As a Ham radio operator that has been operating for uhh like 20 minutes.... id like to thank randy for getting me into GMRS, and then ham, and learning more about radios is nice.
So basically, go with a reputable company, trust the reviews, and just have fun.. 😂 I'm literally a month and a half into this hobby and set up a badass budget base station. you have helped so much I thank you and all powerful xenu for granting me many fars.. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
I appreciate all your videos. I think I’ve watched all of them and has inspired me to go from a ham to GMRS user. I’m still faithful to ham but use a pi-star dmr hotspot that requires Internet and I would like to use “free”airwaves. Your reviews are spot on and has led me to buy a certain brand for my home base station and as well as handhelds and mobiles for my cars. Wouxun. Also I have other friends and family installing base stations to use on a open system GMRS repeaters that we all can communicate. Thanks!
This video ignores one of the most serious issues with radio interactions…..premature spurious eja…..emissions….although the person prematurely receiving the premature spurious emission is usually more surprised and disappointed than the premature spurious emitter….I’ve also found that if you grip or pinch the base of your ….radio….tightly, you can slow the premature release of spurious emissions….along with not shaking or rubbing the top end of your radio to vigorously…..
Fantastic microphone set-up. I am a big fan of Electro-Voice, and you have dialed that RE20 perfectly! Onward, your instructions on using the meter is helpful, and you make that RigExpert 650 tempting.
I have ran across a sad ham yesterday. I’m new to ham radio. ( received my license Saturday morning) And was trying to make a few contacts and he keyed up and explained every thing I was doing wrong. The first thing I though was notarubicon has talk about these kind of people. This guy much be a sad ham. Anyway just a funny story for you. If you read this comment. Love the videos and you got me interested in settting up a gmrs base.
Ha ha...Don't fret to much! I have been a Ham for over 20 years. Gotten in and out of the hobby many times. When I recently jumped back in, I had a new Ham (some old head) tell me the same thing! He is apparently one of these retired guys who does nothing but HF... So his 2 year old ass, knows more than some Tech with over 20 years experience!
@@chrissewell1608 he was the first one I have came across. I have been hearing quite a few nets on 2m and I have been checking in and they haven’t said anything. I would like to get involved in hf Just for talking longer distances. I just wanted to share the story for a good laugh to all the happy hams.
I was so excited. I got a root beer and some popcorn and got all settled in for a wonderful demo of the magical Rig Expert antenna analyzer and all its cool features but the video ended and you left me standing there holding my..............in my hand. You are such a tease. 💔
assuming nothing is wrong with the radio, the SWR should not change much/at all. I've swapped out several radios and the SWR always stayed the say - but its always a good idea to check just in case something is wrong.
When ya hook up an antenna analyzer such as seen in the video, it doesn’t use any radio at all. It really is only a measurement of the cable and antenna.
I also appreciate your videos, like the previous "commenter" stated. I acquired one of those vintage Radio Shack SWR meters with an antenna, and I only know a little bit about it, but I did use it briefly to "somewhat" test a CB a few years ago. I saw in the video description, that you mention an "antenna analyzer", and I am interested to know more about what that device is exactly, and I look forward to watching this video a bit later. I have watched about a dozen of your videos, and I enjoyed all of them, and your unique "brand" or "style" of presentation. Thanks again for your continued efforts, and for this new video. _John_
The analyzer is an awesome device that analyzes your entire antenna system, including feedline. See where it's resonant (i.e. as close to 1:1 SWR as possible, and likely at multiple frequencies), see resistance-vs-reactance, plot Smith charts, and of course basic SWR checks. What I love about mine is when I'm putting up a new antenna I can see where the 3:1 SWR points are, and also the sharpness of the resonant point. If you just need to know if your GMRS or ham antenna is installed right you don't really need an analyzer.
"I" (emphasis added) am a - "CBr *with a ticket"! 🤣 *ticket = Amateur Radio General Class license - that came from the CB band because everyone explained to me that I wasn't smart enough to "memorize" all 35 questions and ace my Tech Plus and General Class license - while I was slightly inebriated from indulging marijuana "BEFORE" taking both tests! KD8EFQ/73 🤣🤣🤣
I've been a licensed ham for 36 seconds. 37. 38. 39... I have the documented authority to inform you that after a ground plane leaves the runway it becomes an air plane and is useless as a GMRS antenna until it lands again. 69. 70. 71....
I'll admit your not my favorite host but, you are about the best in breaking down with all the nerd talk. Sure wish you did HAM just because you don't try to talk over peoples head.
