SWR Meter for GMRS

[dougmc11]

Looking for recommendations 

[SteveC7010]

Looking for recommendations

 

There’s already an extensive discussion on this. Probably no need for a new thread.

 

https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/2426-decent-cheap-swr-meter/?fromsearch=1

[smalpierre]

Looking for recommendations 

 

Instead of saying "dead horse" i'll just go ahead and recommend a nanoVNA. It's not exactly an swr meter, but imho its even beter if you use it right.

[smalpierre]

if you just want to key up on a frequency and get a reading, get one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Mcbazel-Surecom-Digital-125-525Mhz-Antenna/dp/B01D86IKIQ/ref=sr_1_9?dchild=1&keywords=swr+meter&qid=1611736284&sr=8-9

 

or something like it anyway. the vna is "harder" to use, but you're smart enough to want to do it right? The nanoVNA you calibrate (simple procedure) for a frequency range, then hook up an antenna with the SWR trace enabled and you can read it through the entire range instead of just what you're keying up from the transmitter.

 

nanovna = a little more work on the front end, much easier if you're checking multiple bands.,

[drk1970nj]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174286750309?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACMBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%252Fn%252BzU5L90Z278x5ickkKQ3D59%252FksmrAqH9M4NgB38uttioVW7i9YtCw5uSIeRmE5RYGRd33JTKpUs4zGTzxXbV9Ei4GXcak1upVP1qux%252BNrbExv3G9QH5%252F47zqkXBOq7BmOIAzWqh3B%252Bqfxh9nz0UdduOUPPzp5GJktMbKFt1foKmcfy20mF63v%252B9aUF%252BE1asEbkMichGJD2g%252FBpyckXT5KWdmXGx58GzAigtlsJ9rELWJNTsdlYFVva6MyL53W%252BZ2XIXXyIQRbwGIGMXhjPPrGAiCTYf0HzXSXQlBn1jNee7JYx64nl46944TbAVJOoc5NwX3NVAdrrTnNCXd1GYneZ68pP5s1a%252FMgAx6MrQGB8CZWAEmaLW6MWIITl5xe%252BArMIBhQmKVrLzSsqXesKCfyDzq%252FcqJtnybSJPuIPhYE86Qe8dmfPsPrDtWhB1xLx3TaG%252FWm2TQM3zDpZIbhz571CcvYNl97%252BkC4ZvPUKu3z9q4EfpqEhZhOj6hk11s25GTMigi%252FPVMp%252F47KRB5Kz2SCWfMWSmV%252BQLLJZ73WhmJGFVKRmcNSbVTmvN%252BpCqfc%252Fdow3jgEasBWDCImMYvIt6vKVsmpIOLGovWB2X4O1mrMZnCYG54g6%252BlqAs3obtiGqPDYFXmzwPgNNei6LtZtXMrVNyUewjcpj9IfTnfl8er4yet6LNfc40iA4KBd8urj4%252BlPpyvnMNoaikxVbpPW%7Ccksum%3A17428675030977d0dcf2789f41d3b2bbd9eb97304afb%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A3268220&chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=174286750309&targetid=1068323856150&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9004036&poi=&campaignid=10455978145&mkgroupid=104612009660&rlsatarget=aud-762207186714:pla-1068323856150&abcId=2146002&merchantid=101684054&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkMzjlsrT7gIVPweICR2EnQD0EAQYAyABEgJqrPD_BwE

 

 

One of the best to use 

[gman1971]

Oh, the Surecom shill... seriously, get a NanoVNA v2 with a 4.3 screen to measure SWR. Tune your antennas to 50 ohms, not to the lowest SWR (return loss).

 

G.

