dmonty83
Member
I am looking for a simple meter that will allow me to measure the output wattage of a mobile radio or base station not exceeding 150watts. Is there something out there without buying a service monitor?
Thanks!
Thanks!
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Measure Radio Output Wattage
- Thread starter dmonty83
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N_Jay
Guest
What band, and how accurate do you need?
dmonty83
Member
...
I am looking for multiband if possible.... From 30MHz to 490MHz....but if I had to choose it would be UHF 450-490MHZ.
I am not looking for dead nuts accuracy, but it would be nice to know if a 100 watt mobile radio was only putting out 10 watts b/c it has failed somehow or if our 50 watt amplifier is no longer amplifying.
I am looking for multiband if possible.... From 30MHz to 490MHz....but if I had to choose it would be UHF 450-490MHZ.
I am not looking for dead nuts accuracy, but it would be nice to know if a 100 watt mobile radio was only putting out 10 watts b/c it has failed somehow or if our 50 watt amplifier is no longer amplifying.
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N_Jay
Guest
Shop HRO
http://www.hamradio.com/
http://www.hamradio.com/
fineshot1
Member
I am looking for multiband if possible.... From 30MHz to 490MHz....but if I had to choose it would be UHF 450-490MHZ.
I am not looking for dead nuts accuracy, but it would be nice to know if a 100 watt mobile radio was only putting out 10 watts b/c it has failed somehow or if our 50 watt amplifier is no longer amplifying.
It very much depends on how much $ you are willing to spend. I personally would not use anything less in quality to a bird model 43 watt meter and I have been checking out mobile/base stations for many years. You would also need the appropriate band elements(aka: slugs) from 25mhz - 500mhz. You would also need a good quality dummy load and an assortment of adapters or adapter patch cables. With the way the economy is right now there is a lot of this surplus equipment on many of the ham/commercial web sites but if purchased used you would have to make sure of its accuracy with a trip to the bird plant for a calibration & check out. Many consider this type of setup to be the minimum commercial industry standard. I know from your point of view this may sound a bit much but remember the old saying that you get what you pay for and it is applicable here.
whitehelmet1202
Member
I have a Bird 43, with the 25-50, standard vhf and 400-100 100 watt slugs that I purchased used 15 years ago and it is still working great. I have had lots of other wattmeters over the years and nothing lasts nowhere near as long as the Bird.
They are just as reliable as a Simpson 260.
They are just as reliable as a Simpson 260.
ElroyJetson
Getting tired of all the stupidity.
I use Telewaves at my workplace. They do a good job and are adequately accurate when compared to my power reference standard, which is an HP 435A power meter with 8482A power sensor, running full-time behind a calibrated 30 dB 200 watt rated power attenuator, all of which is calibrated and NIST-traceable.
The Telewave meters are pretty accurate but I've found that I don't really have any reason to trust the
reported power output of a radio as my service monitors tell it. I use the HP system to get an accurate
reading on a radio first, and tune the power output using that measurement system, and then note what the service monitor says it is, then tune other radios to match it.
Elroy
The Telewave meters are pretty accurate but I've found that I don't really have any reason to trust the
reported power output of a radio as my service monitors tell it. I use the HP system to get an accurate
reading on a radio first, and tune the power output using that measurement system, and then note what the service monitor says it is, then tune other radios to match it.
Elroy
And I thought I was the only one neurotic enough to do it that way...
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