Help recommend a reasonably good and reasonably priced SWR/power meter...

[K8DI]

I'm looking for a meter for the shack, SWR and power. They're buiilt into the LDG tuner I have, but it is only good for 250w PEP, 100w digital, per its specs. It's also kinda useless for tuning transmitters as it autotunes while I am tuning!

I'd go with a dual line section, a couple slugs, and a dual meter panel from Bird, but that's going to eat $500 or more. Looking for recommendations that are less money than Bird, and better than MFJ. I'm not hung up on cross needles or digital or analog; just some accuracy and power handling. I do like things that are metal, rack mount, and have N connectors, but all of those can be lived without if need be.

What's good?

Ed

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Wouldn't this be a good place to start??
https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-category?id=40&sort=name
OR
Average 5 star rating: https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-category?id=40&sort=-avgRating

[KQ6F]

This has worked well for me.
https://www.eham.net/reviews/view-product?id=8613

[WD5JKO]

The Telepost LP100 is an industry standard.
http://www.telepostinc.com/lp100.html

The newer Cadillac of watt meters ($$) is the LP-500 or LP-700:
http://www.telepostinc.com/LP-500.html
This one will wash your face and hands....



Jim
Wd5JKO

[W4WSZ]

Hat's off to Daiwa Model CN-901

Bob
W4WSZ

[AG5CK]

I've had good luck with a Palstar 2000A. I've also used the 2000AM that has a remote sensor. Mine read low compared to my Bird 43 but was easy to adjust.

[K8DI]

Thanks for the recommendations!

After looking at some of the stuff on the linked eHam reviews, I found this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254692581439

It was inexpensive, also gives me a larger dummy load (currently have only a 100 watt unit). Probably not as convenient as the modern units, but at the price, I can buy one of those, too. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for something like the W2 or Telepost, and snap one of those up to go with it.

Thanks,
Ed

[Jim, W5JO]

Thanks for the recommendations!

After looking at some of the stuff on the linked eHam reviews, I found this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254692581439

It was inexpensive, also gives me a larger dummy load (currently have only a 100 watt unit). Probably not as convenient as the modern units, but at the price, I can buy one of those, too. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for something like the W2 or Telepost, and snap one of those up to go with it.

Thanks,
Ed

The website description says it is not working, yet the information sort of says it does.  Wonder why the discrepancy?  Did you contact the seller to see which?

[WD5JKO]

Thanks for the recommendations!

After looking at some of the stuff on the linked eHam reviews, I found this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/254692581439

It was inexpensive, also gives me a larger dummy load (currently have only a 100 watt unit). Probably not as convenient as the modern units, but at the price, I can buy one of those, too. I’ll be keeping my eyes open for something like the W2 or Telepost, and snap one of those up to go with it.

Thanks,
Ed

The website description says it is not working, yet the information sort of says it does.  Wonder why the discrepancy?  Did you contact the seller to see which?

I own one of those boxes. Been in the attic for a good while now.

As I recall, the dummy load is several wire wound resistors joined in a way to get 50 ohms DC, and there is a series capacitor to cancel out the inductive reactance. Seemed OK on 75m, but doubtful as a good load on the higher bands. Also, the SWR meter is a bridge circuit such that the RF output power is a tiny fraction of the RF input power. Good way to make a 100w HF rig into a QRP rig. This feature allows you to tune your antenna tuner while the dummy load soaks up the bulk of the RF power. It is useful, but like mine, it may end up in your basement or attic fairly soon. I once used mine to hold the garage door open to the house in order to let in the AC.

Jim
Wd5JKO

[K8DI]

While this purchase may not be the best thing, as I said it was not expensive. What it does have, is a nice metal chassis and a switch and a meter. If it sucks for what I want, at least I have a box to build or transplant something better into!  We shall see... I don't currently care much how it works past 40 meters; my antennas don't, anyway. I'll revisit this thread once it arrives.

Ed

[KC2ZFA]

thorough analysis and some fixes
for the ME-165

http://k6jca.blogspot.com/search/label/ME-165%2FG%20SWR%20%26%20Power%20Meter?m=0

[K8DI]

Well, I said I'd report back on the unit ME-165 I bought. 

It arrived in ok shape, till I moved it then something went thunk inside...So apart it came. Turned out it's lined with thermal material to keep it from starting the wall in is mounted on on fire, probably asbestos based. It's actually gasket material, looks like an exhaust header gasket.One of the sheets had come unglued and was banging about. Simplest loose parts rattling inside fix I've had in a long time...

Figuring out what it is designed to do made it actually useful...

1) it's a dummy load to tune up into, with a power meter
2 and 3) it's an SWR meter that actually measures with a very reduced RF level so while you tune the antenna you're barely radiating and your transmitter is protected, with most of its output dumped into the dummy load
4) it's bypassed in the operate mode.

Those numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 correspond to the switch on the front
1) power/dummy load
2) set reference for swr
3) measure swr/adjust antenna tuner
4) operate/bypass

I swept it with the nanoVNA and connected a calibrated dummy load to the output and transmitted into it. It works, but it needs some calibration. Impedance for the dummy load is fine, under 1.1:1.
I'll replace the carbon resistors before I calibrate it, but even without calibration it serves most of its purpose. My existing dummy load is good for 100w continuous, not enough to tune an amplifier or larger transmitter. My existing swr meter is in my LDG tuner, limited to 250w PEP. So, it fits a niche for me, for now, a big enough dummy load, some way to see if the antenna is behaving, and it is interesting hanging there on the wall.

Ed

[DMOD]

Hat's off to Daiwa Model CN-901

Bob
W4WSZ

I second (thirdy?) that.

I just purchased one from GigaGaParts and it arrived in three days.


Phil

[VE3PP]

I have been using an Autek WM 1 for years. No SWR calibration required. Remote unit for coax hookup. 20-200-2000 watt AV/Peak reading meter.

No longer made but you will find them on the used market once in awhile.

[KD1SH]

Me, too. I don't have the CN-901; mine's the CN-101L, but I'm very happy with it. I like the Diamond "SX" line, too - I've got several of those.

Hat's off to Daiwa Model CN-901

Bob
W4WSZ

I second (thirdy?) that.

I just purchased one from GigaGaParts and it arrived in three days.


Phil

[AG5UM]

K8DI, your ME-165 is very interesting with some cool features, nice unit, Thanks for your post,
I have'nt seen one before, Cool. Fun to collect things like that.
AG5UM

[Opcom]

Hat's off to Daiwa Model CN-901

Bob
W4WSZ

Second that on the Daiwa make, though I use the less expensive and slightly older CN-101's with the smaller meter and stack them.
The Daiwas have never burned up, whereas the meter on the MFJ 9xx '3KW' tuner has been burnt up a couple of times in the same duty.

[W2JBL]

Best bang for the buck: Drake W-4 or Heatkit HM-102. Both nearly Bird accurate and can take the output of my Johnson KW (minus the desk) at 1KW carrier 100% modulated.

[KC2ZFA]

I pulled my Radalab 165 from the junk pile, bought it long ago and the load’s
swr was so bad I thought some of the resistors were goners.

Took my own advise and studied the link I posted above, opened
mine up and started checking. Lots of bad soldering, and rf-carrying wires
in the wrong places...a resistor on the board was charred, changed it, and it
seems a 4K Ohmite (the one with the compensating glass cap across it) may
be bad...

In any case, below is the return loss after fixing the soldering and the placement
of the rf-carrying wires. Acceptable in the Power and Operating positions. Maybe
put a grill over the meter hole and a fan behind it.