Why are Bird meters all the rage?

[AudioShockwav]

Ok so I messed with my base a little last night to confirm it being the meter.

I figured I might as well run it by this thread and see if I’m wrong possibly.

I have 2 power supplies. 1 for the radio and 1 for the amplifier. “A reminder that i don’t use it often”. Both are hooked up.

Inline is a Galaxy 959B, the amplifier, and the dosy meter.

I’ve watched this exact set work at my friends house when it was being tested.

Now on the Galaxy I’m watching it swing 20 watts and I believe it dead keys 2 watts if i remember correctly.

I’ll look at the dosy watt meter and it only goes to 4 watts. When I turn the amp on it goes to only 40 watts.

Type/ size of power supplies?
Type of amp and transistor compliment of transistors in amp?
Settings on meter?

73
Jeff

 

[Mustang 131]

It one of those things that just works and always will.

 

[Lkaskel]

One thought that was not expressed here is what someone’s expectations are. Are you expecting a certified watt measurement or are you expecting an “about” measurement and, what are YOU comparing it to? If I align a radio using a Bird, Telewave, Dosy or any other non-Amazon basic meter, when I hand to the operator they will connect it to their “whatever brand” meter and there meter reading will NEVER match mine. In fact, I tell the operators whose radios I work on that the meter is just a reference and not to be used literally. None of us will ever win the argument of what meter is best because 99.999% of folks use meters that are not calibrated so what does the perfect reading matter? It also lends itself to the discussion/competition of whose putting out more watts. More watts as measured or compared to what? If you are aligning a radio and setting the watts for someone then do your best to be sure that your meter is close. I have 5 different meters that are VERY similar when reading 4 watts (AM) and 12 watts (SSB) or even up to 20-25 watts for an export. Once the measurements get over say 50 watts then they do start to differ. If I try to measure a 2-pill amp then all 5 will be 10-20 or more watts different. I don’t know why that is and I’m sure someone on here could explain it but for me, (a non-amp tech or builder), I just don’t care. I want to be sure that any CB, export or occasional ham rig I work on is working correctly and is within it’s safe power limits when it leaves the bench. For most of us it’s a hobby so close should be ok especially knowing that whoever gets the radio we fixed will most certainly get a different reading with whatever meter they are using.

I am interested in hearing which meters that are made today are “better” than what we have been using. @SuperLid and @AudioShockwav have suggested that they are out there and I honestly have no idea who makes them.

Now to the next important question…..how do we measure whose radio sounds the best……

All the best to you..

 

[TM86]

I am interested in hearing which meters that are made today are “better” than what we have been using. @SuperLid and @AudioShockwav have suggested that they are out there and I honestly have no idea who makes them.

I'd like to know as well. Kind of feel like my 1980's Micronta meter from Radio Shack isn't quite optimal.

 

[AudioShockwav]

The 4480A for one, no slugs, 2 to 1000 Mhz 4%
The DPM 6000 comes to mind, Don't know if they are building that one anymore.
The LPA 100 is quickly becoming a standard bench meter about $600 gets you a 3KW digital meter no slugs to worry about just plug and play.
For the casual hobby user I just don't see spending the money on the 43 and slugs

@Mustang 131 I don't consider you a casual user, too many ducks been plucked there .

That's me, it boils down to personal choice, if you just want to have a Bird 43 it's your money.
@TM86 actually the micronta is a good little meter for it's price range.
It's not a true peak reading meter, it just switches in a cap that charges up and keeps the needle up if it's the one I am thinking about.
They work, shows you power output, reads SWR and really for putting a 40 channel CB in a Jeep or a simple base station it's going work just fine unless you have to have a modulation function.