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/174286750309?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&amdata=enc%3AAQAFAAACMBaobrjLl8XobRIiIML1V4Imu%252Fn%252BzU5L90Z278x5ickkKQ3D59%252FksmrAqH9M4NgB38uttioVW7i9YtCw5uSIeRmE5RYGRd33JTKpUs4zGTzxXbV9Ei4GXcak1upVP1qux%252BNrbExv3G9QH5%252F47zqkXBOq7BmOIAzWqh3B%252Bqfxh9nz0UdduOUPPzp5GJktMbKFt1foKmcfy20mF63v%252B9aUF%252BE1asEbkMichGJD2g%252FBpyckXT5KWdmXGx58GzAigtlsJ9rELWJNTsdlYFVva6MyL53W%252BZ2XIXXyIQRbwGIGMXhjPPrGAiCTYf0HzXSXQlBn1jNee7JYx64nl46944TbAVJOoc5NwX3NVAdrrTnNCXd1GYneZ68pP5s1a%252FMgAx6MrQGB8CZWAEmaLW6MWIITl5xe%252BArMIBhQmKVrLzSsqXesKCfyDzq%252FcqJtnybSJPuIPhYE86Qe8dmfPsPrDtWhB1xLx3TaG%252FWm2TQM3zDpZIbhz571CcvYNl97%252BkC4ZvPUKu3z9q4EfpqEhZhOj6hk11s25GTMigi%252FPVMp%252F47KRB5Kz2SCWfMWSmV%252BQLLJZ73WhmJGFVKRmcNSbVTmvN%252BpCqfc%252Fdow3jgEasBWDCImMYvIt6vKVsmpIOLGovWB2X4O1mrMZnCYG54g6%252BlqAs3obtiGqPDYFXmzwPgNNei6LtZtXMrVNyUewjcpj9IfTnfl8er4yet6LNfc40iA4KBd8urj4%252BlPpyvnMNoaikxVbpPW%7Ccksum%3A17428675030977d0dcf2789f41d3b2bbd9eb97304afb%7Campid%3APL_CLK%7Cclp%3A3268220&chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=174286750309&targetid=1068323856150&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9004036&poi=&campaignid=10455978145&mkgroupid=104612009660&rlsatarget=aud-762207186714:pla-1068323856150&abcId=2146002&merchantid=101684054&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkMzjlsrT7gIVPweICR2EnQD0EAQYAyABEgJqrPD_BwE

 

 

One of the best to use 

[NCRick]

Any input on the Daiwa double needle units?

[smalpierre]

Oh, the Surecom shill... seriously, get a NanoVNA v2 with a 4.3 screen to measure SWR. Tune your antennas to 50 ohms, not to the lowest SWR (return loss).

 

G.

Yeah man - I love the nanoVNA, and I got the cheaper one. Pretty sure I got the 4.3" screen, but it'll only sweep up to 1.5ghz - there's a 3ghz one thats a little more expensive, still under 100 bucks though. Definitely not nearly as good as a lab grade instrument, but it's also not 10 grand. You can also connect to a computer and do everything from there - I'm looking to get that going at some point.

 

Ohms vs SWR - yeah, if you're tuning for a single frequency or very tight range and you tune for 50 ohm impedance - you're going to have a low SWR just by default. The opposite doesn't hold true. You cah measure a low SWR and still have an impedance mismatch. I forget exactly how that works but I seem to remember that bieng the case?

 

[mbrun]

...

Ohms vs SWR - yeah, if you're tuning for a single frequency or very tight range and you tune for 50 ohm impedance - you're going to have a low SWR just by default. The opposite doesn't hold true. You cah measure a low SWR and still have an impedance mismatch. I forget exactly how that works but I seem to remember that bieng the case?

 

If your feed-line loss is high, your SWR appears artificially low. Add enough loss and ever the worst case real-world SWR will appear perfect at the radio.

 

 

Michael

WRHS965

KE8PLM

[gortex2]

https://forums.mygmrs.com/topic/2426-decent-cheap-swr-meter/?fromsearch=1

[gman1971]

Basically, what a dummy load is.

 

G.

 

If your feed-line loss is high, your SWR appears artificially low. Add enough loss and ever the worst case real-world SWR will appear perfect at the radio.


Michael
WRHS965
KE8PLM