Thanks Randy! For all of your ✌🏻"Not Qualified"✌🏻 sharing of your vastly unqualified information. By following your unqualified info sharing information, I obtained a highly desirable VSWR of 1.01 over 100' M&P HF13 using the gear you so highly unqualifiedly recommended. 🙃 Rock on Captain Randy!
Randy I'm not quite sure- like this newer surecom sw33 plus meter-it showed only these swr-1.26, is that good or bad? To me Randy it looks to be 1.2:6 -help me out my friend! Always a pleasure!!
What a hoot, "Some People". LMAO! Okay, suggestion, on your screen pop ups could you make them longer time. It was difficult backing up and stopping the video at the precise time for reading your pop ups.
Since SWR is such an obscure measurement and the number is not very meaningful to normal people, I thought I would try to help simplify it by converting to how much power is lost. Notice that Randy didn't care that his two meters were showing 1.01 and 1.2 SWR? 4:51 That's because we are only talking about 1% difference in power lost. There is no need for normal people to pay big bucks for a more accurate SWR meter if the difference is only 1% SWR of 1 = zero power reflected back to your radio SWR of 1.2 = 1% power reflected back to your radio SWR of 1.5 = 5% power reflected back to your radio SWR of 2 = 10% power reflected back to your radio SWR of 3 = 25% power reflected back to your radio
But if you DID want to test a walkie talkie antenna, how do you do it accurately? For example you got an antenna off ebay, and want to know if its garbage or not, or if the swr will damage the radio. Thanks.
I became a ham to learn more about electronic/electrical theory, but I have to admit a large percentage of ham operators come off as conceited; and I'm unsure why. 🤔
What if the resonant antenna is a purely resistive 40 ohms and the phase angle of the cable is 90° resulting in a phase shift and impedance transformation?
Scot Johnson You need a to measure this with a Vector Network Analyzer. Measure a straight coaxial cable run against the one you describe with the 40 ohm load and 90 degree bend and compare the results.
Assuming it's a 50Ω characteristic impedance coax? It will appear as a 62.5Ω resistive load and your VSWR will remain the same; 1.25:1. In fact, you can use any arbitrary coax length and the VSWR will remain the same. I left my Smith chart at work, so anything much more complicated will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm busy drinkin' beer :D /Not a ham :)
After I changed the RG8 cable to a LMR400, to eliminate the loss, the SWR changed from 1.4 to 2.62. So up on the roof I went and by adjusting the antenna by about 3/4 inch shorter I was able to get the SWR to 1.64. 1/8" shorter and it went to 1.98. 1/8 inch longer and it went to 1.77. So I guess I am as good as I can get. Still don't understand why? My guess is I have more power getting to the antenna so the energy reflected is greater too. If I run my power on low I get a SWR of 1.16.
Greetings I’m new to GMRS and seeking help from anyone having a contact with diagnosing a high SWR reading. I had my antenna installed today by a tv company and paid $$$ only to discover a high SWR reading. I’m an OG in the Ontario-Eastvale area. Desperate to get my home base running. Thank You in advance. Love all your videos Randy
Great videos! .. please excuse the noob question...i just purchased a Baofeng uv 9g ..was wondering if you need to swr tune a handheld radio like the baofeng
Since as you explained, your body and head act as a ground plane when on a hand-held radio. Would therefore an erect protuberance aid in spurious emissions in the same direction as said erect protuberance spurious emissions? Some people want to know, so their spurious emissions don't go in an unintended direction, or to keep said emissions to themselves. Enquiring minds want to know..... Asking for a friend.
Love the little signs you have on your mat...especially the spurious RF emissions one. Any chance those are available someplace, or that they will be some time in the future?
Hello Mr NAR, thank you for your informative videos. I purchased a 1000g, SWR and various other handhelds/accessories based on your recommendations with your (wait) affiliate links below. I have two questions. 1. I bought a rugged radio pre-tuned GMRS antenna. It was getting about 1.28 on channel 22. I followed your instructions on clipping the antenna. It's now at 1.02 on 22 and 1.01 on the lower channels. What is really an acceptable SWR on the channels? Is there a "real or noticeable" difference between 1.28 and 1.02? 2. I clipped almost a 3/8 of an inch off the antenna. Will that reduce my range (fars) with a smaller antenna? Is a bigger antenna better with a slightly higher SWR? that might be more than two questions. Thank you!
