Inexpensive SWR meters for VHF, UHF, HF

[suleske]

I'd like to find a reliable SWR meter that is inexpensive, covers 0-500 MHz, up to 100W. Realizing this is probably impossible, What is your breakdown of products to cover these frequencies, while remaining inexpensive and relatively accurate / reliable?

I'd most like to find a solid VHF unit... 2m primarily, but having ability to help tune 6m. I realize that is closer to HF than VHF.

About the design of SWR meters - the VHF / UHF ones - what makes them such? That is, what prevents an HF meter from being used at VHF freqs and vice-versa, with some level of accuracy?

Thanks!

 

[rescue161]

I use a Telewave Watt meter that covers 20-1000 MHz from 5-500 Watts. It has a forward and reflected selector. It does not use slugs. I got it fairly cheap on Ebay several years ago and it works great. It is a 44A.

At work, we use a Bird 4410 that does use different slugs.

 

[WA0CBW]

Most SWR meters are VSWR or Voltage standing wave meters. It also depends on where you measure the SWR, at the transmitter or at the antenna. A VSWR meter only measures correctly if you measure at the antenna or multiples of 1/2 wavelength from the antenna. What you need is a meter that measures forward power and reflected power. From those two measurements you can calculate the SWR (using a nomograph provided by the manufacturer). Power is constant along the length of coax but voltage and current have peaks and valleys. This is why if the coax isn't multiples of 1/2 wavelength or the meter isn't at the antenna the SWR APPEARS to changes as you change the length of the coax. SWR is constant along a length of coax. That is why if you measure forward/reflected power and calculate the SWR it will be the same anywhere along the coax. SWR and Watt meters are optimized for a range of frequencies.
BB