2017610 Micronta520ASWRMeter

Model21520A
ThispieceofMicrontaTestEquipmentisdesignedforusewithCBandHamTransceivers.Itwillbevery
helpfulindeterminingifyourtransmitterandantennasystemareoperatingproperly.

Specifications
RFPower: 0to10,0to100,0to1000Watts
SWR: Calibratedfrom1:1to3:1
Impedance: For50/52ohmsystemsonly
FrequencyRange: 3to30MHz(Useableat144MHz)
Connectors: CoaxialSO239(acceptsPL259)
33/8"X81/4"X41/2"(HWD)
Dimensions:
(8.5X21.0X11.5cm)(HWD)
Weight: 29.3oz(830g)

POWERFunction

Therearethreerangesofpower:from0to10watts(forCB)and0100and01000forHamandbusinesstype
transceivers.The3positionswitchbetweentheMetersselectsthepowerrange.

NOTE:ThePowerMeterreadingswillbeaccurateonlywith50/52ohmantennasystems(or50/52ohmdummy
loads).

SWRFunction

StandingWaveRatio(SWR)measurementsareveryimportantforanytransmitterantennasystem.SWRisa
measurementofmismatchbetweenthetransceiverandtheantennasystem.Formaximumefficiency,theSWR
mustbeaslowaspossiblethismeansthatallofthepowerfromthetransmitterisbeingradiatedfromthe
antenna.AhighSWRmeansthereisamismatchandthatsome(orevenmost)ofthetransmitter'spowerisnot
beingradiatedbytheantenna,butisbeing"returned"tothetransmitter.
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2017610 Micronta520ASWRMeter

YoucanreadSWRdirectlyontheSWRmeter.Itiscalibratedfrom1to3,witharedlineabove3.Whenthe
meterreads1,theantennasystemisperfectlymatchedtothetransmitterandyouhaveanSWRof"1"ortobe
moreaccurate,1to1(SWRisaratio).Ifyourreadingismorethan3,youshouldcorrectthemismatchbetween
thetransmitterandantennasystem.

You'llnoteasecondsetofnumbersdirectlybelowtheSWRvaluethesearethe"percentageofreflected
power"values.SinceSWRisthedirectresultofmismatch,whichproduces"reflectedwaves"(notallthepower
isradiatedbytheAntennasomeofitisreflectedbacktotheTransmitter)thiswillgiveyouanideaafthe
actualefficiencyofyoursystem.

Forexample,anSWRof1.5(moreaccuratelyweshculdsay"SWRof1.5to1")means4%ofthepoweris
comingbackandonly96%oftheavailableenergyisabsorbedbytheAntenna.AnSWRof2to1means11%is
reflectedand3to1is25%reflection.

Thereareno"percentreflectedpower"markingsonmymeter.

NOTE:IfyouareinterestedinlearningmoreaboutSWR,werecommendthatyouspendsometimeinyour
localpubliclibraryinthetechnicalsection(theARRLHANDBOOKisparticularlyhelpful).

Connection
Connectionsareverysimple.

1.DisconnecttheAntennacablefromthebackoftheTransceiver.
2.ConnecttheAntennacabletotheANTconnectorononeendofthePickUpBox.
3.UseashortpieceofcoaxialcableandconnectbetweentheTRANSconnectorontheotherendofthePick
UpBoxandthebackofyourTransceiver.

NOTE:A"jumper"coaxcablesuchasnotedabovecanbeobtainedfromyourlocalRadioShackstore.

IMPORTANTNOTE:POWERandSWRreadingswillbeaccurateonlywhenusedwithantennaand
transmissionlineswhichhaveanimpedanceof50/52ohms.

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2017610 Micronta520ASWRMeter

Measurements
Whenconnectionsaremadeasnotedabove,youarereadytouseyourTester.Besureeachconnectoris
tightenedsecurelyandthatyourcablesaregood.

POWER:
ForCByou'lljustleavethe3positionswitchsetto10andreadwattsoutput(fromtheTransceiver)dividing
Meterreadingby10toobtain010reading.IfyouhaveaHamrigorareworkingwithabusinessband
transceiver(orotherhigherpoweredunit),placethe3positionSwitchto100andreaddirectlyonthemeter,or
setto1000andmultiplytheMeterreadingby10.

SWR:

TomeasureStandingWaveRatios,setCAL/SWRswitchtoCALposition.PressthePushtotalkbuttononyour
Mic.AdjusttheCALcontrolforareadingtotheSETmarkontheMeter.ReturntheCAL/SWRswitchtoSWR
positionandreadyourSWRontheMeter.

Ifyouhaveareadingof1.5orlower,youhaveaveryefficientantennasystem.Ifthereadingisbetween1.5and
3,youmaywanttotryloweringit(althoughinmostcases,anSWRof3orlesswillbeacceptable).lfyouhave
areadingofover3,youshouldcheckyourantennasystemandmakeadjustmentsasrequiredtoobtainalower
reading.

AdjustmentsforreducingSWRwilldependentirelyonyourantennasystem.Wecanonlygiveyouafew
generalpointers.Besureyouareusinga50/52ohmantennasystemandcable.Besureallconnectorsaresecure.
Besureyourcablesaregood(noshortsordeteriorationofthecable).Ifyourantennacanbeadjusted(seethe
instructionswhichcomewiththeantenna),adjustitinsmallincrements.Ifitisamobileinstallation,checktobe
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2017610 Micronta520ASWRMeter

sureallmechanicalconnectionshavebeenmadecorrectly.Makesuretheantennaisverticalmoveitawayfrom
metalbodies(ifpossible).Formobileinstallations,sometimesjustaminorchangeinthepositioningorlocation
oftheantennacangreatlyimprovetheSWR.

2012WB4KDIDaveJ.Barnes
04/09/201209:39:05

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