Not only is that a 'good' SWR, that is a GREAT SWR.. you will never notice a difference between 1.28 and 1.02 - and even though its shorter, the antenna will work better because it is properly tuned.
Really enjoy and learn from all your videos Randy. Really great stuff. What type of connectors will I need for surecom SW 102, for checking SWR on Wouxon KG 1000 plus and KG 105 G?
If you have the standard SW102 with SO239 connectors, you will just need a short patch cable with PL259 connectors on each end for your KG1000G.. for the HT I would not bother - you will never be able to get an accurate SWR on an HT antenna, and you cant adjust it anyway.
You said that SWR of HT antennas is inaccurate, because by design the hand and head are ground plane. I've yet to see a video of someone comparing SWR holding an HT to measure vs not. Would that yield different results or is it possible? IDK
The problem is that you have to disconnect the HT antenna and plug it onto an swr meter and that changes all the measurements so the swr reading you get is not the same as when the antenna is attached directly to the radio.
@@TheNotaRubicon The bloke who does the presentation probably has her hidden in his basement. This is why he has Shhhhh written on the front of his T shirt to make those of us who are intelligent and discerning don't say anything out loud !
Well I'll be damned. I guess that's why a while back I was testing one of my radios and put the FM radio on, I tuned into a station and it worked. And then I sat the radio down right beside me and it got all static-y, like it was receiving a bad signal. After a bit of trial and error, I realized that not only did actually touching or grabbing it get rid of the static, the static would fade in and out as I moved my hand closer to and farther from the radio, even if I wasn't directly touching it (but was still close). I came to the conclusion that the radio must have been using my own body as some sort of antenna extension or amplifying the antenna's strength in some other way. Apparently I wasn't too far off.
When you are holding your handled radio and you put it right to your head you are making a ground loop with your entire body and the static noise reappear...😁
I really enjoy the way you explain things and make it simple to understand. I'm not sure if you have done a video in the past or not, but I could not find one, so I thought I'd ask, could you do a video explaining DB Gain and what that means for antenna's and how much each number would change the effectiveness of the radio? I mean from a 6 db gain to a 9 db gain, what can be expected, generally speaking of course. I heard the men from Hardened Power say in a video, that if they had $100 to spend on commo gear, they'd spend a $1 on the radio and $99 on the antenna. I hope you consider explaining this clearly for us who value your opinion and way of teaching. Thanks, and keep up the great work.
3 dB of antenna gain doubles the power. Think of 6 dB gain as doubling the power twice or 4 times the power. 10 dB of gain is ten times the power. A very popular opinion in the radio world is that 3 db of additional gain is the minimum you should bother messing with because anything less will not be a noticable improvement. In other words, if a new radio isn't at least twice the power (3 dB more power) or the new antenna isn't at least twice the gain (3 dB more gain than the old antenna) then don't waste your time and money. Stick with what you have,
Just did this test on my new truck/radio setup, super easy to do. If I can do it, you can do it. I got a 1:6 reading which is going to have to be good enough as my truck has ZERO ground plane.
Informative, yet entertaining as usual. Can you offer a defined reason why the readings obtained from a handheld raio would be inaccurate, or wrong. My reason for question is I recently tried antenna A on 5 assorted Baofeng's, and results were 3.2 > 3.5 A change to antenna B produced 1.2 > 1.6. Frequency was a constant.
On an HT, the radio and your body act as the groundplane - when you remove the antenna from the radio and connect it to an SWR meter, EVEN if you have a groundplane plate, it will never be the same as when its connected to the radio. Therefore, it is very difficult to get the actual SWR of an HT antenna when it's not connected to the radio as it would be while in actual operation.
@@TheNotaRubicon Thank you, and I realize that was indicated during the presentation, but was wondering it there were any other factors involved. My enthusiasm greatly outweighs my experience!
I’m an extra class passed the no code test by missing two questions. But was told by a sad ham “ I was not a real extra because I didn’t have to pass the 30 word a minute code testing so I know I can’t do all this swr Stuff. Even though I was an electrician for 30 +years 😀
Been a ham for 13 years and rarely talked on the repeaters because “some people” like to challenge guys like me who only have a Technician Class license. Your videos have really inspired me to get involved in the world of GMRS and the ppl I’ve talked to on the band so far definitely have a love for radio, but aren’t going for “perfection.” It’s also nice to talk on a band where I’m not the youngest guy on the net.
