This is very helpful and relevant for us new hams who got their license through online study/examination during the pandemic but have little practical experience on hooking things up
I used that same meter of a different name this weekend, Micronta, I think they are 3rd cousins. I read/saw an article on using adapters, connectors etc some time ago and testing was performed on a transmission line, adding several adapters and connectors barely registered any changes, negligible was the term used...so, if you have to use a type N to so-239 so you can connect that to a pl-259, because you have a pl-259-bnc male and a bnc F to SMA so you can test a UV5R...it will not affect a thing.
@@TheSmokinApe They look like a very easy to understand meter. Don't need all that display stuff if all you want is the basic info to check your equipment. Gotta get one.
Nice video, my question is ,is the dummy load always necessary when measuring power? I understand that for the rig power measurement dummy load is required just to test of the power output 9f the transceiver.But, when we want to measure the power output while attaching 5he antenna at antenna end of RS-40.actully this would be the real scenario.i m asking just because I have no dummy load ,but i have tested all setup without it ,just attaching the rig on left side and antenna on right.i m curious your reply because my meter does not moving s little bit in any position either on swr or on power mode.eatlier it was working ,but i was thinking the result it gives us not satisfactory so I stopped to use it for 3 three year it is almost unused .but now it shows nothing.i contect the company ,but the denied to give service as warranty is over and more thing is i purchased online from china website.so please suggest some remedies if you know in this regard
@@TheSmokinApe thank you for reply, it was working when i bought in 2018,but according to me,it was not giving accurate result(may be i wrong) ,so i was not using it as i was little bit away from ham radio activity . now i am free ,i have time for my hobby ,but now meter behave like dead ,though it has no such circuit or batter in it,but no deflection at all.they just provided me schematic and calibration guide ,yesterday. what you think i should go for calibration or repair ,i little bit know circuits and electronics and repair gadgets myself.
Think it's important that people understand that low swr doesn't necessarily guarantee efficiency or that all is as it should with an antenna, a resonant folded dipole is close to 300ohms with an swr of 6.1
Very informative, thanks. Where can I find cables and adapters for Astatic PDC1 meter. Which adapters for Radioddity, Baofeng radios? Thanks for your help.
@@TheSmokinApe , You're knowledgeable and you make it easy for people like myself that are just stepping in to the shallow end of the pool of Ham radio. If you can suggested any baby step videos you've posted , please feel free to advise. Stay safe Bro!
Hi. I have the same swr meter and I think I don't read swr properly with it. Since it doesnt have an adjust pot, the needle with move between high and low power, showing a different swr reading. But swr is not power dependent. What is the correct method to read swr with that meter ? Thanks for the vid and 73.
I have an old micronta that functions the same way as this. Since there's no adjusting pot, the reading won't be accurate. My Micronta has a conversion chart on the back to adjust based on how much power. Kind of a PIA since the chart isn't easy to read.
@@TheSmokinApe arrow dual band jpole. Mounted on a 2 inch antenna mast. Lmr400 cable being used. Connectors we out on. No shorts checking with meter. Goes through a wall on a 8 inch bulkhead connector with a 90 on each side. Radio is icom 2730a
@@TheSmokinApe used the 60 watt setting since it was 50 watt radio. It seems the bulkhead connector is the problem. Swr was okay on line from antenna to bulkhead....but on a wire o know is good going through the bulkhead we were getting 2 to 3 on 2m but spiked to 8 on 70cm.
What's the point of having the power meter on the FT-60R? I've looked everywhere and I can''t find any reference on how to use it or why it's there. Sure, I know, noob question, but it's the lack of info like this that throws some of us new guys off. KD8NIJ.
I only hook it up when I’m testing something. For example if I was getting weak signal reports I might want to verify my radio is putting out the correct amount of power. 👍
got my first radio for christmas. i bought 3 more since then, all of them are supposed to be baofeng f8hp, but i suspect 2 of 4 radios are fake clones. one of my suspect radions will not test power at all, shows zero at all power settings. the other suspect radio transmits the exact same power on high and medium. i suspect they stuck the guts of a uv5r into the case of a f8hp, since the highest the uv5r is 5 watts and that is what i get on both high and medium settings, christ i dont have time for this. any ways back to the first suspect radio, why wouldnt it test out at zero? when used with an antenna it seems to communicate to the other radios? the two good radios seem fine in every way, i used a surecom sw-33 meter, but i suspect all of these tests are done using the same theory. does anyone have any clues to the things i have mentioned, i am brand new to all of this, and i am about to buy the tester in this video so i can test my tester lol
@@TheSmokinApe i ordered the tester in your video, to confirm the results i got on my first tester(surecom sw-33). 2 of my baofeng f8hp's do not broadcast anything on "high". one of the radios is weak on high only 5-6 watts and only one radio seems get close to 8 watts @7.6watts. these four radios are all new radios since christmas from different sellers. i kinda suspect i damaged one of them. the surecom sw-33 comes with a 5 watt dummy load that i was using. all the other videos showed everyone testing their 8 watt radios with it, so i did the same. is it possible this dummy load was too weak for the "8" watts? i only held the ptt button for about 1.5 seconds for each test. thanks
I am a huge fan of the NanoVNA but you can't use it I line with a radio and antenna, that said it's probably my most used "test gear" Thanks for the comment Joe 👍
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
This is very helpful and relevant for us new hams who got their license through online study/examination during the pandemic but have little practical experience on hooking things up
Glad it was helpful 👍
Thank you for this video. It explains a lot and thanks for pointing us to a not too expensive SWR+PWR meter.
