SWR jump with amp
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SWR jump with amp
I may have this question in the wrong forum. I got my radio peaked and tuned for a palomar 250 elite. My first amp so I put it in with a SWR/WATT meter combo so I could check SWR before I powered up amp. My SWR is 1.1 after a adjustment or two. When I turn on the amp and key the mic the SWR pegs out on the meter. With the amp off the SWR is 1.1 when I key. Is this normal, SWR will always peg out when you have an amp on?
Re: SWR jump with amp
Did you retune the SWR meter after turning on the amp??Mrhardluck wrote:I may have this question in the wrong forum. I got my radio peaked and tuned for a palomar 250 elite. My first amp so I put it in with a SWR/WATT meter combo so I could check SWR before I powered up amp. My SWR is 1.1 after a adjustment or two. When I turn on the amp and key the mic the SWR pegs out on the meter. With the amp off the SWR is 1.1 when I key. Is this normal, SWR will always peg out when you have an amp on?
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Like MrSixString says, you have to readjust the "Cal" knob for the higher power level before you can read SWR with the amplifier on.
And if the SWR is still high once you've reset the Cal knob, it means that your amplifier is putting out extra harmonic frequencies. Since most of them contain NO harmonic filtering at all, it's not that unusual a thing to see. The antenna is not tuned for those frequencies, and most of the wattage at those frequencies is reflected back from the antenna, driving up the SWR reading.
73
And if the SWR is still high once you've reset the Cal knob, it means that your amplifier is putting out extra harmonic frequencies. Since most of them contain NO harmonic filtering at all, it's not that unusual a thing to see. The antenna is not tuned for those frequencies, and most of the wattage at those frequencies is reflected back from the antenna, driving up the SWR reading.
73