meter choices

[BOOTY MONSTER]

i know everyone loves having (or saying they have) a bird meter and the still too expensive for me diamonds and and other $150 and up meters . i dont care for the once $30 now $50 radioshack meter that you can only buy online now (according to their site).

right now i just run a couple hundred watts on the mobile and i doubt id ever have more than a 4 pill on it as far as upgrading power goes so im thinking a meter that will measure up to 1000 watts would be fine . im thinking id like one big meter rather than 3 regular meters . im dont have dilusions of extreme accuracy in my price range although i do want to be pretty damn close on the SWR measurement . power/modulation could be give or take as much as %20 as long as its pretty accurate . the meter wont be left inline , itll be used to check and set things and then put away till needed again .

ive found a few that have what i want and was wondering what yall think of them and if their any good . im also like to know if yall think either stands out from the others as being much better or much worse .

first choice is at bills 2 way .PARADYNAMICS PDC700-P (bottom left corner $55.88
http://www.bills2way.com/equip/misc.html

second choice is at palco . a DOSY PM-1000 $66.99
http://www.palcoelectronics.com/p1000048.htm

third choice also at palco is a WORKMAN HP-201S $27.99
http://www.palcoelectronics.com/p1003005.htm

fourth is at premier-electronics ist a RF Limited PW-3000 $99.95
http://www.www.premiere-electronics.net/store/pw3000.html

i am open to other suggestions in my price range .

im thinking i lke the PDC700 the best for the prices with the dosy second and the workman last . but if theres not much difference between them 3 in accuracy and durability id go with the workman(even though the workman has a smaller window) .

im thinking (dont know)that the RF Limited would be really nice and i wouldnt mind waiting a bit to get it at 100 bucks but thats more than i want to spend and im only considering it because of the brand name and that they build very respected radios and not everyone has them (i like being a lil different fron the crowd as long as im still getting good value for my money) . it also has a very clean pro look to it . is it much better than the dosey/pdc meters ????

thanks folks

 

[74IN]

MFJ 815B

 

[Beetle]

The 815B has been discontinued. HERE'S a link to the 815C.

I'd strongly recommend a cross-needle meter such as this, which will allow you to read forward and reflected power, and SWR, simultaneously. The 815C also can read Peak power (not PEP) and average power. I don't believe the 815B had that capability.

 

[74IN]

815B had it Beetle, that's why I like 'em.

 

[Beetle]

I couldn't find anything on the 815B that required a battery, or required the wall-wart power supply for anything except the lights.

If a meter doesn't have a separate DC power supply, battery or otherwise, it CANNOT measure "true" peak power. Lots of MFJ products, including the cross-needle meter on my 986 tuner, IMPLY that they can give a peak reading, but all that does when selected is add damping across the meter terminals, making the needle move slower, which some folks associate with peak. However, it's not a reliable indicator. The 815C uses a separate 9V battery OR the wall-wart for the necessary sampling and storage circuitry. Without this additional circuitry, there's no real "peak" reading.

 

[psycho]

i know everyone loves having (or saying they have) a bird meter and the still too expensive for me diamonds and and other $150 and up meters . i dont care for the once $30 now $50 radioshack meter that you can only buy online now (according to their site).

right now i just run a couple hundred watts on the mobile and i doubt id ever have more than a 4 pill on it as far as upgrading power goes so im thinking a meter that will measure up to 1000 watts would be fine . im thinking id like one big meter rather than 3 regular meters . im dont have dilusions of extreme accuracy in my price range although i do want to be pretty damn close on the SWR measurement . power/modulation could be give or take as much as %20 as long as its pretty accurate . the meter wont be left inline , itll be used to check and set things and then put away till needed again .

ive found a few that have what i want and was wondering what yall think of them and if their any good . im also like to know if yall think either stands out from the others as being much better or much worse .

first choice is at bills 2 way .PARADYNAMICS PDC700-P (bottom left corner $55.88
http://www.bills2way.com/equip/misc.html

second choice is at palco . a DOSY PM-1000 $66.99
http://www.palcoelectronics.com/p1000048.htm

third choice also at palco is a WORKMAN HP-201S $27.99
http://www.palcoelectronics.com/p1003005.htm

fourth is at premier-electronics ist a RF Limited PW-3000 $99.95
http://www.www.premiere-electronics.net/store/pw3000.html

i am open to other suggestions in my price range .

