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Title: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: Knightt150 on October 12, 2015, 09:03:19 PM My very old old watt meter has finely bit the dust, I was looking at the MFJ GIANT 6.5 inch SWR/WATTMETER my eye site is not so good anymore. Has anyone used one of these and do you recommend this meter, if not what do you recommend?
John W9BFO Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: Pete, WA2CWA on October 12, 2015, 09:22:28 PM The E-ham ratings are better then average.
Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: WD8BIL on October 13, 2015, 09:21:36 AM HHow much you wanna spend?
Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: KL7OF on October 13, 2015, 10:08:03 AM BIRD>>>>>>>BIRD is the word
Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: KF7WWW on October 13, 2015, 10:13:29 AM BIRD>>>>>>>BIRD is the word Bird is probably going to be your best and most reliable. Anything else is just a wattage indicator, not a watt meter. Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: WD8BIL on October 13, 2015, 10:16:24 AM Coaxial Dynamic's 81000 has same accuracy and quality with a nice 4" meter to boot.
Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: W6DRZ on October 13, 2015, 10:28:17 AM I love my LP-100A by N8LP, but it is not inexpensive.
http://www.telepostinc.com/ Craig W6DRZ Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: N2DTS on October 13, 2015, 03:54:13 PM Bird is little and ugly.
Had a nice big Swan, 3 scales (not just 2) pep and/or average, big enough to see. I fried it somehow. Got a little Yeasu, its getting too small. The old Heathkit dual meter one that did PEP also is nice but not calibrated. I do not remember ever getting anything from MFJ that worked right off the bat... Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: WBear2GCR on October 13, 2015, 04:42:08 PM The meter used in the typical Bird wattmeter is arbitrary in size.
They actually sold or maybe still sell a "meter bridge" aka rack panel with two meters, one for forward and one for reflected that are for commercial use. I have one. (don't have the couplers!! Send me a pair!!! Or even one!) To use such a thing you want the stand alone "coupler" then two wires go to a meter. So you could use any size meter of the proper rating, and even scale other meters using an active (op amp) circuit - need be. You can make a fresh scale using the software that is out on the net for making meter scales. They even make digital meters... more or less does the same trick, but again the display size is arbitrary. _-_-bear Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: Jim, W5JO on October 13, 2015, 07:02:00 PM Are we talking about "Bird Watts" here?
Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: KB2WIG on October 13, 2015, 08:36:36 PM "Bird Watts" Bird watts is the very best kind of watts. If you don't believe it, B-b-b aah, aah! to you. klc Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: KD6VXI on October 13, 2015, 10:24:55 PM On the subject of the hi dollar digi what meters, and the bird / CA and associated cost.
Buy a bird and two elements, new. Throw in the needed QC connectors. You've probably spent more than one of the digi meters. I kick myself looking at it this way lol. Some of the new digi wattmeters have waveform monitors and am modulation readouts as well. For about what I have invested in my 43. I wouldn't mind having an apm16 bird, however. --Shane KD6VXI Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: Todd, KA1KAQ on October 14, 2015, 10:27:25 AM BIRD>>>>>>>BIRD is the word https://youtu.be/2WNrx2jq184 Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: WD8BIL on October 14, 2015, 10:56:12 AM Analog meters make tuning a bit easier. Digitals are neat but tough to follow during tune up.
Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: KB2WIG on October 14, 2015, 11:42:05 AM BIRD>>>>>>>BIRD is the word https://youtu.be/2WNrx2jq184 Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: N2DTS on October 14, 2015, 03:20:00 PM That lp500 looks very interesting, even does a trapazoid.
I love my LP-100A by N8LP, but it is not inexpensive. http://www.telepostinc.com/ Craig W6DRZ Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: w1vtp on October 14, 2015, 03:56:53 PM That lp500 looks very interesting, even does a trapazoid. I love my LP-100A by N8LP, but it is not inexpensive. http://www.telepostinc.com/ Craig W6DRZ I'm lusting after it. It's huge $$. Friendly to AMers. Nice bar graph along with a split screen for trapezoid for both positive and negative modulation levels and linearity checks. Basically, you could retire a most of your measuring equipment in the station and just use it. I may just get one. But they are doing a bunch of improvements so I will probably hold back til the dust settles Al Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: W3RSW on October 14, 2015, 05:24:39 PM Agree with Craig.
The LP. 100-A is Traceable to standard, has a bright blue, reasonably large digital readout, also a bar graph with many segments for Po, SWR, etc., measures three different types of power and is accompanied by aux. computer software for several neat things. I'll never go back. ;D Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: Knightt150 on October 15, 2015, 10:20:26 PM I am still looking at the GIANT 6 INCH MFJ SWR/WATTMETER, good price and should suit my needs.. Has anyone used this meter before and what are your thoughts on it?
John W9BFO Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: WU2D on October 18, 2015, 01:05:36 PM Turns any TV into a fabulous big screen Wattmeter!
Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: W7TFO on October 18, 2015, 02:29:16 PM +1 Bird/CD.
The rest are consumer junk. Better yet, put a thermo-ammeter in the line where I2R reigns supreme... 73DG Title: Re: Wattmeters what kind to get? Post by: W3RSW on October 19, 2015, 07:34:31 AM Yeah but we like our digits. AMfone - Dedicated to Amplitude Modulation on the Amateur Radio Bands
Truncation is the E labs' heart's desire. You get to practice absolute and relative accuracy. There's a third one buried in there somewhere too. Oh I remember, "comparative tool or instrument." ..and, oh yeah, this one's big in downhole well logging, "Repeatability." Do you get the same set of readings, all other things being equal, each run? Will Schlumberger show up your cheap Go Co. Tools every time? We like to line up all the digits on Excel. Looks sooo professional what with our every report being monitored by CPAs and every alphabet agency known to mankind. And did I forget the purchaser? You think they'd buy something that wandered all over the place +\- 3%?. The key is to have the digits damped. ;D |