I love the channel and get the joke but honestly the putting down the hams is starting to get a little old. If you are going to continuously caricature them then the least you can do is go take the very, very simple Technican test. A ten year old could study a few days and pass it. A bright guy like you should be able to study for two evenings and for $15 go pass it. Your comments about 'some people' would seem knowledgeable rather than just grumpy. BTW have been a ham for just a couple months and my only experience so far has been that everyone I have talked to has been very helpful. My only experience with GMRS people has been you. Helpful but grumpy 😀 Again, I like the channel!!!
@T.J. Kong Hamvention veteran here (going almost every year since '82). Yeah, the locals are an acquired taste, for sure. HF is where it's at, though, really. Fewer sad hams, and the chance to make loads of international friendships as the years go by. To me it's always a treat to call CQ and work someone in Europe, Australia, NZ, Africa or even Antarctica. DXing is amazing, and I love contesting too. Give it a shot someday (you'll need a General or an Extra to make it worthwhile, though). When I go to Hamvention every year the best part of the show is going to the banquets and contest super suite and seeing old friends from around the world. It's magical.
As a happy ham, I admire your handling of complex topics in a manner that is useful to normal people.
The Farsometer 2000 got an upgraded label. Looks very professional. I’m sure Xenu approves.
👍🏼👽
Agree
As a Ham radio operator that has been operating for uhh like 20 minutes.... id like to thank randy for getting me into GMRS, and then ham, and learning more about radios is nice.
So basically, go with a reputable company, trust the reviews, and just have fun.. 😂 I'm literally a month and a half into this hobby and set up a badass budget base station. you have helped so much I thank you and all powerful xenu for granting me many fars.. 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
I appreciate all your videos. I think I’ve watched all of them and has inspired me to go from a ham to GMRS user. I’m still faithful to ham but use a pi-star dmr hotspot that requires Internet and I would like to use “free”airwaves. Your reviews are spot on and has led me to buy a certain brand for my home base station and as well as handhelds and mobiles for my cars. Wouxun. Also I have other friends and family installing base stations to use on a open system GMRS repeaters that we all can communicate. Thanks!
I like the new label on the Farsometer 2000.
Dude, you need to make and sell a sticker like that "WARNING Spurious RF Emissions" lmao
Randy, I'd like to have a T-shirt with that " Spurious Emissions" warning on it!
Just to freak people out!
Oh no ,,, i use my muti band yeasu ham radio to listen to gmrs frequencies all the time . The gmrs people dont know im listening .lol ..
Good job Randy !!! As usual… you convey most accurate information about communications-electronics… in that “some people” are “idiots”. 🤣🤣🤣
Who needs meters? The little Chinese lady who lives in my radio opens the windows and lets the heat out when it gets too hot.
She will also cook dinner, do your laundry, and wash your feet, if you talk sexy to her!
This video ignores one of the most serious issues with radio interactions…..premature spurious eja…..emissions….although the person prematurely receiving the premature spurious emission is usually more surprised and disappointed than the premature spurious emitter….I’ve also found that if you grip or pinch the base of your ….radio….tightly, you can slow the premature release of spurious emissions….along with not shaking or rubbing the top end of your radio to vigorously…..
🤣
Another great video! Back in the '70's, most of the millions of cb operators knew all about swr. Thanks for explaining it to a new generation!
Fantastic microphone set-up. I am a big fan of Electro-Voice, and you have dialed that RE20 perfectly! Onward, your instructions on using the meter is helpful, and you make that RigExpert 650 tempting.
I have ran across a sad ham yesterday. I’m new to ham radio. ( received my license Saturday morning) And was trying to make a few contacts and he keyed up and explained every thing I was doing wrong. The first thing I though was notarubicon has talk about these kind of people. This guy much be a sad ham. Anyway just a funny story for you. If you read this comment. Love the videos and you got me interested in settting up a gmrs base.
Get used to it. You are probably going to encounter him a lot since he's probably at his shack in the basement 24/7.
Ha ha...Don't fret to much! I have been a Ham for over 20 years. Gotten in and out of the hobby many times. When I recently jumped back in, I had a new Ham (some old head) tell me the same thing! He is apparently one of these retired guys who does nothing but HF... So his 2 year old ass, knows more than some Tech with over 20 years experience!
@@ke8mattj o yea I can look over him. I just thought I would share the story for a good laugh.
@@chrissewell1608 he was the first one I have came across. I have been hearing quite a few nets on 2m and I have been checking in and they haven’t said anything. I would like to get involved in hf Just for talking longer distances. I just wanted to share the story for a good laugh to all the happy hams.
