SWR Explained: What Is SWR & How To Test The SWR On A CB Radio Or A GMRS Radio - Does SWR Matter?
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- čas přidán 19. 02. 2024
- You can get the SW-102 SWR meter shown in this video here: amzn.to/3T4BxLG
You can find even less-expensive SWR meters here: amzn.to/49F0K4V
You can watch these videos that bust the myth that transmitting on a radio with a high SWR reading will necessarily damage the the radio:
Transmitting on a Baofeng hand-held radio with no antenna: • What Happens If You Tr...
Transmitting at 50-Watts with no antenna connected: • Transmitting With NO A...
You can watch The Smoking Ape's highly detailed video about SWRs here: • Debunking SWR Myths On...
In this video I explain what SWR is in very simple terms as it relates to CB radio and GMRS radios. I explain how to test the SWR of your CB antenna or GMRS antenna and I explain the reasons why you should check the SWR of your GMRS or CB radio antenna. I also explain why you do not need to spend a lot of money on an SWR meter and why using an inexpensive SWR meter is just fine for most people using a CB radio or a GMRS radio.
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Music by Stern Beats - You can find him here:
/ @sternbeats9057
OK first of all, "IT" is NOT "SWRS" "IT" is SWR. ONE. SINGLE. "standing wave ratio." The term, the words, the abbreviiation is not "plural"
That doesn't even make sense! A radio shoots out more than just one wave! You should go do some research before making stuff up.
Don't correct Mr. Randy, if he wants to say SWRs, let him. Besides, just all of us, Mr. Randy has a right to be wrong. At lease, Mr. Randy knows what he's talking about.
For someone so bent about a word being plural or singular, you sure don't care the slightest bit about grammar.
My meters continuallys measures SWRs fors as longs as I's keeps the transmits buttons helds downs. There's justs gobs ofs thems! Plurals is absolutelys corrects!
You must not be from around here or know Randy’s sense of humor. Lmao
"And question number C..." 🤣 Don't ever change, Randy, you crack me up every video. Outstanding!
I subscribe to about a dozen radio-related channels, and this one is the most entertaining.
Even though he likes to censor comments from people who don’t think like him? Yeah there’s a name for people like him, Cancer.
The level of visual trolling in this video is superb. Thank you.
I know, right? I kept waiting for him to start chewing on the new pencil, and then Chewy came back!
Randy Sir, Your off road vids are unmatched in quality content and cunning. Please consider returning to the manufacturing of such extraordinary work.
SWR meter and a pair of Klein’s are definitely a dead radio’s bestie.
Good information. Sad ham here. Your SWR meter is much fancier than mine. In your video, you used your meter more than I have used mine in the 10 years that I have owned it.
I love it! This 13 min video has more triggers than a gun range in FLA! pacifically what I am saying is, for all intensive purposes this was an great videos.
Hey, I must say I appreciate you. I got my Sad Ham License for purposes, but all the Sad Hams made it all unapproachable to get going for years, and I liked the idea that family could talk to me without going through the BS you see in the Ham world.
After securing my GMRS, being a graduate of Sad Ham with an undergraduate in FCC Core, I found your Superstar status in the field and your practical approach genuinely refreshing. It's clear to me now that I made the right decision to follow your guidance.
Thanks, I hope you see this and know that you make a Sad Ham a Spiraled cut ham learning all that you have to say on topics ordinary people care about.
Just for me you covered SWR’s like an eyepatch over my blind eye. Your explanation covered all I need to know. Thank you
These videos are pure art.
Randy, I watched the Smoking Ape video you mentioned and, holy cow, he went into such detail that most of it went right over my head. Your explanation was simple and direct.
I took some electronics classes in high school in the late 1980's. Your description of SWR is pretty spot on as to how it was explained to me, and that class was taught by a HAM with a general license. He was old, WWII vet, and bona fide radio expert. People here bitching about grammar and speech are just being successfully trolled and need to just chill out. Keep on trolling those sad hams, they deserve it.
These videos are works of art for how to annoy people. He intentionally makes loads of “common phrases” mistakes, and I see them as high intelligence entertainment, to watch the hoards freak out, while not noticing the faces on the dudes in the paused TV screen in the back. Bravo, survival radio guy.
