| Author |
Message |
    
Beeker7104
Junior Member
Username: Beeker7104
Post Number: 36
Registered: 12-2004
| | Posted on Friday, October 14, 2005 - 9:43 pm: | 
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Where can I purchase a bird meter? how much do they normally cost? I need to trash my Dosy Test Center(which I have only calibrated for SWR now) |
Dx431
Senior Member
Username: Dx431
Post Number: 1112
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 15, 2005 - 9:35 am: |
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Do a search on the net. Be prepared to spend some money. They are expensive! |
Tech808
Moderator
Username: Tech808
Post Number: 7636
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 15, 2005 - 2:22 pm: |
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Beeker7104,
Just a Suggestion here for you to think about.
AUTEK WM-1
Just as Accurate as a Bird, Far Less Money and NO LUGS to Buy/Change and comes with a Remote Head for coax connections.
You can do a Google Search or a Search here on the Copper Forum for Autek WM-1 to read more.
Lon
Tech808
CEF808
N9OSN |
Patzerozero
Senior Member
Username: Patzerozero
Post Number: 1685
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 15, 2005 - 6:45 pm: |
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WM-1 is a fine piece of equipment, the diamond sx100 & mfj equal, the 'grandmaster' something are also excellent pieces, and nearly $500 LESS the a PEP bird. no remote heads on those though... |
Hollowpoint445
Advanced Member
Username: Hollowpoint445
Post Number: 829
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 15, 2005 - 8:20 pm: |
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Bird is the standard and Coaxial Dynamics is a close second. Everything else is a distant third.
But then who cares about accuracy anyway? For RF use relative RF output is the most important thing and any decent meter will do. I use a Radio Shack meter I bought on clearance for $10 about a decade ago. It works fine on HF.
PEP and analog meters don't mix. I don't care who makes them, they're just not accurate for measuring peaks because they're just too slow. To measure PEP you'd have to use them with a constant tone, and if you're going to bother doing it that way then why not just use an average reading meter? |
Thehobo
Member
Username: Thehobo
Post Number: 50
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, January 08, 2006 - 8:10 pm: |
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been using the palstar 150 base and the new 2000 base!! also have a bird, but the 2 palstar meters read rite on with the bird, so its in the closet..
this way i dont have to change the slugs to read each different amp, or radio.. really like the palstars better!! oh yes, they read swr and return wattage at the same time being as they are a cross needle design!! ok, off the soap box..
thehobo
274150 am.
monitor ch. |
Wildrat
Advanced Member
Username: Wildrat
Post Number: 652
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, January 15, 2006 - 7:17 pm: |
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I have a Autek WM 1, I like it, 149 bucks, made in Florida down the road a bit. I am looking at one of his antenna analyzers now.
Wildrat |
Draft
Member
Username: Draft
Post Number: 91
Registered: 7-2006
| | Posted on Saturday, November 04, 2006 - 12:23 am: |
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The BIRD-43 is STILL the standard in which others try to follow. Next in line would be the TELEWAVE-44A. Perhaps(?) 3rd in line [could] be the Autek.... |
Patzerozero
Senior Member
Username: Patzerozero
Post Number: 3345
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, November 04, 2006 - 9:25 am: |
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bird 43 peak-wm1-palstar 150m:
(after an adjustment or 2) all 3 read the same dead key within a 'needles width' at 50 watt intervals to over 1kw. that spread equals maybe 1-2 watts at 50, maybe 10-20 higher up. low power, under 20 watts dead key, the palstar is outclassed by the other 2. the wm1 & bird read again, within a 'needles width' from .5 watt to 20 watts. PEP, i'd say is equally inaccurate on all 3, as a 1kw PEP reading on 1 meter may be + or - 100 watts on the other 2, yet, leave everything alone & try again later, & the readings will vary a bit again. low power PEP, swings under 100 watts, seem to show the biggest variance. my wm1 can show a 40 watt peak on my delta force, the other 2, the peak is closer to 26 or 27. my ic735 will show 100+ on the wm1, the other 2 show 65 to 80.
i'm not concerned with low key wattages. i vary the radio to low, turn on the amp & vary the radio up til the amp keys what i want it to key. no need to spend $$ on a bird or coaxial dynamics. the other 2 work just fine.
my diamond sx100 is all over the place, you can get dead keys to match the others in a narrower range, but it goes higher or lower readings outside of that range. PEP readings are closer to the palstar & bird then the wm1. |
Thehobo
Intermediate Member
Username: Thehobo
Post Number: 103
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, November 04, 2006 - 1:30 pm: |
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patoo, are not some of those meters peak, and others pep?? ive read, as others, that there is a differance between peak and pep?? agin as you have these meters witch are different, is there not a differance in what the maker calls them, weather its true or not?? mite be an advertizing thing?? thanks for any input!
thehobo
269150 am
monitor ch |
Patzerozero
Senior Member
Username: Patzerozero
Post Number: 3347
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, November 04, 2006 - 3:59 pm: |
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'true peak detectors' as advertised by autek, 'true active peak reading' as advertised by palstar, 'the 4300-4000 peak reading kit...reads accurately in true peak mode' as advertised by bird.....
all 3 are 'true active peak reading watt meters', peak, as in peak envelope power. or, as accurate as a meter with a needle could possibly be. |
Thehobo
Intermediate Member
Username: Thehobo
Post Number: 104
Registered: 2-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, November 04, 2006 - 10:24 pm: |
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ok??, is this one reason my bulldog meter reads lower then my 43p meter?? as ive read?, or ive seen on web sites, pep or peak was about 20% differance?? this at times can confuse some, if its not there in black and white for them to see or read!! then at times, its still somewhat confusing?? lol..the reason im putting this like this, is if i add the 20%to my bulldog meter, its with in 2% of the 43p!! so agin, any input on this wood be helpful!! thanks..
thehobo
269150 am
monitor ch. |
Unit199
Intermediate Member
Username: Unit199
Post Number: 386
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, November 05, 2006 - 2:31 am: |
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I would like to know who knows whether the BIRD meter is the best meter? What is the bases for saying the BIRD is better than the AUTEK or DIAMOND? Is it what you heard or what the company puts out? I had a BIRD meter that I sold because I really did not like it. I just do not see how they justify the cost compared to some other top of the line meters. If I was going to buy a new meter, I would not hesitate to buy an AUTEK WM-1.
HARVE
UNIT199 |
Bruce
Senior Member
Username: Bruce
Post Number: 4152
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, November 05, 2006 - 10:56 am: |
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I use a ASHE-MOTO meter made it tim buck too china. ( model JTWVUHF ) It matches my bird #43 quite nicely ...... |