I was so excited. I got a root beer and some popcorn and got all settled in for a wonderful demo of the magical Rig Expert antenna analyzer and all its cool features but the video ended and you left me standing there holding my..............in my hand. You are such a tease. 💔
It’s me, your favorite viewer!
Holy crap! There you are!
Will SWR change when switching devices? for example, I replace a radio with a different radio, but the cable and antenna are not replaced.
assuming nothing is wrong with the radio, the SWR should not change much/at all. I've swapped out several radios and the SWR always stayed the say - but its always a good idea to check just in case something is wrong.
When ya hook up an antenna analyzer such as seen in the video, it doesn’t use any radio at all. It really is only a measurement of the cable and antenna.
I also appreciate your videos, like the previous "commenter" stated. I acquired one of those vintage Radio Shack SWR meters with an antenna, and I only know a little bit about it, but I did use it briefly to "somewhat" test a CB a few years ago. I saw in the video description, that you mention an "antenna analyzer", and I am interested to know more about what that device is exactly, and I look forward to watching this video a bit later. I have watched about a dozen of your videos, and I enjoyed all of them, and your unique "brand" or "style" of presentation. Thanks again for your continued efforts, and for this new video. _John_
The analyzer is an awesome device that analyzes your entire antenna system, including feedline. See where it's resonant (i.e. as close to 1:1 SWR as possible, and likely at multiple frequencies), see resistance-vs-reactance, plot Smith charts, and of course basic SWR checks. What I love about mine is when I'm putting up a new antenna I can see where the 3:1 SWR points are, and also the sharpness of the resonant point. If you just need to know if your GMRS or ham antenna is installed right you don't really need an analyzer.
"I" (emphasis added) am a - "CBr *with a ticket"! 🤣 *ticket = Amateur Radio General Class license - that came from the CB band because everyone explained to me that I wasn't smart enough to "memorize" all 35 questions and ace my Tech Plus and General Class license - while I was slightly inebriated from indulging marijuana "BEFORE" taking both tests!
KD8EFQ/73 🤣🤣🤣
I've been a licensed ham for 36 seconds. 37. 38. 39... I have the documented authority to inform you that after a ground plane leaves the runway it becomes an air plane and is useless as a GMRS antenna until it lands again.
69. 70. 71....
Loving these antenna testing vids!
Love your videos. Really need to read the comments, sounds like they are a hoot.
Very Informative, Sensei, to know that my head is considered to be a ground plane on a HT! 😉
I'll admit your not my favorite host but, you are about the best in breaking down with all the nerd talk. Sure wish you did HAM just because you don't try to talk over peoples head.
My girlfriend says I am an acquired taste...
I do really like your no bs explainations. I can not find a ham channel who doesn't talk over my head because they know so much.
I must be one of those people 👐
Thank you for all normal guys (like me) Iit's simple and clear...and your slow steady speak help a lot for a Belgian Frenchie like me
Good vid as usual. Have you seen the two new radios Btech has released. Please do a review
Always GREAT stuff!!! Thanks for what you do!!!
"Some People"
Hey! Do you have a permit to talk here?!!
@@volvo09 i know i do lol⚡😂
I can feel the pain. Some GMRS guy checking swr 🤓🤓😁. I love this channel and your personality. Keep farsometer 2000 hot. 👍
Please excuse my ignorance, will this work with an HF radio?
No, it will not this meter is for VHF and UHF only. 👍
Well said ! Lol 😂
Teach me .... Oppy Juan!
Thanks Randy! For all of your ✌🏻"Not Qualified"✌🏻 sharing of your vastly unqualified information. By following your unqualified info sharing information, I obtained a highly desirable VSWR of 1.01 over 100' M&P HF13 using the gear you so highly unqualifiedly recommended. 🙃
Rock on Captain Randy!
Randy I'm not quite sure- like this newer surecom sw33 plus meter-it showed only these swr-1.26, is that good or bad? To me Randy it looks to be 1.2:6 -help me out my friend! Always a pleasure!!
What a hoot, "Some People". LMAO! Okay, suggestion, on your screen pop ups could you make them longer time. It was difficult backing up and stopping the video at the precise time for reading your pop ups.
Since SWR is such an obscure measurement and the number is not very meaningful to normal people, I thought I would try to help simplify it by converting to how much power is lost.
