Having a hard time finding an answer to this one with Internet searches. Trying to find out if this meter reads peak or average? Thank you!
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Peak or average?
- Thread starter Van Lifeson
- Start date
Having a hard time finding an answer to this one with Internet searches. Trying to find out if this meter reads peak or average? Thank you!
Does it have a battery or power source?
If not, it is not a true peak reading meter.
Even meters that have a peak/avg switch that do not have a power source usually just switch a cap in line to help hold the needle up during power peaks.
73
Jeff
If not, it is not a true peak reading meter.
Even meters that have a peak/avg switch that do not have a power source usually just switch a cap in line to help hold the needle up during power peaks.
73
Jeff
No, it does not take a battery and it does not have a power source. There’s also not a switch for peak or average. So I guess it reads average? Just trying to find out what this things deal is.
With that I would say avg.
What the % of accuracy is I do not know.
73
Jeff
What the % of accuracy is I do not know.
73
Jeff
BJ radionut
Supporting Member and 6m addict
Palomar_Electronic_500_SWR_meter_user.pdf (radiomanual.info)
So average reading, however these have a real FEEL-GOOD SWING unless calibrated with other quality meter. You can purchase a PEP kit for these thru a Ham that uses QTH.com for his adds.
He's a top self-guy Phil K4???
QTH.COM Ham Radio Classified Ads: Ad# 1569793 - Swap amateur radio HF VHF equipment buy sell trade on line
k4dpk PEP Adapters, VFO Stabilizers
So average reading, however these have a real FEEL-GOOD SWING unless calibrated with other quality meter. You can purchase a PEP kit for these thru a Ham that uses QTH.com for his adds.
He's a top self-guy Phil K4???
QTH.COM Ham Radio Classified Ads: Ad# 1569793 - Swap amateur radio HF VHF equipment buy sell trade on line
k4dpk PEP Adapters, VFO Stabilizers
The Palomar wattmeter shown in the first post has a hidden "easter egg" peak-reading feature.
As in sorta peak reading. With the left switch on Power, flip the Forward/Reflected switch to Reflected. This connects a capacitor to the meter's coil circuit. The capacitor serves to hold the voltage that it's charged up to by your voice peaks, and then discharge into the meter coil to keep it from falling during the "valleys" between the peaks in your voice waveform.
This method works, and it's called a "passive" peak-reading meter.
Except there's nothing printed on or in the meter that says "peak".
Nothing.
One side effect of a "passive" peak-reading circuit is that it will be stingy on the meter's lowest-power watt range. And for a max scale wattage of 200 or more this method can be 90 or 95% of what a lab-grade peak meter would show you.
The lab-grade, or expensive ham-grade meter uses what's called "active" peak reading. What this means is that we still charge up a capacitor with your voice peaks. But we slow down that capacitor's bleed-off rate using a current amplifier to drive the meter coil. The voltage going to the meter's coil doesn't change, but the current to hold the pointer up during those valleys comes from a current-amplifier circuit. And from the power supply that runs it.
And that's what divides the active solution from the passive. It needs a source of DC power.
Odds are that the Palomar 500 meter in the pic above will let you tune up your stuff, even if it isn't exactly lab accurate.
73
As in sorta peak reading. With the left switch on Power, flip the Forward/Reflected switch to Reflected. This connects a capacitor to the meter's coil circuit. The capacitor serves to hold the voltage that it's charged up to by your voice peaks, and then discharge into the meter coil to keep it from falling during the "valleys" between the peaks in your voice waveform.
This method works, and it's called a "passive" peak-reading meter.
Except there's nothing printed on or in the meter that says "peak".
Nothing.
One side effect of a "passive" peak-reading circuit is that it will be stingy on the meter's lowest-power watt range. And for a max scale wattage of 200 or more this method can be 90 or 95% of what a lab-grade peak meter would show you.
The lab-grade, or expensive ham-grade meter uses what's called "active" peak reading. What this means is that we still charge up a capacitor with your voice peaks. But we slow down that capacitor's bleed-off rate using a current amplifier to drive the meter coil. The voltage going to the meter's coil doesn't change, but the current to hold the pointer up during those valleys comes from a current-amplifier circuit. And from the power supply that runs it.
And that's what divides the active solution from the passive. It needs a source of DC power.
Odds are that the Palomar 500 meter in the pic above will let you tune up your stuff, even if it isn't exactly lab accurate.
73
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