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swr on antenna
- Thread starter moonwalker61
- Start date
Ok; with a DUMMY LOAD hooked to the back of my cb base I get ''O'' SWRs. or the needle barley moves maybe about 1/32''or 1/64th'' That's pretty close to O as you can get. With DUMMY LOAD hooked to the end of the coax at the antenna, I get the same results-O..OR 1/32'' or maybe 1/64'' reflected power OR SWr whatever you want to call it. what I'm saying the needle hardly moves at all and is NOT jumping up to 3 or 4 or 6 SWRs on my SWr METER. And that's a good thing, Beetle. I mis-read the ohm meter,it read 00.3 ohms not 30. But I called HYGAIN and they helped me with my problem. After re-setting the total length, for the factory 10 meter length for the 6th time, and lengthen in 10'' increments, I was able to fine tune for 11 meter & and get 1;6 swr,s across the board from channel 1-40. at 22 watts. I'm happy with that if yall are. Now we will see if it stays that way. A million thanks to Dr_DX,- BJ radionut,,-SHADETREE!!,-Dmans,-& Nomadradio. all yall got me pointed in the right direction, Thank you!.....
Hello All: Good going moonwalker6. That SPT500 the Penetrator 500 can be adjusted to a dead nuts 1 to 1.0 SWR. A Antenna Analyzer (not just a SWR meter) will allow you to more easily see were the antenna has the lowest VSWR and pointing you how to adjust it longer or shorter.
The vertical element can be adjusted for different frequencies and so can the ground plane elements also be adjusted. The great thing to know is that the two tuning wires do NOT want to be adjusted as they are set in length by the factory design guys to work on 10 or 11 meters. However some guys do make a adjustable tuning wire set up but its a hole different animal and again a antenna analyzer needs to be used.
I didn't catch you had a SPT500 antenna in the first post. Good antenna, but at around 3 to 4 KW they will arc at the base.
Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
The vertical element can be adjusted for different frequencies and so can the ground plane elements also be adjusted. The great thing to know is that the two tuning wires do NOT want to be adjusted as they are set in length by the factory design guys to work on 10 or 11 meters. However some guys do make a adjustable tuning wire set up but its a hole different animal and again a antenna analyzer needs to be used.
I didn't catch you had a SPT500 antenna in the first post. Good antenna, but at around 3 to 4 KW they will arc at the base.
Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
To Jay Mojave; I've been looking at antenna analyzers till I was blue in the face. there are so many of them out there all shapes and sizes from 60 bucks to 600 bucks. I can't afford a lot but I want a good one NOT made in china, what would be your choice if you were a poor old cat like me?
Can anyone tell me what kind of antenna analyzer to shop for my 11 meter antenna D band antenna? they go from 60 dollars to 600 dollars all kinds of them out there. Cant afford a lot but I need something. Thanks!
Hello moonwalker6: I have used a MFJ259 Antenna analyzer for years. Tested it at our lab at work with very expensive Network Analyzers and it was pretty close in comparison. Close enough to not worry about the very small differences.
They make a MFJ-259C now that has a few upgrades I think. The money spent is well worth it. A Antenna Analyzer allows to plot the antennas SWR as compared to frequency driving how to adjust the antenna. One of the best suggestions I can make is to get some graph paper and document / record your measurements and antenna lengths and such. It is the easiest thing to adjust a antenna a few times and get lost as to were you started out. Resulting in going in circles, especially when your working on home made antennas, I know! Well worth the money.
Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
They make a MFJ-259C now that has a few upgrades I think. The money spent is well worth it. A Antenna Analyzer allows to plot the antennas SWR as compared to frequency driving how to adjust the antenna. One of the best suggestions I can make is to get some graph paper and document / record your measurements and antenna lengths and such. It is the easiest thing to adjust a antenna a few times and get lost as to were you started out. Resulting in going in circles, especially when your working on home made antennas, I know! Well worth the money.
Jay in the Great Mojave Desert
At $300 for the 259c the Chinese VNA starts looking like an option
https://www.banggood.com/Upgrade-Mi..._5A-p-1474123.html?rmmds=buy&cur_warehouse=CN
https://www.banggood.com/Upgrade-Mi..._5A-p-1474123.html?rmmds=buy&cur_warehouse=CN
Look at the SO-239 on the back of the radio & see if the center hole has been wallowed out over time.The hole should be snug to the center pin on the PL-259 but if not if will cause all kinds of issues.Also check the wire coming from the center pin of the SO-239 to the board in the radio & make sure it is well secured & not loose.
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