73
Jeff

 

[SuperLid]

One thought that was not expressed here is what someone’s expectations are. Are you expecting a certified watt measurement or are you expecting an “about” measurement and, what are YOU comparing it to? If I align a radio using a Bird, Telewave, Dosy or any other non-Amazon basic meter, when I hand to the operator they will connect it to their “whatever brand” meter and there meter reading will NEVER match mine. In fact, I tell the operators whose radios I work on that the meter is just a reference and not to be used literally. None of us will ever win the argument of what meter is best because 99.999% of folks use meters that are not calibrated so what does the perfect reading matter? It also lends itself to the discussion/competition of whose putting out more watts. More watts as measured or compared to what? If you are aligning a radio and setting the watts for someone then do your best to be sure that your meter is close. I have 5 different meters that are VERY similar when reading 4 watts (AM) and 12 watts (SSB) or even up to 20-25 watts for an export. Once the measurements get over say 50 watts then they do start to differ. If I try to measure a 2-pill amp then all 5 will be 10-20 or more watts different. I don’t know why that is and I’m sure someone on here could explain it but for me, (a non-amp tech or builder), I just don’t care. I want to be sure that any CB, export or occasional ham rig I work on is working correctly and is within it’s safe power limits when it leaves the bench. For most of us it’s a hobby so close should be ok especially knowing that whoever gets the radio we fixed will most certainly get a different reading with whatever meter they are using.

I am interested in hearing which meters that are made today are “better” than what we have been using. @SuperLid and @AudioShockwav have suggested that they are out there and I honestly have no idea who makes them.

Now to the next important question…..how do we measure whose radio sounds the best……

All the best to you..

When I first discovered a "digital" meter, a Palomar Engineers M-827, I realized, that the speed of a Bird 43 was just not accurate for CW, AM or SSB. The LED bargraph, was so much faster, you could see what power levels were really being attained. I then graduated to a M-835, then to the RF Applications VFD. The VFD was the benchmark concept, that spawned the Powermaster and Telepost meters. I still have 4 VFD's that I still use. I also have the LP-100 and Elecraft W2. I also have an extensive collection of analog meters, that I would get just to see how accurate they were. One that comes to mind, that I was fond of, is the Mirage MP-1. The older brown Mirage, from California. 5% accuracy, Triplett meter movement and a good peak reading circuit, that was much faster than the Bird. I also didn't eat 9V batteries as the Bird does.

I rarely use my Bird 43's or the Telewave. They just don't cut it. If I am measuring FM, the 43 is okay, as long as the thing has a NIST calibration within the past week or 3. So, I will grab my 43 if I am going to a radio site to do some work. Apart from that, they don't get used much anymore.

Speed is king.

73,

SL

 

[Mustang 131]

When I first discovered a "digital" meter, a Palomar Engineers M-827, I realized, that the speed of a Bird 43 was just not accurate for CW, AM or SSB. The LED bargraph, was so much faster, you could see what power levels were really being attained. I then graduated to a M-835, then to the RF Applications VFD. The VFD was the benchmark concept, that spawned the Powermaster and Telepost meters. I still have 4 VFD's that I still use. I also have the LP-100 and Elecraft W2. I also have an extensive collection of analog meters, that I would get just to see how accurate they were. One that comes to mind, that I was fond of, is the Mirage MP-1. The older brown Mirage, from California. 5% accuracy, Triplett meter movement and a good peak reading circuit, that was much faster than the Bird. I also didn't eat 9V batteries as the Bird does.

I rarely use my Bird 43's or the Telewave. They just don't cut it. If I am measuring FM, the 43 is okay, as long as the thing has a NIST calibration within the past week or 3. So, I will grab my 43 if I am going to a radio site to do some work. Apart from that, they don't get used much anymore.

Speed is king.

73,

The 4480A for one, no slugs, 2 to 1000 Mhz 4%
The DPM 6000 comes to mind, Don't know if they are building that one anymore.
The LPA 100 is quickly becoming a standard bench meter about $600 gets you a 3KW digital meter no slugs to worry about just plug and play.
For the casual hobby user I just don't see spending the money on the 43 and slugs

@Mustang 131 I don't consider you a casual user, too many ducks been plucked there .

That's me, it boils down to personal choice, if you just want to have a Bird 43 it's your money.
@TM86 actually the micronta is a good little meter for it's price range.
It's not a true peak reading meter, it just switches in a cap that charges up and keeps the needle up if it's the one I am thinking about.
They work, shows you power output, reads SWR and really for putting a 40 channel CB in a Jeep or a simple base station it's going work just fine unless you have to have a modulation function.

73
Jeff

Fair statement. I do have a bucket full of slugs.