Anytime Alvin, thanks for watching 👍
Nice video. Takes a difficult subject and makes it simple. Good job.
Thanks Arthur, glad you liked it 👍
Great video! Got to love the FT-60! They are strong as hell. I am starting to get the same amount of connectors.... Keep up the great work!
I used that same meter of a different name this weekend, Micronta, I think they are 3rd cousins. I read/saw an article on using adapters, connectors etc some time ago and testing was performed on a transmission line, adding several adapters and connectors barely registered any changes, negligible was the term used...so, if you have to use a type N to so-239 so you can connect that to a pl-259, because you have a pl-259-bnc male and a bnc F to SMA so you can test a UV5R...it will not affect a thing.
That’s good to know, some folks act like you stole their lunch money when you use an adapter.
Yeah, there are a lot of those folks...
Right 👍
Thanks for the great content. This video was exactly what I was looking for.
Thanks for watching Scott, glad it was helpful.
New to channel,Over the road driver...need to set up my CB rig
I have a Nissei RS-70, and I'm very pleased with it. These are good quality meters.
Everyone that I know who has one likes it, thanks for watching Samuel 👍
@@TheSmokinApe They look like a very easy to understand meter. Don't need all that display stuff if all you want is the basic info to check your equipment. Gotta get one.
Nice video, my question is ,is the dummy load always necessary when measuring power? I understand that for the rig power measurement dummy load is required just to test of the power output 9f the transceiver.But, when we want to measure the power output while attaching 5he antenna at antenna end of RS-40.actully this would be the real scenario.i m asking just because I have no dummy load ,but i have tested all setup without it ,just attaching the rig on left side and antenna on right.i m curious your reply because my meter does not moving s little bit in any position either on swr or on power mode.eatlier it was working ,but i was thinking the result it gives us not satisfactory so I stopped to use it for 3 three year it is almost unused .but now it shows nothing.i contect the company ,but the denied to give service as warranty is over and more thing is i purchased online from china website.so please suggest some remedies if you know in this regard
You don't need the dummy load, you can measure right into the antenna. It sounds like you might have a broken meter.
@@TheSmokinApe thank you for reply, it was working when i bought in 2018,but according to me,it was not giving accurate result(may be i wrong) ,so i was not using it as i was little bit away from ham radio activity . now i am free ,i have time for my hobby ,but now meter behave like dead ,though it has no such circuit or batter in it,but no deflection at all.they just provided me schematic and calibration guide ,yesterday. what you think i should go for calibration or repair ,i little bit know circuits and electronics and repair gadgets myself.
Think it's important that people understand that low swr doesn't necessarily guarantee efficiency or that all is as it should with an antenna, a resonant folded dipole is close to 300ohms with an swr of 6.1
Agreed
Very informative, thanks.
Where can I find cables and adapters for Astatic PDC1 meter. Which adapters for Radioddity, Baofeng radios? Thanks for your help.
Glad it was helpful, I get all my adapters off Amazon or from Hamfests 👍
@@TheSmokinApe Ok, thanks.
Thank you . Informative vid .
Awesome, glad it was helpful 👍
@@TheSmokinApe , You're knowledgeable and you make it easy for people like myself that are just stepping in to the shallow end of the pool of Ham radio. If you can suggested any baby step videos you've posted , please feel free to advise. Stay safe Bro!
@@thomastammaro693 thanks, I try. I have a playlist for beginners so that might be a good place to start 👍
@@TheSmokinApe I'm in!
Can you direct me to where I can find it? Obtw.. Kool
Moniker!😎
ua-cam.com/play/PLm8ROkpFeqoplanp8NU7eVi9fLiRbLYZF.html
Any idea what a cb swr meter should read for a good swr mine is at 3 ?
It should be below 1.5 👍
@@TheSmokinApe even though the meter is for 11 meters?
