SWR Meter/Power Meter

[TheRATT]

Hello!

I need to buy an SWR/Power meter. When I'm talking with my group of guys in the greater Seattle area every make and model that's mentioned is "a piece of crap". Can someone save me some time and point me towards a quality/accurate meter? I'd say 500 watts would be more then capable.

Thanks!

213

 

[sp5it]

Daiwa CN101L or bigger 801HP
Mike

 

[Hurricane145]

Even a Bird wattmeter with a good slug is plus or minus 5%. How accurate do they expect to get??
I have a friend that has one of the Alpha RF Systems wattmeters that cost about $1500 or so. It is somewhat better than 5% accuracy according to the specs.

A good powered peak reading wattmeter is sure nice. I just go with the one in my ATR-30 manual tuner.
The Ameritron AWM-30 is a good peak reading wattmeter and not stupid expensive.
Once you have used a good peak reading wattmeter you would probably not want to go back to an average reading one unless you just want to measure key down carrier output.

The Daiwa wattmeters don't seem to have very good reviews.

 

[Low_Boy]

Daiwa CN101L or bigger 801HP
Mike

Make that two for Daiwa 801 or new replacement for the 801 which is the 901.

 

[338_MtRushmore]

I bought an Ameritron awm-35bh a few years ago, and I am very happy with it.

 

[DXman]

213- take a look at the Palstar meters. I've been using one for 8 yrs now and no problems....

 

[Handy Andy]

Or just buy a cheap SWR meter and don't answer that question.

Or find new friends....

"Quality can be expressed by they way you can buy Oats...
You can buy fresh oats and expect to pay a fair price...
Or - you can buy oats that have already been thru a horse - they are a little cheaper."

Not trying to be a smart-Donkey here but - when it comes to power, it's all relative...expect it to be there, expect it to exert some influence, expect it to do work...just don't expect it to do the kind of work you want it to do, not without understanding the limitations of it's environment.

Environment = Mother Nature, Location, Equipment, Installation and Operation - this list is incomplete and will be supplemented as necessary.

Or - like;

Kids and Christmas -

• you can give a kid a gift at Xmas, they may or may not thank you...
• you can give them money for a Gift at Xmas and they may thank you...

Just remember where it comes from - your pocketbook.

 

[338_MtRushmore]

The only reason I spent more than $50 on a meter was for the remote capability. I still have much less expensive meters, and I have no problem using them.

I honestly can't recall the last time I actually read the scale on any watt meter. As long as the needles are in the expected vicinity I'm happy.

 

[SHACKMASTER SAM]

It is impossible to tell people that any watt meter is worthless unless you are operating it into a known quality dummy load. Otherwise any reading is purely relative (that means a rough estimate). Even operating a precision directional watt meter into an antenna (regardless of its match) will usually not give a reliable incident power reading. Too many non-technical types cry big crocodile tears unless they see their radio show perfectly on some cool-looking watt meter.
The only meter I own is a Bird and I only use it to monitor or check reflected power...nothing more. The forward power setting simply verifies to me that my radio is putting out RF. The exact reading is meaningless.

 

[Rwb]

Or just buy a cheap SWR meter and don't answer that question.

Or find new friends....

"Quality can be expressed by they way you can buy Oats...
You can buy fresh oats and expect to pay a fair price...
Or - you can buy oats that have already been thru a horse - they are a little cheaper."

Not trying to be a smart-Donkey here but - when it comes to power, it's all relative...expect it to be there, expect it to exert some influence, expect it to do work...just don't expect it to do the kind of work you want it to do, not without understanding the limitations of it's environment.

Environment = Mother Nature, Location, Equipment, Installation and Operation - this list is incomplete and will be supplemented as necessary.



Or - like;

Kids and Christmas -

• you can give a kid a gift at Xmas, they may or may not thank you...
• you can give them money for a Gift at Xmas and they may thank you...

Just remember where it comes from - your pocketbook.

i get a meter,i take it to a radio tech friend n let him compare it against his meter. That way
1 we are both owning correct reding meters
2 we both have meters that are wrong
And cheep meters are decent anymore

 

[StrangeBrew]

.... Otherwise any reading is purely relative .....

As an operator a relative reading is all you really need.

 

[kaos513]

No need for a fancy meter get your self a dosy meter.

 

[Alan Blackmon]

I don't expect a lot out of a meter. I have several. Some junky ones even by my standards and a OK one. They all work but are they perfect and tell me exactly what a radio or antenna is doing? No but they tell me that things seem to be working or not. In the end that is all I want. I don't need to know what the output is down the the last .1 of a watt.

 

[Tallman]

Daiwa 801HP is a true peak reading meter and is more accurate than the Doosie meters. When you measure watts you need to measure into a resistive load, not an antenna.

 

[psycho]

Buy a nice cross needle meter so you know exactly what the swr is by simply looking at the meter. You can't go wrong with a Palstar.