swr question
Discussion in 'CB Radio Forum' started by tony7914, Apr 9, 2011.
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Gadfly said: ↑Rat said: ↑Well depends sometimes. I have seen SWR/antennas needing to be tuned when going from a low powered stock radio to a hgiher powered radio. Not all the time though. Don't quote me.
OK, I won't "quote" you.
The reason for the difference in reading is that "SWR" (standing wave RATIO) is a ratio of forward power and that which is reflected BACK to the radio. So if the power increases, the relative amount of power reflected BACK to the radio may increase. It is often dependent on the set's power as to what reading your meter will show. Again, it is not really an actual reading of the efficient operation of the antenna, but what the meter indicates as a RATIO of the power sent out and that which is reflected BACK to the set. Of course, the less SWR (ratio) one has, the better the antenna is sending out its signal. By increasing power, you are increasing the power OUT and, likewise, a ratio of power REFLECTED. It may, or may not, be "more" as far as the antenna's ability to send out RF. Is that confusing enough?
There's more to it than that, like impedance--feedpoint, coil (if any), radiation resistance, capacitive reactance, etc and so forth), but it kinda explains it. ...I hope!
(Btw, just for grins, some people call this ratio "SWR's (sssssssssss). It is actually ONE "SWR" in ONE feedline if one wants to be correct.
Hope this "explanation is helpful.Click to expand...
I am not going to get techincal about it because I honestly don't know as much as some about it.
I do know that until I upgrade the coax and added better grounding, My SWR went up with the higher powered connex radio. Not damaging high but it went up. Now it stays the same no matter what radio setup I have installed.
In a perfect world it should not change but in the world of crappy stock setups in todays trucks, it might change.
Not every driver owns his own truck, alot drive company owned trucks and most drivers are not up to spending money on a company owned truck. So there are alot of trucks on the road running the crappy stock setups with higher output radios.
My boss is cool about it. He lets me do what ever to the truck and I get reimbursed for it.Click to expand... -
Rat said: ↑Gadfly said: ↑I am not going to get techincal about it because I honestly don't know as much as some about it.
I do know that until I upgrade the coax and added better grounding, My SWR went up with the higher powered connex radio. Not damaging high but it went up. Now it stays the same no matter what radio setup I have installed.
In a perfect world it should not change but in the world of crappy stock setups in todays trucks, it might change.
Not every driver owns his own truck, alot drive company owned trucks and most drivers are not up to spending money on a company owned truck. So there are alot of trucks on the road running the crappy stock setups with higher output radios.
My boss is cool about it. He lets me do what ever to the truck and I get reimbursed for it.Click to expand...
Garbarge in = Garbarge out
Sounds like you solved the age old problem of Your antenna is only as good as the sum of the parts. I avoid cheap coax for just this reason
at 144 mhz you can lose 90% of your power in a short run of chineese junk
wire .....Click to expand... -
Not really. Besides being petty, it also ignores that SWR is frequency dependent. Since many CB antennas are fairly narrowbanded because of the methods used to physically shorten them, CBrs and installers are taught to measure SWR at Ch 1, Ch 20, and Ch 40.Gadfly said: ↑(Btw, just for grins, some people call this ratio "SWR's (sssssssssss). It is actually ONE "SWR" in ONE feedline if one wants to be correct.
Hope this "explanation is helpful.Click to expand...
If they're also running 10 Meters on them (like I do; I'm an Extra), there will be more datum points on the graph.
I'm at least as much a purist as the next long-experienced RF tech (although I R not a engunnear), and I check *all* the SWRs before I figure an install or repair is complete. Then I can be confident that the "average SWR" over the intended operating range is acceptable.
But I do it by getting several SWRs.
However, I sign 73 verbally and in writing, so as not to be perceived as saying, "Best regardses".
73,
-- Handlebar -- -
I love hearing the term "73's" almost as much as hearing about a "set of beams" when referring to one directional antenna.handlebar said: ↑However, I sign 73 verbally and in writing, so as not to be perceived as saying, "Best regardses".
73,
-- Handlebar --Click to expand...
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Well I was just trying to provide one explanation that would make sense to the layman. Yes, the antenna itself is going to present the SAME 'tuning' no matter what. But when you take into consideration variations in power, the various measuring instruments that can give varied reading, etc., you might get a change in apparent SWR. Everybody isn't going to be able to grasp impedances, all the "stuff" that goes along with it. Most of us are simple users of radio and don't need to worry too much about ALL the mechanics. It was just a simple layman's way of explaining why variations in SWR can happen. Not trying to evoke a class in antenna theory.
GF
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