Ways to test transceiver output

[kc1dgg]

I don't have another radio to test the output of my 99'er. Anyone have some relatively cheap test methods? I've seen some people use light bulbs for low watt outputs but it doesn't tell you much other than you are outputting power. Plus I wonder about SWR as I doubt I could find a bulb at 50 ohms.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

If you just want to see if it outputs any power, connect a 15 or 25 watt light bulb to the antenna terminals and adjust for maximum brightness. Back in the "good old days" most amateurs didn't have any real jazzy power output meters. If you get the mike wired up, when you talk into it, the light will undulate as you speak. Don't worry about the impedance.

[kc1dgg]

Ok then, I'll give it a try!

[Pete, WA2CWA]

To test the receiver, the ARRL September VHF Contest gets underway on September 12 at 1800 UTC and wraps up on September 14 at 0259 UTC. Connect a hunk of wire to the antenna terminals, an old TV antenna, or whatever you have, and listen down in the lower portion (50.090 to 50.2). You probably will hear CW and SSB contest stations. There's several big VHF contest stations operating from the New England area.

[kc1dgg]

Nice! Thanks for the heads up. I do have a wire hooked up right now and I've been trying to pickup some transmissions while I work on the rest of it. Nothing yet but I do pick up some noise now and then so I think receive is working at least some.