If I already have a VSWR meter on my antenna/transmitter tuner, do I really need to have a separate swr meter?
It seems kind of redundant and they never read the same.
It seems kind of redundant and they never read the same.
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2 swr meters???
- Thread starter KB1TPX
- Start date
Any VSWR reading should ideally be measured at the antenna end of the coax,
The one built into the atu will give you a reading of vswr into the coax, but it may be higher at the antenna end, this could be down to losses in the coax cable especially over long runs. So to answer your question Yes you should have a 2nd vswr meter. Get it as low as possible at the antenna end. This can be difficult on multi band wire antennas, which is where the use of a Balun comes into play.
HTH Digger
The one built into the atu will give you a reading of vswr into the coax, but it may be higher at the antenna end, this could be down to losses in the coax cable especially over long runs. So to answer your question Yes you should have a 2nd vswr meter. Get it as low as possible at the antenna end. This can be difficult on multi band wire antennas, which is where the use of a Balun comes into play.
HTH Digger
If it's a choice between using a meter in the radio or tuner, or using an external one, it's more a matter of how well that internal meter was made, calibration etc. It depends a lot on who makes it, some manufacturers get by with the absolute minimum, so go a little further. So how do you tell? Do a comparison with a known good meter. If they are both 'ball park' close, then it really doesn't make a lot of difference, sort of. Lots of "if's", "ands" and "buts" in that.
Most HF watt meters/SWR meters just won't 'stretch' to VHF/UHF ranges. Which means that a meter specifically for the VHF/UHF regions can be a pretty good idea if that's what you are concerned with. Most meters are optimized for a particular range, no matter what total range it has. Optimizing for the total range means more complex and therefore more expensive meters. I did without a 2 meter meter for a long time. Tried to pay attention to what the radio would 'tell' me, and compensated where possible. I finally got tired of that and just got a usable meter (it only hurt for a little while). An external meter can be redundant. It isn't absolutely necessary in each and every case. They are handy to have around though. If you are happy with, have confidence in what the internal meter tells you, use it. If not, well, go dig up one'a them fruit jars full of money you buried in the back yard. It only hurts for a little while...
- 'Doc
Most HF watt meters/SWR meters just won't 'stretch' to VHF/UHF ranges. Which means that a meter specifically for the VHF/UHF regions can be a pretty good idea if that's what you are concerned with. Most meters are optimized for a particular range, no matter what total range it has. Optimizing for the total range means more complex and therefore more expensive meters. I did without a 2 meter meter for a long time. Tried to pay attention to what the radio would 'tell' me, and compensated where possible. I finally got tired of that and just got a usable meter (it only hurt for a little while). An external meter can be redundant. It isn't absolutely necessary in each and every case. They are handy to have around though. If you are happy with, have confidence in what the internal meter tells you, use it. If not, well, go dig up one'a them fruit jars full of money you buried in the back yard. It only hurts for a little while...
- 'Doc
Actually, in my case, I have a meter on my (JoGunn) antenna/transmitter tuner and a second (radio shack) swr/power meter. I don't even pay much attention to the meter on the (Cobra 139) radio, as it's so small and hard to see. 56y/o eyes,... ya know?
Just to clarify the point.
I just want to make sure you're aware that SWR meter is only intended to run at 50ohms, meaning a 1:1 swr means a 50ohm transmitter to a 50ohm antenna.
When you use the word "tuner", you are implying you're using an antenna at frequencies its not anywhere near 50ohms. In that case, there is no sense in having an swr meter on the antenna side of an antenna tuner, because the impedance is all over the place. Besides, the antenna connection to a tuner is best to be balanced (ladder) line anyways.
With the antenna tuner, the swr meter is necessary on the radio side of the tuner so you know when the tuner adjusted to the optimal for matching whatever the antenna is at, to the 50ohm side of your radio.
Automatic antenna tuners always have their own built-in swr meter on the radio side, so they know when they've tuned themselves correctly.
I just want to make sure you're aware that SWR meter is only intended to run at 50ohms, meaning a 1:1 swr means a 50ohm transmitter to a 50ohm antenna.
When you use the word "tuner", you are implying you're using an antenna at frequencies its not anywhere near 50ohms. In that case, there is no sense in having an swr meter on the antenna side of an antenna tuner, because the impedance is all over the place. Besides, the antenna connection to a tuner is best to be balanced (ladder) line anyways.
With the antenna tuner, the swr meter is necessary on the radio side of the tuner so you know when the tuner adjusted to the optimal for matching whatever the antenna is at, to the 50ohm side of your radio.
Automatic antenna tuners always have their own built-in swr meter on the radio side, so they know when they've tuned themselves correctly.
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