I found you for Baofang radios and Liked you. Then I found out about your walk around my home area the Salton Sea. Makes sense to me
Those who haven't watched the Salton Sea series of videos are seriously missing out. 👍
boof wang is the correct pronunciation ! lol
Hi SuperStar Randy. I just discovered your channel and have binge watched over 25 episodes. LOVE THEM 💛 Funny story follows. I know a bit about SWR. Many years ago a Guy named Bill at work couldn't get his CB rig on his boat to talk back to his "Base Station" at home. I took my SWR meter and him out on the water. The SWR was HIGH. It was a fiberglass whip antenna. I bent it over pulled off the cap and cut a little off the antenna. SWR improved. I did this several times until the SWR was 1.1 Bill did not know much about radios or antennas. The next day at work I was standing behind Bill as he was telling all the other employees how "HE" checked the SWR, it wasn't "Right" so "HE" cut some off his antenna, checking the SWR again, it wasn't "Right" and HE kept doing this until his SWR was ZERO. I am listening to his narration. Bill does NOT know that I am standing right behind him. One of the other guys looked at me and asked Bill, What is this SWR you keep talking about? Without missing a beat, Bill said it means Sumbitch Won't Receive. Perhaps, you and your group get a laugh out of this as I did.
The first time i saw one of your vids i thought you were some weird annoying guy but it didn't take long for me to understand you were just making fun of a certain breed of people and at this point i love the way you make your videos and i highly appreciate your view and honesty about radio stuff. Keep up the good work man!
I always make sure that my Roger beep has a 1:1.
Maaaannnn…. Your whole video was damn hilarious! All of the plurals, mixing numbers and letters, and your delivery is comedy gold. Keep it up! 😅
The most important part of testing your SWRs are the friends you made along the way!
I really enjoy the no nonsense explanations you offer. So much easier to consume and understand. No sad HAM explanations!
A tribute to Jar Heads!! Well done, Sir!!!
Hello Mr. Randy, your video on SWR was very informative and accurate, so I wouldn't change anything.
Education and Entertainment - love your videos.
Randy, congratulations on the number one ham channel. 👍
And I thought I was going to be learning about Short Wave Radios 😂. I accept that I was wrong 🤷♂️
I applied for my GMRS license yesterday.
Dude, you are a trip! And I love it! Keep up with the defuckulation. The world needs it! 🎙️👍
Great Video! Rock On Man!
Exactly!!! Well done!!!
As I found out by experience, Use the correct meter for the type of radio you are using. 1.5.1 or less is good. With that, start playing radio to your heart's content!!!!
Great video with very Pacific info'mation. Thank! 🤣
Thank you!!
I salute you, sir. Your videos are brain candy. ❤
Great video with exuberant humor and stinging skill for triggering those “experts” and the 3 letter orgs! Keep them coming!
AvE, bigclivelive and you. The trio is complete.
Nice newlighting in the studio!
Thanks for the explanation for a normal person
🎉😂❤ the pencil opener was pure gold’
Man i just ordered a meter right before you posted this video.
I had a plane that was grounded once.
Seriously, devices like the SWR meter are incredible. Twenty years ago such technology was prohibitive. Today, every radio freak has at least one, but in most cases, two - one for their home kit and one to stick in their pockets during outdoor activities to prove to their buddies with HTs that their Ramrod XZ-1000 has two watts more output than theirs.
We live in a wild, wild, life!
I have blown a few radio's "final" transistors with bad SWR, especially on higher power outputs.
Uh huh.. and how many of those were modern GMRS radios?
None - we dont have much in the line of GMRS in my backward little country, we use VHF and believe it or not "CB" 😜
All star ending bro, I almost subssc...
Thanks!
Thanks Randy.
Glad to see you finally are using a sharp pencil...😊. Love your vids.
Chewy isn't the sharpest pencil in the box.
I know you had an electric pencil sharpener. The new one looks like it is working good . I'm still using a pocket knife. I'm a going to get one of those hand cranks. Keep the videos coming 👍
You forgot to mention how cute I am, son…
The beauty is implied!
@@TheNotaRubicon 🤔
Well if u ask you are not lol
@@twoalpha09 I know this is Randy’s video, but please, if you direct any comments to me attempt to use something close to correct grammar and punctuation 👍
You both make me laugh, both informative, and I follow you both, go figure 😂
I love how quickly,”some people” will criticize your choice of words when they are completely ok with people saying “shtreet” or “shtrong” ,, they are worried about being a Karen.. keep up,the good work! If it irritates the sad hams then it is good!