Notice that Randy didn't care that his two meters were showing 1.01 and 1.2 SWR? 4:51 That's because we are only talking about 1% difference in power lost. There is no need for normal people to pay big bucks for a more accurate SWR meter if the difference is only 1%
SWR of 1 = zero power reflected back to your radio
SWR of 1.2 = 1% power reflected back to your radio
SWR of 1.5 = 5% power reflected back to your radio
SWR of 2 = 10% power reflected back to your radio
SWR of 3 = 25% power reflected back to your radio
Got a quick question what could be the problem if your SWR is reading 4 on channel 1 and 40
Shame on you for using a click bait thumbnail of a young lady with large, round, beautiful, titillating glasses and not have her in the video. 😉
But if you DID want to test a walkie talkie antenna, how do you do it accurately? For example you got an antenna off ebay, and want to know if its garbage or not, or if the swr will damage the radio. Thanks.
My eyes light up when I see that you released a new video knowing it's gonna be a blast.💥😄👍
"Some people" should know that DoD Communicators are taught to use SWR meters. I did in 76. LOL
I became a ham to learn more about electronic/electrical theory, but I have to admit a large percentage of ham operators come off as conceited; and I'm unsure why. 🤔
:-)
Most people keep on promoting all those CB radio myths about swr, co-ax, and antennas.
Does the interpretation mean that the SWR will be worse if I use an external microphone on the handheld radio?
Video was informative,the air quotes,made me want to be blind for "9 to 10 minutes"!
Great video, what channel gmrs to be for swr measurement
Ideally you would be on the channel that you transmit on the most, OR a channel in the middle of the frequency range.
Ok thanks
I got me a Ed Fong J-pole. I am gonna see this weekend if I made a good choice....but I think so.
How do you use an analyzer with CB radio? I'm still learning
So this Farsometer, which I just added to my cart on Amazon... is this all I need to tune the top-of-my-truck antenna for my Midland 75-822 CB radio?
Pretty much, other than coax and maybe a short coax jumper-cable to connect everything.
Great vid bro, i love how you say "some people"
lol, I love it. I just couldn’t figure out why it took you 9 minutes to answer the question. Could have just been a 1 minute short. 😉
That would have been boring. Come for the learnings, stay for the edutainment.. Or, just go away, I don't care.
Thx all hail ingsoc ✌🏻🇺🇸😅
"shitzuation" i think ive been in those at least once in my life!
Ty for your videos, can you use the midland mxta26 with the wouxun KG-1000G radio..ty
The Midland MXTA26 is a GMRS antenna and the KG-1000G is a GMRS radio... Soooo.....Yes...
@@TheNotaRubicon ty, as you can tell I'm rather new to gmrs and still learning...
maybe silly question , is there any "combo" meters that read gmrs/cb/ham ? on the cheap / cheaper side i hate having more crap then i need
Sir I'm pretty sure any decent SWR meter will read the frequencies you are referring to
None of Some People are like us: Normal People!
👌
What if the resonant antenna is a purely resistive 40 ohms and the phase angle of the cable is 90° resulting in a phase shift and impedance transformation?
Scot Johnson You need a to measure this with a Vector Network Analyzer. Measure a straight coaxial cable run against the one you describe with the 40 ohm load and 90 degree bend and compare the results.
Do you kiss your significant other with that potty mouth?
Shhhhh..... No one cares. 🤫
Assuming it's a 50Ω characteristic impedance coax? It will appear as a 62.5Ω resistive load and your VSWR will remain the same; 1.25:1. In fact, you can use any arbitrary coax length and the VSWR will remain the same.
I left my Smith chart at work, so anything much more complicated will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm busy drinkin' beer :D
/Not a ham :)
Just add a few ball bearings.
Did you just say "shituation"? 🤔
I'm stealing that.
Thank You.
You can't have 'confucklement'. That's mine.
I am a Ham... I am smart, and people like me.
Please put a link to the connectors you use as I believe I need the same. Thanks!
After I changed the RG8 cable to a LMR400, to eliminate the loss, the SWR changed from 1.4 to 2.62. So up on the roof I went and by adjusting the antenna by about 3/4 inch shorter I was able to get the SWR to 1.64. 1/8" shorter and it went to 1.98. 1/8 inch longer and it went to 1.77. So I guess I am as good as I can get. Still don't understand why? My guess is I have more power getting to the antenna so the energy reflected is greater too. If I run my power on low I get a SWR of 1.16.
Greetings
I’m new to GMRS and seeking help from anyone having a contact with diagnosing a high SWR reading. I had my antenna installed today by a tv company and paid $$$ only to discover a high SWR reading. I’m an OG in the Ontario-Eastvale area.
Desperate to get my home base running.
