HF, VHF, UHF Test Equipment for Ham Radio

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Taking a look at some very useful things to have in the Ham Shack
MFJ-849 Digital SWR/Watt Meter: mfjenterprises.com/products/m...
MFJ-264 1.5KW HF-UHF Dummy Load: mfjenterprises.com/products/m...
MFJ-2704 Antenna Switch: mfjenterprises.com/products/m...
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Опубликовано:

13 апр 2020

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Комментарии : 107

@k2cjbradio 4 года назад

That meter looks nice! Always good to see practical tests. Great video as always my friend!

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Thanks Chris.

@chrismosquad1056 2 года назад

Great video! Very well put together! I’ve been watching a bunch of your stuff. I appreciate the time you took to put them together. They help a lot!

@CrittendenIV 4 года назад

Thank you for this video. I just started this hobby in January of this year. I am 46, I got a lot of work to do. It's killer people like you that make this hobby so exciting. It would be a pleasure to meet you. Have a great day!!!

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Well thanks for your kind words. You keep watching, I'll keep making videos.

@davegonzales617 3 года назад

New to your channel and have watched a lot of your videos. I appreciate the content, and esp liked the ham it forward vid. Excellent stuff.

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

Welcome, and thanks for watching. Gotta pay it forward when you can. 73

@LM-sc8lu 4 года назад

I'm here to learn about dummy loads but, I have to agree with your comment about the antenna switch. I bought two of them, one for home, and one for my RV setup, I was genuinly impressed by their weight and ruggedness.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Well if you want a dummy load, you have found the right guy, er, channel haha! Thanks for stopping by. 73

@bluegoldgr Год назад

Thank you for the review, you did a great job.👍

@TheSmokinApe 4 года назад

I like that antenna switch 👍

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Its a beast for sure.

@bennettsjb 4 года назад

Good info Mike. Thanks and stay safe.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Thanks, you too!

@tikibar4me 4 года назад

Very interesting & informative. Just got into this hobby, & I really liked the info that you've provided. Stay safe & healthy...

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Welcome to the hobby and thanks for watching.

@mikes6844 4 года назад

Every ham should have a dummy load, when things aren’t working as they should, dummy loads are one of the easiest tools to help locate where an issue might be. The small plug in ones, on low power, with a back to back connector are really useful when out in the field. Great review thanks. 73 de M0AZE.

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

I agree. Thanks for watching.

@Aussat 4 года назад

Thanks Mike, once we are out of lockdown here in ZL i guess i will be ordering some of this gear. The wife shutters everytime i watch your videos as she knows i will be spending 💵💵💵👍

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

You can't even order stuff through the mail? Tell your wife I'm sorry haha!

@w4mkh 3 года назад

Your videos have inspired me to get back into the hobby. I dug my radios out of storage today and hooked most everything back up. My issue is that I need an antenna and some coax so I am not back on the air yet. It may take a while as being retired means limited income which means having to save up for purchases. But I WILL get back on the air. I'm interested in POTA as there are no mountains in Florida. And POTA sounds like something I can do with the wife. Thanks again Mike for doing these videos. '73 W4MKH

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

That's great to hear, thanks so much for sharing that. I'll bet you're itching to get on the air not that you have most everything hooked up? You don't need anything fancy for antenna or coax for hf. There are lots of affordable options out there, or you could always make your own. Hope to see you POTA'ing soon! 73

@brianhind6149 4 года назад

Nice video: There is one thing that is important on your switch ! The port to port isolation. Little else matters!

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Very true, and I don't think it is intended to be used the way I was using it with multiple transmitters.

@davidsradioroom9678 4 года назад

Very good information here. My IC-7100 has a build-in power and SWR meter. Very handy. My HTs do not, so a power meter would be helpful. Also, my antenna switch has a ground connection that grounds all the antennas. Great when storms are nearby.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Thanks David. My 7300 has the same feature. Still nice to have these tools in the arsenal. Especially for the VHF/UHF radios. I still need to work on something for ground. I don't have anything grounded right now. I definitely unplug everything when a storm is coming.

@AD6DMDennis 4 года назад

Thanks for the practical demo of this gear in series. Very cool stuff, Mike. Not only do we see how the stuff works, but we get a review of the TX power levels of those 3 rigs. Oh and why's your video voice radio-like? 😄

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Thanks Dennis. I was surprised the x5105 was putting out more than 5 watts. Kinda already knew the 819 was all over the place with its TX. I just naturally have a radio voice. Too bad I found my calling so late in life haha!

@ronvanlith 4 года назад

Hi Mike, K8MRD, I listen to your advice and bought me a K-Po digital SWR meter. I always thought that the wave was 1: 1 so not 1: 4 was Now i kow😉 Thanks Ron, pd3ron Netherland

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Thanks for sharing

@camerong4944 4 года назад

I thought you said “Get your Balun” I was like OH HERE WE GO AGAIN!

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Hahaha! No we will not go there.