If you get all caught-up in splitting SWR and dB values you start to think small differences matter. In the practical world (as Randy correctly discusses) it does not matter. Simply turn your head, turn to the left or right, pass by a car or anything else that happens in the real world and the small difference go up in smoke. The big difference is when you use an external antenna (any reasonable antenna) it is better than using the HT antenna when inside your house or car.
SWR is perfect, all the time, into a dummy load; Let's learn to use a LiteVNA to read the other side of it: The impedance match! Great videos : )
Keep umm coming
Interesting
Hello Randy! I need a dummy load to check power and swr on my 40w amplifier when it is hooked up! But what dummy load do I need for my surecom sw33 plus !
And what cables or fittings will I need!
(Sorry for my ignorance)
My amplifier is the, btech gmrs u25-amplifier.
*Hope to hear from you Randy! THANKS in advance my friend!!
Ooooow, Look at my BIG baofeng!
I remember the swr meters from the mid-1970s. They cost around $25 which was a lot if money back then.
The Pink SWR story. I have my Extra Class License so relate to the E=mc2 SWR story better. KK3R Houston.
CB radio operations in Alabama are alive and well. In fact, it's growing.
You did such a good job of explaining SWR's that I have a request
Could you explain politics, you know, for us normal people.
Sure! On the left, you have crooks and liars..However, on the right you have liars and crooks..
The end.
@@TheNotaRubicon Pure Genius!
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. The pencil was the key to my deconfulation of my swrs shituation.
That’s a gorgeous HT! Wonder how well it does with a UT-72G slapped on it?
Or a ghost?
Alright I've got you on 1.75 playback speed otherwise I'll never get to the end 😂
One of my favorite endings
Was that the UV-5G plus stock antenna you got the 1.01 with?😮 thanks for the video.
No, it was a Nagoya UT-72G on a cookie-sheet in my window a few feet away .
Randy is actually the "some people".
Does a DMR radio need pacific measurement also?
PLZ test the antenna whip
Funny how some people get all technical about a radio antenna and how you must tune it, blah blah... yet they are totally fine with whatever antenna their cell phone has and are not dorking out on how to improve that...
Ya know… Way back before cell phone began to cohabitate with computers, some (quite a few) cell phones had little tiny rubber plugs on the back that covered sockets to connect a cable for an external antenna. 🤣🤣🤣
You forgot to mention gps watches. I have mine connected to a super big external antenna, just in case. I carry it arround, on my back.
What’ts it like not being able to get 26 out of 35 questions right?
As I found out swr doesn’t mean everything, I connected a ut-72g mobile antenna with 1.01 swr and got worse results than my rubber duck, must be the power loss in the cable
Do I need ½ wavelength of coax from the antenna to the SWRS meter so the meter doesn't give a false reading due to the impedance transformation action of different lengths of coax?
No.
So what would a guud ZERO TO 60 be for my SWR????
Is it required or recommended to measure SWR on antennas that are sold as plug and play ready for gmrs? How about for ghost antennas that can not me trimmed?
You should not need to measure the SWR on a "GMRS" antenna, or GMRS ghost antenna.. BUT, checking the SWR will confirm that the antenna is not faulty and there are no dead-shorts or other issues in the coax or connectors.
99% of the time but that 1% will ruin your day.
Sir Randy. Since my mind has been fried from SWRs, I have a question for the expert. For a recieve only antenna, does SWR's matter? I am thinking not. Your expert answer please.
But how do we get the label that says FARSOMETER 2000?
Can we get an affiliate link for the pencil?
Go chew your own damn pencil!
Define “normal” people? Hahaha. We “radio operators” are not normal. We use “outdated” technology to communicate. In the age of fast internet and cell phones we don’t need “outdated and normal” devices. Hahahaha. I hope you can sense my sarcasm and just wanted to comment to say it’s your video, your content, say what you want and how you want. I like your videos because at the end of the day you do provide good quality information.
And to think all this time I thought SWR means, "Stupid With a Radio"
Cb is very sick. But when you got 60 watts to play with l, I can talk across the pond
You into Ducks?
Just a thought, but given that almost no one actually uses radios outside of work, all those iPad and smart phone eating kids would think all of us are dorks, even though we’re watching the short version. I suppose it’s a matter of degrees though….to us anyway.
I must master my SWR meter as I master myself, I will.
Is there a book I can buy that has most of the Frequency?
I know this is way off topic but I was wondering if u could help me out I have a btech 50v2 GMRS mobile radio in my jeep also but every time I push my PTT button my passenger tail light turns on. I have tried moving the antenna and even switching it to low power and the result is the same any ideas what is causing this
Boy, you were right, that IS off topic!
