Icom: Watt/swr meter before of after ATU?

[r_eugene1]

I have an Icom 718, IT100 auto tuner. I just got a Daiwa CN-501H watt/swr meter. Trying install it but when I do it shows my radio is only doing 50-60 watts max instead of 100. I have it between the radio and tuner is this the proper way? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. de N8WRW

 

[prcguy]

I would want to monitor what my radio is seeing for a match, so the best place for that is between the radio and tuner. A wattmeter will only be accurate when terminated with a 50 ohm load, so placing the meter between the radio and tuner will give the best power reading when the tuner is tuned.

You might check your wattmeter with a 50 ohm load, if it still reads low then the radio is low in power or the meter is wrong. I see a lot of ham type wattmeters that are off by a surprisingly large amount.

I have an Icom 718, IT100 auto tuner. I just got a Daiwa CN-501H watt/swr meter. Trying install it but when I do it shows my radio is only doing 50-60 watts max instead of 100. I have it between the radio and tuner is this the proper way? Any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance. de N8WRW

 

[cmdrwill]

Are you checking transmitter power output in CW mode? Most wattmeters will not respond fast enough on SSB to read the peak transmit power, and you get something near half power.

 

[zz0468]

Everything after the ATU is "antenna". You generally don't want the wattmeter to be part of the antenna.

 

[r_eugene1]

Are you checking transmitter power output in CW mode? Most wattmeters will not respond fast enough on SSB to read the peak transmit power, and you get something near half power.

Checking in SSB mode.

 

[prcguy]

Test in CW or FM mode with the meter in AVG mode. Y your Diawa meter has a AVG and PEP mode but its not very accurate measuring SSB in PEP mode.

Checking in SSB mode.

 

[majoco]

PRCguy said:

You might check your wattmeter with a 50 ohm load, if it still reads low then the radio is low in power or the meter is wrong. I see a lot of ham type wattmeters that are off by a surprisingly large amount.

I have two of those inline SWR meters and I doubt the power calibration of either of them.