Thank You in advance. Love all your videos Randy
Great videos! .. please excuse the noob question...i just purchased a Baofeng uv 9g ..was wondering if you need to swr tune a handheld radio like the baofeng
No.
@@TheNotaRubicon thank you sir..didn't think so..but wanted to be sure
Since as you explained, your body and head act as a ground plane when on a hand-held radio. Would therefore an erect protuberance aid in spurious emissions in the same direction as said erect protuberance spurious emissions? Some people want to know, so their spurious emissions don't go in an unintended direction, or to keep said emissions to themselves. Enquiring minds want to know.....
Asking for a friend.
The way you explain things is exactly how you have to train young Marines. Then they usually turn out to be duty experts in their field.
Love your videos, so good. I love the information for a newbie like me. And I love the use of some people 😅😅 So good.
Hilarious intro 😂😂😂
Love the little signs you have on your mat...especially the spurious RF emissions one. Any chance those are available someplace, or that they will be some time in the future?
Funny. Great info.
Many fars, LMFAO
OMG - I actually understood that! Thanks so much.
I prefer an antenna analyzer but you can use what you like if it works.
i just love it every time you say "some people" 🤣😂
Thank you!
Like your shirt says shhh no one cares 🤷♂️
Hello Mr NAR, thank you for your informative videos. I purchased a 1000g, SWR and various other handhelds/accessories based on your recommendations with your (wait) affiliate links below. I have two questions. 1. I bought a rugged radio pre-tuned GMRS antenna. It was getting about 1.28 on channel 22. I followed your instructions on clipping the antenna. It's now at 1.02 on 22 and 1.01 on the lower channels. What is really an acceptable SWR on the channels? Is there a "real or noticeable" difference between 1.28 and 1.02? 2. I clipped almost a 3/8 of an inch off the antenna. Will that reduce my range (fars) with a smaller antenna? Is a bigger antenna better with a slightly higher SWR? that might be more than two questions. Thank you!
Not only is that a 'good' SWR, that is a GREAT SWR.. you will never notice a difference between 1.28 and 1.02 - and even though its shorter, the antenna will work better because it is properly tuned.
Really enjoy and learn from all your videos Randy. Really great stuff. What type of connectors will I need for surecom SW 102, for checking SWR on Wouxon KG 1000 plus and KG 105 G?
If you have the standard SW102 with SO239 connectors, you will just need a short patch cable with PL259 connectors on each end for your KG1000G.. for the HT I would not bother - you will never be able to get an accurate SWR on an HT antenna, and you cant adjust it anyway.
You said that SWR of HT antennas is inaccurate, because by design the hand and head are ground plane. I've yet to see a video of someone comparing SWR holding an HT to measure vs not. Would that yield different results or is it possible? IDK
The problem is that you have to disconnect the HT antenna and plug it onto an swr meter and that changes all the measurements so the swr reading you get is not the same as when the antenna is attached directly to the radio.
What happened to the pretty girl who appears on the picture intro for this video ? Instead we just get this bloke talking ?
You should be grateful that you got to see her on the thumbnail.
@@TheNotaRubicon The bloke who does the presentation probably has her hidden in his basement. This is why he has Shhhhh written on the front of his T shirt to make those of us who are intelligent and discerning don't say anything out loud !
@@TheNotaRubicon Randy, send me her phone number. I want to ask her out on a date because those big dorky glasses she is sporting are sooooo sexy!
Always great stuff, thank you. 👍
My cb radio reads 1.8 on channel 1 and 2.0 on 40. On channel 19 it reads like 1. Is that normal?
Yes.
Thank you. Thought it might be but wasn’t too sure. Running a cobra 29lx with 18’ mini 8 line to a 4’ firestik 2 gp antenna
Can I adjust my mobile antenna with a SWR meter off the vehicle or does the vehicle ground plane affect the SRW?
The vehicle will affect the SWR so it is always best to measure with the antenna installed how/where you will be using it.
Well I'll be damned. I guess that's why a while back I was testing one of my radios and put the FM radio on, I tuned into a station and it worked. And then I sat the radio down right beside me and it got all static-y, like it was receiving a bad signal.
After a bit of trial and error, I realized that not only did actually touching or grabbing it get rid of the static, the static would fade in and out as I moved my hand closer to and farther from the radio, even if I wasn't directly touching it (but was still close).
I came to the conclusion that the radio must have been using my own body as some sort of antenna extension or amplifying the antenna's strength in some other way. Apparently I wasn't too far off.