@robertmeyer4744 9 месяцев назад

great video. MFJ has great stuff. what showed is a must for most stations. maybe go to MFJ and do a video with them at their factory. a lot of MFJ is done in the USA . 73's

@ragothamraj7602 4 года назад

Wonderful demonstrated 73 vu3wrr.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Thanks for watching.

@ThyBlight 4 года назад

I believe another youtuber (maybe hamradioconcepts) found that a similar watt meter was unable to pick up Extremely Low powers. Thanks for video!

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Well this one does just fine. Thanks for watching.

@ThyBlight 4 года назад

@@hamradiotube Meant in regards to you testing the L1 power on your Yaesu displaying no power. Could have been under the mW threshold.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

@@ThyBlight Ahh, good point. Could be. I'll have to check the specks for sensitivity.

@mikeramsey9747 Год назад

I had bought the MFJ-849 and the HF side was defective right out of the box, so I'm waiting to see if they send me a new one or refund it because they are out of stock.., the UHF/VHF worked as advertised, the antenna switch and dummy load are awesome.

@donizzo8884 4 года назад

Nicely Done 73’s W1FYG

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Thanks Don

@Chris-in-ky-ky4ckp 4 года назад

Howdy Mike, you could put an a/b (2 position) switch in front of the 4 position so you could easily switch between the HF antenna and the dummy load. Or if you have a three position you could have HF/V-UHF/dummy options. Thanks for the vids! KY4CKP

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Yeah I was thinking about doing that. I do have another antenna switch. It'll prob work its way back in the mix.

@giulianoggg2035 5 месяцев назад

Great well done! can you tell me how you have each one connected in line of order? I.E. Radio - wswr - ATU - switch box- antenna. thanks

@brodycolegrove8253 4 года назад

Are you trying any activations during this time? I have actually hunted my first couple POTA contacts recently. It has been fun, anyway stay safe and look forward to more POTA videos eventually!

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

I haven't in a couple weeks, not because of the virus, the weather has just sucked lately.

@mumi009 4 года назад

A good antenna analyzer, from Rig Expert for example, compliments these tools. Btw, measuring output close to the rig does not tell you how much actually makes it to the antenna (attenuation) due to feed line loss. You have to measure at the antenna. A dummy load is great. I just bought one. I have an old 2-way switch, cheap. 20 bucks. It works. Another one I had had a short somewhere and kept blowing my fuses on the Base-T 12V input for my remote antenna tuner. Oh well. That's all part of the hobby! 73! SV0SGS.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

For sure. I have 2 analyzers. Wasn't looking for how much power is going to the antenna with this video. This was purely a what is my radio doing test. That would be a very vast test given all kinds of different antennas, coax, length, and a trillion other variables. However, having an analyzer and a good match to your antenna will give you a good idea of what you are putting out.

@mumi009 4 года назад

@@hamradiotube I agree. Keep up the good videos! 73 de David SV0SGS

@PMR446DMR 4 года назад

73 Thank you very much for the test.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

You're welcome. Thanks for watching.

@nrthpole5106 4 года назад

In some instances if you plug your radio into a power source you will get higher power output compared to using the radio's battery.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Yes you will. I tried that w/ my Yaesu and it still didn't register on the lowest setting.

@nrthpole5106 4 года назад

Low settings on a hand held are usually 1/2 or 1/4 watt give or take depending on radio, I would guess anything under one watt would not be too accurate on such a meter, But it gets you in the ball park. If you were an electrical engineer and really needed to know the exact watts then a Bird ohm meter or equivalent testing equipment would be needed. Keep up the good work.

@craigneri5951 4 года назад

Hi Mike I was just wondering on the antenna switch can you use for different antennas and switch between them using one radio? K1DXN

@leos9865 4 года назад

yes

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Yes, either many antennas for one radio, or many radios for one antenna.

@marks2254 3 года назад

Very informative, thank you. Is it possible that the radios that are showing lower output than expected are doing so because of coax losses? Is there a test you can do with your watt meter to determining feed line loss? If so; can you demonstrate the test? Thank you.

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

On vhf and uhf yes. Search my channel. I did a coax loss test some time after I made this video.

@marks2254 3 года назад

Thanks, I’ll look for it. Glad I found your channel.

@richardmiller3781 8 месяцев назад

Can I ask what base antenna you are using?

@KG5DGO Год назад

Hey sir, how are you? As always you make great videos. I was curious as to the bench you use. Is that from harbor freight? I am needing something like that but was wondering how sturdy it is. Does it wiggle side to side or anything? Keep up the good work, and God Bless de KG5DGO

@hamradiotube Год назад

Hey Steven, thanks for watching. Yes, it is from my favorite store in the world, Harbor Freight. The Bench has been great for me. No problems at all. It's actually surprisingly solid. Take that with a grain of salt of course, it is Harbor Freight we're talking about. But for what I use it for, I'd absolutely recommend it.