Wait, you’re using a meter for 11m for a different band? That’s never going to work.
Do you have to use a dummy load, to check power? Or can you just use the antenna?
You can use the antenna but you will be transmitting a signal.
@@TheSmokinApe Well, dah! 🙊
Dummy load will give you true power to 50 ohms.
Hi. I have the same swr meter and I think I don't read swr properly with it. Since it doesnt have an adjust pot, the needle with move between high and low power, showing a different swr reading. But swr is not power dependent. What is the correct method to read swr with that meter ? Thanks for the vid and 73.
I have an old micronta that functions the same way as this. Since there's no adjusting pot, the reading won't be accurate. My Micronta has a conversion chart on the back to adjust based on how much power. Kind of a PIA since the chart isn't easy to read.
what type of connector was directly attached to the swr side?
You need to go from so-239 to sma-f, so a pl-259 to sma-m would work 👍
Cheap Insurance is what I like to call these small but critical devices💙
That’s a good way to put it, thanks for watching Miguel 👍
Would you suggest this swr meter or a nano vna?
If I had to pick one it would be the NanoVNA. That said you can use the meter inline with the radio.
@@TheSmokinApe okay thank you.
So if Im getting a super high SWR.....I have this same meter and Im maxing it out on SWR......where should I start to look?
What antenna and how is it mounted
@@TheSmokinApe arrow dual band jpole. Mounted on a 2 inch antenna mast. Lmr400 cable being used. Connectors we out on. No shorts checking with meter. Goes through a wall on a 8 inch bulkhead connector with a 90 on each side. Radio is icom 2730a
Robert Proctor what power setting did you use.
@@TheSmokinApe used the 60 watt setting since it was 50 watt radio. It seems the bulkhead connector is the problem. Swr was okay on line from antenna to bulkhead....but on a wire o know is good going through the bulkhead we were getting 2 to 3 on 2m but spiked to 8 on 70cm.
Are you going to replace that cable?
should i buy surecom sw-102 or nissei rs-40?
I’m not familiar with the Surecom so I’d say Nissei 👍
@@TheSmokinApe Thank you sir
I user nissei rs 50 digital...👍👍
I’ve been looking as those, glad to hear you like it 👍
What's the point of having the power meter on the FT-60R? I've looked everywhere and I can''t find any reference on how to use it or why it's there. Sure, I know, noob question, but it's the lack of info like this that throws some of us new guys off. KD8NIJ.
I only hook it up when I’m testing something. For example if I was getting weak signal reports I might want to verify my radio is putting out the correct amount of power. 👍
@@TheSmokinApe Thanks for replying, but I was referring to the built in one. Referred to in the manual as the S- Power meter.
Oh, that should the receive signal strength
I'm getting a 6 on the swr, on 5watts
What radio and frequency? 6:1 isn't good.
got my first radio for christmas. i bought 3 more since then, all of them are supposed to be baofeng f8hp, but i suspect 2 of 4 radios are fake clones. one of my suspect radions will not test power at all, shows zero at all power settings. the other suspect radio transmits the exact same power on high and medium. i suspect they stuck the guts of a uv5r into the case of a f8hp, since the highest the uv5r is 5 watts and that is what i get on both high and medium settings, christ i dont have time for this. any ways back to the first suspect radio, why wouldnt it test out at zero? when used with an antenna it seems to communicate to the other radios? the two good radios seem fine in every way, i used a surecom sw-33 meter, but i suspect all of these tests are done using the same theory. does anyone have any clues to the things i have mentioned, i am brand new to all of this, and i am about to buy the tester in this video so i can test my tester lol
Check out my Baofeng power test video, the quality of Baofeng can be suspect 👍
@@TheSmokinApe i ordered the tester in your video, to confirm the results i got on my first tester(surecom sw-33). 2 of my baofeng f8hp's do not broadcast anything on "high". one of the radios is weak on high only 5-6 watts and only one radio seems get close to 8 watts @7.6watts. these four radios are all new radios since christmas from different sellers. i kinda suspect i damaged one of them. the surecom sw-33 comes with a 5 watt dummy load that i was using. all the other videos showed everyone testing their 8 watt radios with it, so i did the same. is it possible this dummy load was too weak for the "8" watts? i only held the ptt button for about 1.5 seconds for each test. thanks
@@jasonbrown467 just test with the antenna. Not using a dummy load can cook your finals, a 5w dummy load could cause problems but should be OK.
Or, get a nanovna and incandescent lightbulb.
I am a huge fan of the NanoVNA but you can't use it I line with a radio and antenna, that said it's probably my most used "test gear" Thanks for the comment Joe 👍
I think we got a problem