When you are holding your handled radio and you put it right to your head you are making a ground loop with your entire body and the static noise reappear...😁
I really enjoy the way you explain things and make it simple to understand. I'm not sure if you have done a video in the past or not, but I could not find one, so I thought I'd ask, could you do a video explaining DB Gain and what that means for antenna's and how much each number would change the effectiveness of the radio? I mean from a 6 db gain to a 9 db gain, what can be expected, generally speaking of course. I heard the men from Hardened Power say in a video, that if they had $100 to spend on commo gear, they'd spend a $1 on the radio and $99 on the antenna. I hope you consider explaining this clearly for us who value your opinion and way of teaching. Thanks, and keep up the great work.
3 dB of antenna gain doubles the power. Think of 6 dB gain as doubling the power twice or 4 times the power. 10 dB of gain is ten times the power. A very popular opinion in the radio world is that 3 db of additional gain is the minimum you should bother messing with because anything less will not be a noticable improvement. In other words, if a new radio isn't at least twice the power (3 dB more power) or the new antenna isn't at least twice the gain (3 dB more gain than the old antenna) then don't waste your time and money. Stick with what you have,
Just did this test on my new truck/radio setup, super easy to do. If I can do it, you can do it.
I got a 1:6 reading which is going to have to be good enough as my truck has ZERO ground plane.
the truck itself acts as the ground plane. depending on where exactly the antenna is located, you have more or less ground plane.
Informative, yet entertaining as usual. Can you offer a defined reason why the readings obtained from a handheld raio would be inaccurate, or wrong.
My reason for question is I recently tried antenna A on 5 assorted Baofeng's, and results were 3.2 > 3.5
A change to antenna B produced 1.2 > 1.6. Frequency was a constant.
On an HT, the radio and your body act as the groundplane - when you remove the antenna from the radio and connect it to an SWR meter, EVEN if you have a groundplane plate, it will never be the same as when its connected to the radio. Therefore, it is very difficult to get the actual SWR of an HT antenna when it's not connected to the radio as it would be while in actual operation.
@@TheNotaRubicon Thank you, and I realize that was indicated during the presentation, but was wondering it there were any other factors involved. My enthusiasm greatly outweighs my experience!
Love it! Great class!
Hey! Have you looked into the new BTech GMRS Pro? Any thoughts on it?
I am holding one in my hand right now... Check back tonight! (hint: IT...IS...AWESOME!)
@@TheNotaRubicon Nice! Can't wait..
Horseshoes and Hand grenades!
👠&💣
how come the lady on the thumbnail doesn't show up in the video
Because she's on the thumbnail.
An
I’m an extra class passed the no code test by missing two questions. But was told by a sad ham “ I was not a real extra because I didn’t have to pass the 30 word a minute code testing so I know I can’t do all this swr
Stuff. Even though I was an electrician for 30 +years 😀
Been a ham for 13 years and rarely talked on the repeaters because “some people” like to challenge guys like me who only have a Technician Class license. Your videos have really inspired me to get involved in the world of GMRS and the ppl I’ve talked to on the band so far definitely have a love for radio, but aren’t going for “perfection.” It’s also nice to talk on a band where I’m not the youngest guy on the net.
I'm getting horrible deja vu, with this video.
I love the channel and get the joke but honestly the putting down the hams is starting to get a little old. If you are going to continuously caricature them then the least you can do is go take the very, very simple Technican test. A ten year old could study a few days and pass it. A bright guy like you should be able to study for two evenings and for $15 go pass it. Your comments about 'some people' would seem knowledgeable rather than just grumpy. BTW have been a ham for just a couple months and my only experience so far has been that everyone I have talked to has been very helpful. My only experience with GMRS people has been you. Helpful but grumpy 😀 Again, I like the channel!!!
If you think that I am "putting down the hams", then you have not been paying attention.
What is so difficult to comprehend about him not wanting a ham license? You’re an example of “some people”
@T.J. Kong Hamvention veteran here (going almost every year since '82). Yeah, the locals are an acquired taste, for sure. HF is where it's at, though, really. Fewer sad hams, and the chance to make loads of international friendships as the years go by. To me it's always a treat to call CQ and work someone in Europe, Australia, NZ, Africa or even Antarctica. DXing is amazing, and I love contesting too. Give it a shot someday (you'll need a General or an Extra to make it worthwhile, though). When I go to Hamvention every year the best part of the show is going to the banquets and contest super suite and seeing old friends from around the world. It's magical.
What a roast 🤣🤣🤣 de VU3ZNL