• You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.
  • Click here to find out how to win free radios from Retevis!

Reading reflect watts help

lerch256

Member
Dec 6, 2010
33
4
18
Bama
Hello again in in the process of building a 2 pill amp first one with used toshiba 2879 my question is when it comes to tuning the input and output I need trimmers ive read but the meter can I use a astatic or dosy meter for this say just hook it up backward from radio to amp for input any help will be grateful thanks
 

Hello again in in the process of building a 2 pill amp first one with used toshiba 2879 my question is when it comes to tuning the input and output I need trimmers ive read but the meter can I use a astatic or dosy meter for this say just hook it up backward from radio to amp for input any help will be grateful thanks
Hello again
In in the process of building a 2 pill amp - first one - with used toshiba 2879's.
OK

My questions are:
When it comes to tuning the input and output, I've read I need trimmers.
The meter; can I use a astatic or dosy for this?
Trimmer caps? Yes
Either meter is fine.


say just hook it up backward from radio to amp for input any help will be grateful thanks
This makes no sense; can you explain a bit better?
 
  • Like
Reactions: Road Squawker
Think vkrules is trying to say:

Radio > SWR Meter > Amp under test > 50 ohm dummy load

Radio > Amp under test > SWR Meter > 50 ohm dummy load

The only way to get any testing/adjustment accuracy is to use a dummy load that has a watt rating higher that the amp under test. No exceptions.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Tallman
I kinda get the feeling he is wanting to connect the output side of the meter to the transceiver and the input side to the amp to be able to read how many watts are reflecting back from the amp?

What meter are you considering using lerch?
 
Think he said an astatic or dosy meter. Don't think those will work. He should be able get accurate VSWR readings doing it the way that was posted.
He would either need to do that with the meters he has or he can get a bird meter and place the slug in reverse. Don't think he will get any kind of accurate readings with either of the 2 VSWR meters he has being reversed, as in, radio to Ant port and amp to Radio port. Get the trimmers and mount them and then like said you will need a dummy load that is rated for the correct power. Don't. I repeat, don't try and do this with your antenna. You will only skew the readings. Use just a dummy load. Also make sure you are re calibrating your VSWR meter when you turn the amp on and key it up as it will show totally different readings than it would without it on. Meaning it's just calibrated for the radio. You have to recalibrate the meter when you key the amp up powered on.
 
Ok thank yall that's what I was thinking I would need a bird meter for this so I guess I'll be looking into purchasing one asap I appreciate all of yalls help
 
A Bird meter is accurate - but expensive. You really do not need a meter like that for testing SWR. Even the cheaper Astatic will do that. But you do need a quality dummy load that will keep it accurate under the stress of the amp output.
 

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • dxBot:
    Greg T has left the room.
  • @ BJ radionut:
    EVAN/Crawdad :love: ...runna pile-up on 6m SSB(y) W4AXW in the air
    +1
  • @ Crawdad:
    One of the few times my tiny station gets heard on 6m!:D
  • @ Galanary:
    anyone out here familiar with the Icom IC-7300 mods