to ch. 20 initally.
Find the switch that lets you choose "calibrate", key the mic. and hold it keyed, while you adjust the "calibrate" KNOB until the meter reads AT the calibrate pointer at the top rhs of the meter. Release the key & choose SWR at the switch. Don't touch that knob! Key the mic and see the meter. The LESS it moves the better. The calibrate knob does not change anything. It only "calibrates" the meter.

Maybe MsJamie can explain this better but that calibrate KNOB doesn't change anything!