Just added a workman hp201s into my rig and the SWR measurement just barely move the needle off the stop. My setup includes a uniden grant xl (phillipines), 102inch whip with gp riser and corona ball. Without the workman connected the built in swr reads anywhere from 1.4-1.8 but equal on 1 and 40. With the workman connected the built in is reading 1.3 on 1-40 and the workman is registering just a hair over 1:1 so I dont know what to believe or if something is bad. Radio recieves and transmit fine. Range is roughly 30-miles.
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SWR Unusually Low
- Thread starter Dt0M1776
- Start date
They don't look a fantastically made unit so they may not be as accurate as they could be. Have you tried changing the peak range and seeing what the next one up or down reads?
Analogue SWR meters aren't massively accurate things without spending silly money and a tolerance of 10% is reasonable and not going to do any harm. My new Diawa 801HP read differently to my clubs Diawa NS660P I borrowed which reads differently to my Flex 6500 which out of all of them is most likely the most accurate.
Both the meter and the internal meter say your SWR is below 2:1 and you're getting plenty of range so I'd say not to worry.
Analogue SWR meters aren't massively accurate things without spending silly money and a tolerance of 10% is reasonable and not going to do any harm. My new Diawa 801HP read differently to my clubs Diawa NS660P I borrowed which reads differently to my Flex 6500 which out of all of them is most likely the most accurate.
Both the meter and the internal meter say your SWR is below 2:1 and you're getting plenty of range so I'd say not to worry.
Two choices: (1) Worry about the piddly difference between 1.3:1 and 1.5:1 and never get on the air, or (2) Get rid of the "workman", get on the air and have fun.
Get rid of the "workman" (I won't even capitalize it) because I've never seen a "workman" that didn't have problems. Get a good name-brand external meter.
Get rid of the "workman" (I won't even capitalize it) because I've never seen a "workman" that didn't have problems. Get a good name-brand external meter.
Your "swars" are good to go I would not worry about the small difference! The Workman meter is not as good as it should be.... Get a Diawa cross needle, about double the price but worth it!
73 mechanic
73 mechanic
Thanks for the replies. Checked it today on another vehicgke setup and seemed to be working. Swr on someone elses setup was 1.2 on 1 and 1.35 on 40 so that tells me It should be working. Tried it on mine again and im getting 1.1 1_40 just cant believe my swr is that low.
Only time you need to worry is when it gets lower than 1:1. Then, be very afraid....
2011 f150 antenna is mounted on the left rear bed corner but I'm thinking of moving it to the roof or the center of the bed right behind the cab.
You also may find that the best performance is had locating it just ahead of center on the roof, but a 102 will smack everything you drive under
If you can't believe your SWRs are that low, then cut a few inches off the whip if that would make you happy.
Low SWR doesn't tell you a whole lot to be honest and a lossy antenna will have a low SWR over a wide range.
Far better sticking an antenna analyser on and seeing what the impedance is at resonance. Anything different than 37 Ohms (36.8 to the pedantic) shows loss in the antenna system either from grounding or the antenna design.
Exactly. A 50-ohm dummy load will provide low SWR over quite a wide range of frequencies/channels/whatever. Whether anyone will HEAR your signal beyond a city block or so might be problematic.