SWR meter

This is sooooo not true.

Next you'll tell us a 3:1 SWR is ok.

Bruce is WA4GHC

 

10-4......

 

plenty of threads over the years on worldwidedx,mauldroppers etc
discussing things like secondary harmonics and such in detail.
That would be sacrilegious for you to be around those places
due to the "exclusive use" of Outlaw wattage and illegal radio's

Not a big deal really,due to the fact 99.94% of the nation's TRUCKS dont give a flying flip about that kinda stuff.

 

So true, I adjusted my antennas with a regular cobra 29. When I installed my connex the SWR stayed the same, when I installed my cobra29 and my Palomar 450 my SWR stayed the same.

But then I had to spend a great deal of time and energy on my antenna, coax and the grounding system on the truck so that it would be this way.

 

Morning Rat ....

This goes to prove if you run a CLEAN amp your antenna will never know ..... The problem is so many amps are trash generators that the antenna REJECTS the garbarge and shows it as a increase in VSWR .....

 

I'm shure if there was a WA4GHC he would be unhappy with me using his call

 

Sorry i got a few of your call sign letters backwards.

 

That's ok I don't always get it right either .... even after 40 years

 

$89.95
The Diamond SX20C is a compact SWR-power meter. Featuring cross needle design for measuring SWR and output power simultaneously. Compact size makes it very useful for testing mobiles as well as base station installation.
Special Features: • Cross needle design
Rated from 3.5-30, 50-54, and 130-150 MHz
Power ranges of 30 & 300 Watts
http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-000010


I use this one and have found it accurate on average and PEP scales:
$99.99
DAIWA CN-101
1.8-150MHz PEP WATTMETER/SWR SWR and Power indicators are installed in one meter unit.One scale will be indicated at the crossing point of the 2 needles. This unique feature makes it possible to read all of Forward Power, Reflected Power and SWR at the same time. 15/150/1500W scales.
http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-003409

These are cross-needle scales and so there is no fiddling with a knob, it reads directly in forward and reverse power, and where the two needles cross, the SWR is visible. The SX-20C is small enough to put permanently on the dash in some cases.

$89.95
This one is a traditional meter with a knob and fwd-rev switch:
Diamond SX200 Power Meter
The SX200 measures forward and reflected power and VSWR. Compact size makes meter useful for testing both base and mobile installations.
Special Features:
Illuminated meter
Switchable r.m.s. or peak power
Measures forward, reflected & VSWR power
6"W x 2"H x 4"D, 2 lbs.
Specifications:
Frequency: 1.8-200 MHz
Power Ranges: 5/20/200
Connector: SO-239
Min. Power SWR Test:: 4W
http://www.hamradio.com/detail.cfm?pid=H0-000009

->Most ham type meters like this need at least 4W to be accurate with SWR readings. Notice though that they have a wider frequency range than most CB-type meters and because they are for ham use are supposed to be accurate. Just saying before you spend $89 on a Dosy or Workman.. try a meter designed for better performance and accuracy.

One thing to look at is whatever meter you buy ought to include a low power scale on it for CB use otherwise when using just a 4 watt CB radio the needle won't move much.

I'm not pushing these brands, there are others as well. Anything costing less than $50-80 is probably not a very good meter. The days of a high quality $20 meter are gone with the 1970's.

The picture shows how a cross-needle meter works. The forward and reflected needles both rise, and where they cross over a red line shows the SWR. Ideally the reflected needle stays down, for 1:1.

 

This is the one I like