SWR and Power Meter Review: Is It Worth Your Money?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- In this video, we dive into a comprehensive review of the CQV-SWR-508 SWR and Power Meter to help you determine if it's worth investing your money in. We will cover its features, performance, accuracy, and overall value to help you make an informed decision before making a purchase. Watch till the end to find out if this SWR and Power Meter is the right choice for your needs. Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more reviews and tech-related content!
Note: This meter was sent to me free of charge from Banggood.com in exchange for this video review.
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Lots of features for the price. It is nice to be able to see all the measurements on one screen. Thanks for the review!
Hey SF, and it’s easy to read!
You do a great job reviewing these things Ape keep up the good work bud.
Thanks Steve, glad you like the videos 👍
Perfect video my friend👍 Clear, concise, and flows like hot solder!
Biggest issue I have is the website shows 4-6wk shipping to FL. I’m too ADD and fear something new will be invented before I even get it.
Hey Tom, glad you liked the video. Did you have the Canadian warehouse selected?
@@TheSmokinApe it says CN China ?
@@HowToHam_Tom maybe that’s all they have available
Now you did it.....an excellent test measuring loss of an inline component....now EVERYBODY on the Tube is going to do the same thing. 🙂 Great data, Ape!
You know they will. Thanks for watching Todd, hope you are well 👍
@@TheSmokinApeNot as good as you do tho…
@@HowToHam_Tom thanks Tom 🙏
Another shiny object I'm drawn to. If my wife find this in the shack, I'm blaming it on you.
I really hope I progress in this hobby to have your understanding of what needs to be tested, and how to do it. Demonstrating SWR is what we all would have expected to see; but then testing loss, that's a next level of what we need to know.
Bob! You know I like to test the stuff, thanks for watching 👍
Great review, thanks for all the time you spent on this. I am new to radio and this might be the meter for me.
Glad it was helpful!
For those wondering how long it takes to get shipped, I ordered it Aug 18 around noon with the link from this page and paid for expedited shipping. Total was $148.76 U.S shipped to Illinois. I received it 5 days later 23rd before 9:00AM. Not bad from China. I was originally mad because the tracking is all screwed up and takes a long time to update. The morning it was delivered it still showed in China. I apologize for venting about it before. Won't have a chance to test the noise problem until I get my SDR antenna prob next week.Seems working OK but don't have an expensive reference to compare it to for accuracy.
@@RogerBrenon glad you got it after reading the last post. I can tell you mine has none of the noise problems reported by the one user who did, I charge mine and run it from the internal battery all the time with zero noise problems. I will say at higher power levels the watts reading is a bit off but the SWR reading seems accurate 👍
@@TheSmokinApe He shows it pretty good here also .... th-cam.com/video/W03w-dh7qgY/w-d-xo.html&lc=UgzwuuDHacqlfKAv47N4AaABAg.A6ypEcf-UNGA7Mthr71-9h
I saw, I’m wonder if it’s from whatever is being used to charge it 🤔
Thank you for the great review I have been looking at this type of meter MFJ and Gigabyte. Hopefully you saved me a $100.00. Ordered one today and coming from China on pre-order. Hopefully it will be here in a few weeks. That will give some time to put my DX commander back together. The landscaper weedwacked some of my elements.
Thanks for watching MD, hope you like it 👍
Nice. I just wish it did VHF/UHF. But for the price, that's still pretty sweet.
I was bummed it didn’t have VHF and UHF but I’ll use this one the 7300 so I’m good 👍
Pretty cool little box. You might have mentioned it and I didn’t catch it…what frequency range does it operate in? Sorry if you mentioned it but I probably didn’t pay close enough attention. Thanks!!
1.8-54Mhz
JoeBrett ain’t lying
I have been using it for a couple of weeks now. no complaints. But i do suspect some inaccuracy the more power you put in to it. My 991A on 90W@7.2mhz shows 81Wmax on the meter. On 14.2Mhz it shows the same power as the 991a display.
Thanks for the info Anthony 👍
FWD and SWR changes to Chinese characters on mine when i go over 125 watts. It will also turn off all the time if it only runs on battery when i go over 125 watts. So the charger must be plugged in to work properly.
I wanted to return it for a replacement but Bangood said no and told me to se if it could be repaird in a local store.
I will try to change the battery to see if it stops turning off.
Its the first and last item i will ever bye from Bangood, to bad customers service.
Wow, sorry to hear that, I’ll let the rep I work with know your story.
Andy Keir of you tube showed a video of this meter hooked up to a 7610, and it made Alot of noise
on the spectrum scope..
