SWR meter for HF

[Vaibhav Birit]

Can an SWR meter for HF be homebrewed. Does anyone have a simple arrangement.

 

[Nigel Goodwin]

Can an SWR meter for HF be homebrewed. Does anyone have a simple arrangement.

HF is very easy, even VHF isn't hard, you should be able to find amateur radio sites with suitable designs. Also the classic radio ham books (such as the ARRL and RSGB handbooks) contain designs for them.

I built one probably 30 years ago or so?, but in recent times they have been so easily and cheaply available as to make homebrew ones fairly pointless.

 

[stevez]

I'd add a couple of things. Some of the simpler meters/circuits are such that they really shouldn't be left in line (lots of power loss, heating, etc) yet others can be left in line constantly. That may or may not matter to you. As Nigel says, cost is low on some models and it's not cost effective for you to duplicate one of those.

One feature that you might find useful - the ability to locate the meter separately from the measurement bridge. I am working on meters for my shack where the meter can be a few feet or more from the bridge/sensing portion. It seems that those models are costly enough that duplication might save you some money. The advantage - you can put the meter where it works for you and not have to run coax all over the place.

Note that FAR Circuits has etched PCBs for many of the projects you'd find in the publications mentioned.

If you do decide to homebrew your own don't get too concerned about the meter scale. It's likley that you'll only be interested in relative readings - maybe you'll want to memorize where the 2:1 or 3:1 point is but beyond that you may not need to do much with the scale. Note also that there are a number of audio, digital or PIC based projects that have been well documented.

 

[David Bridgen]

Hi Vaibhav,

I have built a few over the years.

The last couple use the same simple circuit and are perfectly adequate even for professional purposes, working well from a couple of MHz to 30MHz with no noticeable change in sensitivity over that range (something which some designs fall down on.)
The caveat being that you need access to known good equipment in order to calibrate them.

Unfortunately I am not at home and will not be until a couple of month's time and I can't remember the exact arrangement.

If you haven't come across something to your liking by then I will be pleased to send details or post them here. Come to think of it I shall put the circuit on my web site when I get round to it.

Let me have your email address if you want me to tell you when I'm home. Mine's dmb06851@spamcop.net.

 

[Vaibhav Birit]

Thanks Nigel, stevez, David for your help.
I found a good SWR meter arrangement at **broken link removed** which i will experiment with.

Also David please send your SWR meter arrangement, whenever it becomes possible for you. Mail it at v2birit@techemail.com

I believe in learning by experimenting with things & always open for design ideas, whenever they come....