Batboard

Does anyone have a recommendation for a simply swr/watt meter that will be able to handle 110 watts and a range of 150-520 MHz? All I am trying to use it for is to check antennas to make sure they are in good working order...

Thanks

Bird 43 and appropriate slugs. Spend the money, take good care of it, and you'll have a tool that will work for many decades to come.

Be aware that SWR does NOT give you the full picture of an antenna. I've seen plenty of antennas that show great SWR but don't radiate worth a damn. You need a proper antenna analyzer, along with a visual inspection, to catch some problems.

Added note if you purchase the Bird 43 try to buy a slug that will give you a reading at center scale, otherwise the accuracy of the unit at either end will be anywhere from +/- 5% to 8%.

I use a hamsexy MJF swr/wattmeter and it works okay. I've also got a MFJ-259 antenna analyzer that works too. I use both when installing/changing antennas at home to get a full picture of what's going on.

Sure, they're not in the same league as the Bird but they do the job.

Spend the bucks and buy a Bird and the slugs!! Recently I had the company's fancy HP power meter refuse to 'zero'. The closest available replacement was 26 miles away. I went home and picked up my 45 year old Bird and easily finished the job. They aren't cheap, and its a pain in the butt to have to buy and change slugs, but if you even marginally try to be careful with it, it WILL last a lifetime.

Further, Coaxial Dynamics makes wattmeter elements to fit the Bird and are just as accurate and a lot less money.

I have often used adjustable cb swr meters on commercial and public safety two way radios just to see the swr. They will do the job -but maybe not tell you the exact watts. If you aren't in the business you don't need a super duper wattmeter

My two bits worth:
I would definitely go for the Bird.
I have been using them for 45 years now.
They turn up at ham swap meets, as well as flea bay.
They are rugged, reliable, accurate, as well as repairable.
Keep in mind that the watt meter is an oracle: You must interpret the results.

While on the topic of wattmeters how do you guys like the Telewave 44 ? (Looks a lot like a Bird but slugless).

RadioSouth wrote:While on the topic of wattmeters how do you guys like the Telewave 44 ? (Looks a lot like a Bird but slugless).

They are very nice and accurate watt meters but a lot more expensive than a Bird 43 or 4304.

See the eham reviews below.

http://www.eham.net/reviews/detail/1580

EDIT: I own a Bird 43 and love it. It fills my needs better due to needing the ham 1.2Ghz slugs for testing in the 23cm ham band.

My two bits worth:
Yes, the Telwave meter has no slugs and looks nice BUT, unless they changed the design the VSWR readings are way too high.
As long as there is NO VSWR it reads or can be calibrated to read the correct power. That is using a calibrated source the meter is aligned in one direction, then connections reversed and the reverse pots are set.

The only problem is that if it is tested using the test procedure as described in the Bird #43 manual, the reading is greatly in error. The Bird procedure involves two 50Z loads in parallel using a Tee, which provides a double termination yielding a specific VSWR ratio. I forget the numbers.
In other words, the Bird agrees with theory, the Telwave something else.
Watt meter readings are subject to interpretation for this reason, the errors are magnified with the Telwave.

That is why the Motorola shops in Hawaii stopped using Telwave years ago.

i use the bird slugless meter iirc it cost me better than 500 bucks about 7-8 years ago but if you cough up the dollars you will never have to do it again. i also use the mfj-259. it is a good analyzer but it is like tvsjr said about the swr and an antenna radating. it is just tool to use to troubleshoot problems and make a diagnois.

kt