im thinking i lke the PDC700 the best for the prices with the dosy second and the workman last . but if theres not much difference between them 3 in accuracy and durability id go with the workman(even though the workman has a smaller window) .

im thinking (dont know)that the RF Limited would be really nice and i wouldnt mind waiting a bit to get it at 100 bucks but thats more than i want to spend and im only considering it because of the brand name and that they build very respected radios and not everyone has them (i like being a lil different fron the crowd as long as im still getting good value for my money) . it also has a very clean pro look to it . is it much better than the dosey/pdc meters ????

thanks folks

All those meters are true "Feel Good" meters. Every one of them will read generous amounts of swing watts.

 

[AudioShockwav]

B/M if you can add $50 bucks to your price, go for this.....

palstar.com/pm2000am.php

There is a Base and a Mobile model(same price) The Mobile unit has a remote Pick up that allows you to set the meter on the desk, and hook the coax to the remote.....no big coax pulling the meter around the desk.

The PM2000AM Mobile measures and displays forward power, reflected power, and SWR simultaneously on it's dual movement meter system in the frequency range. Accuracy of the readings is assured because the PM2000AM features a true shielded directional coupler, that on the mobile version is offered as an external unit. The backlit meter can display either peak or average power readings, and has 300 and 3000 watt range settings.

QST found that the Palstar WM150 is the only wattmeter that has true Active Peak Reading. The PM2000AM is the next generation of watt meters from Palstar. All of the features of Palstar's previous wattmeters are intergrated into the PM2000AM, but it can measure up to 2kW and also has 2 second PEAK/HOLD

73
Jeff

 

[novakor]

Check out Diamond meters:
http://www.rfparts.com/diamond/sx100.html

 

[W5LZ]

Considering the need for 'accuracy' in a meter being used mobile, I would pick the MFJ. Lets be realistic (pun intended), with the way the surroundings on a mobile change all the time when in motion, and as long as the power is something close to what can be expected from past use, who cares how accurate the danged thing is? The same holds true for the average fixed operation. Unless there's a big change in what you see on the meter, things are probably normal. If 'single digit' accuracy is required, it certainly isn't for 'normal' use, now is it.
So, unless you're just after the 'prestige' of a high cost name, get what you can reasonably afford... then lie like hell! - lol
- 'Doc

 

[Crusher]

MFJ makes a few inexpensive mobile units for reasonable prices. The pdc 700 is a very loose meter. Hint: there is a reason alot of CB shops use this meter. This is the meter those export radios do 50 watts on.LOL This is the meter not to use when building or tuning an amp. LOL I found this out about 3-4 years ago when I first started. I have a bird, I have a Drake, I have a few different MFJ's and have one that I built from scratch.

 

[Switch Kit]

Considering the need for 'accuracy' in a meter being used mobile, I would pick the MFJ. Lets be realistic (pun intended), with the way the surroundings on a mobile change all the time when in motion, and as long as the power is something close to what can be expected from past use, who cares how accurate the danged thing is? The same holds true for the average fixed operation. Unless there's a big change in what you see on the meter, things are probably normal. If 'single digit' accuracy is required, it certainly isn't for 'normal' use, now is it.
So, unless you're just after the 'prestige' of a high cost name, get what you can reasonably afford... then lie like hell! - lol
- 'Doc

THANK YOU !

 

[hotrod]

i like the mfj grand master series.
check them out at mfj.com or universal-radio.com

 

[bob85]

"who cares how accurate the danged thing is? "

me!

 

[W5LZ]

Why? That's a serious question. And keep in mind that it is the degree of accuracy that I wonder about. In almost all cases, accuracy to within about 10% is certainly enough. In most 'typical' cases, it's sort of over-kill.
- 'Doc

 

[bob85]

dang you doc why you ask that,

i dont really know why it just does with everything,
maybe the same reason i use
1% mos resistors 1% caps matched high beta transistors delta or vantec tornado fans vacume relays regulated tracked biasing in my homebrew amps rather than psychos "QUALITY" components wrapped in a folded trailer step,

always been the same way be it building/ballancing a race engine a hifi system or whatever,
i get stick all the time from my buddies for been too much of a perfectionist but to me they are rough as hell,
if i was wealthy i would have hp/anritsu gear and still be looking for something better,

each to his own i guess.