In-line SWR/watt meter

[psycho]

get a amp meter and a volt meter. bring a little calculator. amps x volts x.70 (as a balpark 70% effency, most are around 50%)

12.8v (most common charging voltage under 3800rpm) x 24amp draw = 307.2 watts at 100% efficency

307.2 x .70 (70%) = 215.04 watts out.

about what a pair of 2879's use. i always get a kick out of it when people say 2 90 watt transistors do 400 watts.

only way your ever going to read true output accuratly other than a scope.

Toshiba 2SC2879s are rated at 100 watts. I have seen a 2 x 2879 amp driven by a 2 x 2290 swing a Bird 43P a little over 500 watts peak at 14 volts into a dummy load. At 18 volts a 2 pill will 900+ watts peak. Not what the designers at Toshiba had in mind but they'll do it in the right amps when having the snot driven out of them. Whether this gives a chuckle or not it is the truth.:idea:

 

[GUMBALL1]

I have the radio shack digital meter that was mentioned and it also has a remote connection. I recommend it.


73's

The 200HD is rated at 375 pep, and I am just curious how the MTA-20 will work with that. I would appreciate any insight.

 

[W5LZ]

GUMBALL1,
It ought to work as well as most other watt meters. Since it's rated at 2000 watts, I would assume that handling less than 400 watts (Pep/Rms/Average/whatever, would be within it's capabilities).
One disadvantage, at least for me, is that any digital read-out meter is a bit difficult to read. The numbers change faster than I can read them. (If you can handle that, good for you.) I'm more interested in the information it's supposed to give me than in what the thing looks like, or the name on it. So, it probably wouldn't be my first choice (so what, big deal, right?).
- 'Doc