How Do You Operate A SWR Meter?
An SWR meter is used to measure how well your antenna and transmission line are matched to your transmitter. SWR is an abbreviation for standing wave ratio. An SWR meter works by measuring the ratio of the amount of transmitter power that is being delivered to your antenna versus the amount of power that is being reflected back to the transmitter. It is important to make sure that your SWR is within the specifications stated for your transmitter. Note that a SWR meter only informs you of the standing wave ratio. It does not correct or adjust the SWR. Turn the power to your transmitter off. Attach a jumper cable of transmission line to your SWR meter. The SWR meter has two places that a cable can be attached. Connect the cable to the connector that is labeled “Transmitter.” On some meters, that label might be abbreviated as “XMTR” or “Radio”. Attach the other end of the jumper cable to the connector on the transmitter that the antenna connects to. Note that if the antenna is connected,