So for normal people who try to learn, why is it that there is a big mismatch between the radios built in swr meter and the external meter? The external meter is in the right frequency range and purchased brand new.
Because one of the meters is wrong or you are using one of them incorrectly.
How many ?
Does SWR affect the radio's picture quality? I've tried everything and nothing seems to improve the picture quality.
Try downloading from the space station.
I know this is probably a stupid question I’m gonna get nailed for it but I have to ask anyways if I’m using a GRS radio and I have channel a and channel B one being GMRS channel 18 and the other one being repeater five which one am I supposed to be on when transmitting and receiving the repeater frequency
This is only a stupid question because it is 100% off-topic. Otherwise it is a perfectly legit question.
@@TheNotaRubicon I agree that is completely off-topic but if I was to put a question on an older video, more than likely, I would not get a response as quickly or if at all.
Can I send text messages through my SWR thingy?
So ive been trying to find info on what antenna to buy for my 10 watt baofeng that i can put up as high as i can manage and then attach one to my truck as well and be able to talk many farrs with my spouse in the event of an emergency looking to get 100 miles in the ohio area
Can you help?
100 miles on UHF (GMRS) without the use of a repeater, is going to be a stretch from anywhere, even the peak of a mountain top. I'm not saying it's not possible, but, it's probably not possible.
@@TheNotaRubicon gotcha i appreciate the reply love your content to. Were basically trying to have a way to let each other know were ok and where we are at in the event if another AT&T outage but with more violence in the streets happening and i travel all iver the state for work so i can be anywhere from 50 to 100 miles away ive been looking at all the HF UHF and VHF stuff and i just don't understand it all enough to feel confident in buying some potentially overpriced radio and it not work for what i need. Lastly i dont intend to follow any rules with this setup because its an emergency only set up that im going to store away one at my hime and one in my truck and deploy if anything happens
You can't make me leave my basement....You're not my real dad.
Love the broken pencil..
Hey I just got my gmrs license how long dose it take to get your call sign I did everything I was supposed to do and payed the 35 and have not received a call sign yet
I am struggling to understand how this question is related to this video about SWR, which is what everyone here is talking about.
@@TheNotaRubicon it dont retain to the video it was just a general question I watch plenty of your videos I'm not a subscriber I should be in fact I may just go ahead and subscribe I seen the video and just tapped on it and asked a question
The license should only take a couple of business days to show up in the database, You should have created an FRN on the FCC website when you applied for your GMRS license. Try searching the database for your FRN (or your name) and see if you license pops up.
When YT put up ads I can skip I shut off the audio and read something.
What about an Atlantic designed radio, or bi-coastal?
is bi-coastal on the LBGTCoastal+ spectrum?
Well that sucks, this one is for normal people
2:06 It may be cheap and chinese but it is two bladed, red and plastic ... is that how you really a wooden antenna fors wr's though? It won't work anyway because the rubber at the end will prevent grounding. 3:26 You had it perpendicular to the equator and then you moved it, throwing the other antenna was magician's sleight of hand. 4:30 That'll get the grammar sharks frothing :-)
the farsometer 2000!
😊
Forgive my ignorance, why can't the duck antenna swr be measured? And is the duck antenna broad banded enough to transmit on all the frequencies the UV5R is capable of without hurting the radio?
Because a handheld antenna uses the radio, and your head, as the groundplane. When you attache an SWR meter, it throws-off that groundplane making it very difficult to measure how the antenna actually works when you are using it.
There is no broadband antenna that can efficiently transmit on ALL frequencies.. It wont "hurt" the radio (contrary to what "some people" will tell you) but it will not be optimal/you will have a lot of power loss on many frequenices.
@@TheNotaRubicon that's interesting, I've seen lots of 10 meter radios blow final transistors due to bad vswr. Could you tell me which frequencies it works best on?
Were those 10 meter radios modern? The reason I ask is because of this video: czcams.com/video/SdMLCDPc04Y/video.html
and THIS video: czcams.com/video/X3r2K96hsGc/video.html
Which frequencies work best for any given antenna depends on that specific antenna, and the UV-5R ships with several different ones.
@@TheNotaRubicon yes, it's been my experience the modern 10 meter with mosfet finals handle high swr worse than the old 2sc1969 or 2312. Thanks for the link, I'll definitely watch it
Now do NanoVNA's
Damn I got here too early! No pinned stupid comment yet.
My radio squirting RF as if was Peter North
SWRs for sure.