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How to Use an SWR Meter for a 2 Meter Radio

Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) meters are used to measure the efficiency of an antenna and cable. The antenna cable and antenna length should match the transmitter̵7;s output requirements. All antennas and cables operate with some loss and an SWR reading will allow you to interpret the loss and let you know if you need to improve efficiency by tuning the antenna, replacing the cable or reducing the length of the cable.

Things You'll Need

1 piece of RG-58U cable

Instructions

- 1
  Turn off the radio, disconnect the antenna from the radio and plug it into the back of the SWR meter. The jack to use will be marked ̶0;Antenna.̶1;
- 2
  Connect the SWR meter to the 2 meter radio. The SWR meter goes inline and uses PL-259 connectors at both ends.
- 3
  Select the continuous wave (CW) mode on the meter. CW is used for 2 meter.
- 4
  Calibrate the SWR meter. Make sure all your connections are in place and turn on your radio and select a frequency. Hold down the Push-to-talk (PTT) button. Don̵7;t talk. Rotate the knob until the needle points to ̶0;CAL.̶1;
- 5
  Release the transmit key and set the function to ̶0;SWR.̶1; Press the PTT button again and read off the SWR.
- 6
  Interpret the SWR reading. Perfect is 1.0, but that̵7;s virtually impossible to achieve. Anything from 1.0 to 1.5 is great and won̵7;t involve any modifications to your setup. 1.5 to 2.0 is very good; 2.0 to 3.0 is acceptable but you could make changes to improve things. Above 3.0 is extremely inefficient; you will need to make adjustments.

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