Absolutely! These units are highly accurate better than any Bird meter I have ever used in the 52 years of my RF experience. They are NIST calibrated for 3 years. I have the LP-100A with 2 couplers. They are truly the more accurate than any analog or digital Bird meter.
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would you buy this meter
- Thread starter 1iwilly
- Start date
Good luck on finding a used Bird for under 200 that doesn't look like it's been drug down a gravel road. I have 2 43's and half a dozen slugs and bought them used and have as much in them as that. Like Nomad said they are more than just a power meter. If I were going to buy a new meter t I day I would seriously look at this one or a Power Master from Array Solutions.
My problem with used slugs is they can be opened and "adjusted" by whoever had them before.
They are calibrated when made, but who knows what happens after that.
We used Telewave at the county so no need for slugs.
Yes we were limited to 500 watts, but for that work it is all we needed.
I use a Heathkit HM-102 for HF and have been happy with it all these years.
And I paid 80 bucks for it.
Yes these newer meters provide lots of info, but
with the cost of little antenna analyzers now days I don't need a expensive meter to do all that when I have other tools.
And I am cheap.
73
Jeff
That would only apply if Bird actually made the LP meters or vice versa.
Rite now I run a dosy tc-4002-sw and a workman hp202s cross nedle. I would chose the lp over a bird setup, many more features. I would calibrate all my meters to an lp if I had one.
Before antenna analyzers were affordable the Bird 43 was how an antenna would get tuned after a mobile installation. Its claim to fame was that it would survive being dropped more times other wattmeters.
Nothing magic about it. Just a familiar tool that does what it claims decade after decade.
73
Exactly. There is no magic to a Bird meter. There are more accurate meters out there today, but as far as versatility and ruggedness, that is where the Bird shines.
I don't understand why everyone is so concerned with meter accuracy. A rig that shows 500W on a Bird 43 may show 475 or 525 on other 43s. It all depends on the calibration. At that power level a difference of 25 watts one way or the other is not gonna be discernible on the receive end. As long as the output is in the ballpark of what I expected, I'm happy. Always check the signal on a scope to make certain it's clean and you're good to go. My Drake W-4 (with PEP kit) and Transel Mark II have served me well for decades. So I can't see spending big bucks for something that provides nothing over what I already have. And I am cheap too !! 73.
J.J. 399
You must quadruple your power to make 1 S unit difference on the receive end. 25 watts either way makes NO measurable difference!
I agree accuracy on a watt meter is kind of silly to put huge amount of fuss into. It is a realtive thing and not meant to be that fine of a tool. Trendy data for sure.
I re-entered the CB arena soon after I retired in 2019. Within two months I purchased a BIRD 43 with six (slugs) elements, 50, 100, 250, 500, 1000 and 5000 and a BIRD Model 4410A with a 4410-5, (Factor 10) element. I'd probably get sick if I located the receipts.
A meter I wish I had bought and was gone when I went back to actual buy it is the "Bull Dawg" I think it was called. When it came out I had just lost my first home and was in a rought spot. I went back to purchase it a few years latter and it was gone!
Actually you're probably better off, many of them have failed by now, they made use of repurposed meter movements and they freeze up.
Parts are unobtainable, I don't know if Carl is even still around, I can't remember his call anymore
73
Jeff