Testing FM transmitters with SWR with reverse thread connectors

Thread Starter

gringolatino

Joined Feb 14, 2016
1
I googled this title above to find this interesting forum with awesome answers.
Is it possible to test an FM transmitter with reverse thread connectors for Antenna to a SWR meter for testing?
I recently bought a ASTATIC PDC2 SWR/POWER METER and can't get much of a reading at the lowest setting of 10 watts. (I hope I didn't get a defective SWR meter). The FMT is set at 1 watt should be barely legal for part 15 rules of FCC broadcasting regulations. What can someone suggest? I appreciate the help and new to this forum. Thanks.
 

Papabravo

Joined Feb 24, 2006
21,159
I'm not exactly sure what you have and what you think you are measuring. In my experience an SWR meter is used to measure the feedline and the antenna for the purpose of determining the resonant frequency and bandwidth. This occurs where the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) is at a minimum. If you connect the SWR to the transmitter you will have two transmitters trying to talk at each other -- not a good thing! On the other hand if you are trying to measure output power, either forward or refelected, that is another matter. In this case the instrument is placed in series between the transmitter and the load (the antenna).

One more thing. What is the relevance of the direction of the threads on the connector?
 
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