Hey gang,
Still sort-a new to HAM stuff even though I've had my Tech ticket for over 10 years but, just haven't really dove into it. I just recently installed an older ICOM 2000 in our '15 Jeep JKUR and, I put the antenna on the back of the Jeep and ran the coax all along the floor and up the pillar at the right front and in to the radio, in front of the rear view mirror. Now, with all that being said, since the radio is strictly a VHF unit, I followed the cutting instructions for the NMO 150 CHW VHF antenna. I cut the mast to the specified height, for 146 Mhz. The boys at HRO stated that if you cut it to those specs. for 146 Mhz, it will work fine for either side, 144 or 148.
Now, this brings me to the SWR factor. I took the Jeep over to a buddies so he could hook up his SWR meter and, check my output power which, I was not sure of since there was some confusion as to whether or not my radio had/has three power levels or not. It does. Now, when he hooked up his SWR, we could not get any form of an accurate reading because he was unsure of how to adjust it.
So, with all that being said, I might be buying an SWR meter for VHF. But, may I ask, is there a reasonably priced one that is not all that difficult to use? I know with C/Bs, you hook it up and if there's a zero-ing out knob, you do that and then, key the mic on Ch 1, observe the reading and then key the mic on Ch 40 and observe the reading. But, at some point, you're trying to get the SWR to 1 to 1.5, correct? so, is it the same kind of setup and operation with a HAM? Any help here will most certainly be appreciated.
Scott
Still sort-a new to HAM stuff even though I've had my Tech ticket for over 10 years but, just haven't really dove into it. I just recently installed an older ICOM 2000 in our '15 Jeep JKUR and, I put the antenna on the back of the Jeep and ran the coax all along the floor and up the pillar at the right front and in to the radio, in front of the rear view mirror. Now, with all that being said, since the radio is strictly a VHF unit, I followed the cutting instructions for the NMO 150 CHW VHF antenna. I cut the mast to the specified height, for 146 Mhz. The boys at HRO stated that if you cut it to those specs. for 146 Mhz, it will work fine for either side, 144 or 148.
Now, this brings me to the SWR factor. I took the Jeep over to a buddies so he could hook up his SWR meter and, check my output power which, I was not sure of since there was some confusion as to whether or not my radio had/has three power levels or not. It does. Now, when he hooked up his SWR, we could not get any form of an accurate reading because he was unsure of how to adjust it.
So, with all that being said, I might be buying an SWR meter for VHF. But, may I ask, is there a reasonably priced one that is not all that difficult to use? I know with C/Bs, you hook it up and if there's a zero-ing out knob, you do that and then, key the mic on Ch 1, observe the reading and then key the mic on Ch 40 and observe the reading. But, at some point, you're trying to get the SWR to 1 to 1.5, correct? so, is it the same kind of setup and operation with a HAM? Any help here will most certainly be appreciated.
Scott