@KG5DGO Год назад

@@hamradiotube my boss was looking at some of these for our water plant lab and it needed to be sturdy so the chemicals and burets were stable so they wouldn't be knocked over with a slight tap

@5x9dev 4 года назад

Was just thinking that you're probably not getting full power out on the HTs because they're not plugged into external power supplies. Take the Yaesu VX-7R for example, you'll get full power out when running off the cigarette lighter power adapter or the external power brick. Not all radios now will work while plugged into the power brick though.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Yeah to a small degree. I did plug the Yaesu in and it was slightly better but not enough to make a difference. I'm actually curious how accurate this meter is at lower wattages. It's certainly "good enough" and most ham gear isn't made to professional grade, so there's that. Thanks for watching. 73

@huallacanes100 3 года назад

Hey nice video, i have a question i’ve been looking for this digital meter i seen 2 in the internet, MFJ 849 or NISSEI DG-503? Thanks

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

Thanks. I don't understand your question though.

@RobPetty622 4 года назад

We often hear a debate about average/RMS power vs. pep when it comes to measuring power out. If you had your choice, would you prefer something that show pep when in on ssb? I notice the meter you demoed does not measure pep. When would you want it and when is average/RMS preferred?

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

I really don't care about any of that stuff. I just want to know what my radios are doing at their output stage. This meter does just that.

@joerowland7350 4 года назад

@@hamradiotube it averg on that meter N MR Stubbs is a reall nice I got to go visit again I'm about 50 miles from mfj 73 n9prf

@Gw0wvl 4 года назад

What's the Port Isolation on that Switcher ? .... It's a wonder you don't fry the front ends in those recievers.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Not sure. I read an article in one of the recent issues of QST on these switches and it gave them very high praise for its isolation.

@videoscverde 2 года назад

What digital swr meter is suitable for FM 88-108Mhz measurement?

@hamradiotube 2 года назад

I have no idea. I'm not in broadcast radio.

@jeffstreet4006 3 года назад

WHAT COAX ARE YOU USING FOR THE JUMPERS FROM RADIO TO DIGITAL SWR/WATT METER

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

Looks like RG8X.

@Maizal7305 4 года назад

Nice toys and I Love them a lot! CQ ... CQ ... This is JZ04APO from Indonesia.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Thanks for watching! I need to get Inodnesia in the log. 73

@mark351 4 года назад

The question is, how well is the MFJ wattmeter calibrated?

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

That is a very good question. I don't think you'd want to do any real precision measurements from it but it's close enough to be reliable enough in the shack.

@mark351 4 года назад

@@hamradiotube you can probably get it close enough but for a range like low, mid and high. 10W, 50W and 100W.

@jaga5553 4 года назад

I like your earrings

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

thanks, me too.

@knivesandham5432 4 года назад

Why buy the separate dummy load if the MFJ-949E you have there has a built in dummy load. Unless you go over 300W, you can just use that couldn't you? Enjoy the videos. Thanks.

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

Because this does HF-UHF.

@knivesandham5432 4 года назад

Excellent answer. That MFJ-849 has been on my list for a while, I may be stimulated to by one today. Thanks

@GroundControl204 3 года назад

I wish MFJ would have made the digital meter with a better peak value, at least 2 kilowatts. 73

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

I would imagine this was cheaper to make than a full power meter. Plus the amount of people with amplifiers vs without is prob pretty low. Who knows?

@francescogiuliano2681 4 года назад

Tnx for video. 73' de IZ1JLM

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

You are welcome!

@undefinedname1398 4 года назад

I never take the plastic protector off anything.

@eugenecbell 4 года назад

Why not?

@forgetyourlife 3 года назад

@@eugenecbell Its like peeling a scab, dont do it. Let it fall off when its ready.

@eugenecbell 3 года назад

It is like sleeping with your wife on your wedding night, it is now yours and there is no longer reason to keep it in a chastity belt.

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

OMG thats an abomination.

@livingintheforest 4 года назад

4 Da Utube algorithm!

@hamradiotube 3 года назад

thanks

@susanhodges9447 2 года назад

MFJ = More Fucking Junk. However, MFJ had this unit made for them. Then, MFJ had their label printed on the unit. My two DG--503 are very accurate, and I am pleased with them.,

@hamradiotube 2 года назад

Well thanks for coming on my channel and thinking it's OK to drop the "F" bomb. That is totally in line with trying to be a good steward of amateur radio. I remember learning exactly that in my Technician test. Good job at showing others exactly what not to do.

@susanhodges9447 2 года назад

@@hamradiotube You're more than welcome, old man. It takes a lot of guts to wield free speech and show true freedom of expression. However, the truth is the truth, and, there is no denying that, now, is there? Keep up the good work. de Tony, g6ypk

@hamradiotube 2 года назад

@@susanhodges9447 I'm all for free speech, otherwise I would have deleted your comment. Instead I chose to leave it up. I just try to keep my channel G rated, as if we were on the radio, you know.

@KE8ODY-WV-Ares-Ham-Dad-3O4 4 года назад

I want one so bad.. They need constant power though, don't they? I'd like to be able to use it on my mobiles.. KE8ODY

@hamradiotube 4 года назад

The meter does need a constant 12V yes. It draws so little power it doesn't even register on my Powerwerx watt meter though. It doesn't need to be on to TX either.