I've seen his video and that's unfortunate. I've used this meter a few times with no problems, but I was never charging the unit while operating. I just did a test with the meter being charged and I got no noticeable noise on; 10; 20, 40 and 80.
Son, that is some fancy kit there! FWIW - I hate you, because now I want one. Seriously, thanks for the excellent review.
It will be promoted into service tomorrow 😀
I like the inconvenience of my BIRD 43.
Nice review Ape!
I wouldn’t mind a Brid 43! Thanks for watching Adam 👍
@@TheSmokinApe Always!
@@AdamSWL 🍻
First, I'm a new ham...still learning. This video got me to order one of these SWR meters. I do have a question though. I have a DX Commander Classic+80 Antenna. Xeigu XPA125B Amp with integrated tuner and an IC-705 transceiver. I placed this SWR/PWR meter between the Amp and Antenna. There are bands I can get my Tuner to tune up like 30 meters that aren't natively resonant on my antenna. It's an SWR of 8.2 before tuning by the XPA125B and 1.0 to the receiver and 2.2 towards the antenna after tuning. Transmit power shows 73 watts on the Amp. This current data is from the XPA125B display. The XPA125B can handle up to 10:1 mismatch according to the specs (14 ohms to 500 ohms). But the SWR/PWR screams like crazy saying the SWR is 7.9 and putting out 188 watts. Is this a normal response? Is it that the antenna itself is still at 8:1 and thus the reflected power of 73w out combine and become 188w. Is it the thing I've heard that an Antenna Tuner doesn't tune the antenna, it tunes the feed point towards the radio? So, Should I not use 30m due to this? Thank you so much for your videos. I've learned a TON from you!
Hey Joe. The tuner will create what is called a conjugate match on the output of the tuner, this is basically a mirror of the antenna input impedance. The tuner should present a 50 Ω impedance on the tuner input but sometimes it won’t if it can’t fully tune the antenna. You are correct, it really doesn’t tune the antenna it only creates the match. Typically folks run the PWR/SWR meter between the radio and the tuner. Hope that helps 👍
@@TheSmokinApe that helps a ton. Thank you
Meter injects super bad noise onto the signals. Faulty out of the box and I had to return mine.
@@gmdusa some folks have said that, mine however doesn’t, are you sure it wasn’t the USB power source?
Thanks Ape!! One of the best laid out meters I have seen! Its cool to be able to see your efficiency at a glance..I take it that it can't be ran off a power supply? Is it USB only? I would like to be able to run it off a power supply..I would buy one but I just bought a new Diawa a few months back...They will probably sell a lot of these! 73's bro
USB only 👍
@@TheSmokinApe thanks!!
Interesting. 2KW with a usable mod scope and I'll buy one.
Thanks!
Thanks Mark, much appreciated 👍
nice low cost meter. looks great for portable use. much better than them old ones you had to set them with a dial. was imposable to get accurate reading on SSB with them. 73's
Hey Richard, thanks for watching 👍
Really cool meter. I would like to see a 6 month review of this.
I’m gonna put it in service at the shack tomorrow, maybe I will start doing “shack” updates?
@@TheSmokinApe Great...Also a second channel for small things like updates and quick tips.....? I would like to send you a AP-QuickCon to review. KM4ACK has a video on me (it).
😆 And this is when I understood the comment under my last cat shorts video... 🙃
Haha!
I'm new to radio so correct me if I'm wrong. This would work for CB radio at 27mhz?
Should be fine for that 👍
@@TheSmokinApe I appreciate the reply.
Hi Ape, whether the device generates harmonics if it is constantly looped into the antenna cable.
I can’t imagine it would 👍
Such a shame it's only 200w...would have been ideal to sit after the amp.
Agreed, it would have been cooler if it handed more of the watts 👍
Lp-500 will
If you had a 10:1 or 100:1 RF Tap or other device to pick off power at a known ratio, you could use this meter at higher powers, just need mentally convert in your head. Ex : if meter is saying 100W it really 1000W. etc.
I’m not entirely sure how that would work 🤔
What's the wattage max
I think it said 200
@@TheSmokinApe I really wanna try one lol but it's either this or a mfj826b
What is teh accuracy of the power readings? Looking for a meter which is accurate at QRP/QRPp/QRPpp-levels.
I don’t recall testing below 5w
True PEP SSB?
Looks that way, on the bar there is peak and avg
More proof that dummy loads make the best antennas. HiHi. Great display and decent price. Thanks for sharing.
Haha
If I leave this inline on my 50watt base station all of the time would that cause any trouble? Could I still transmit in that situation if the device was powered down? I know, dumb questions. :)
We all ask questions like that, it’s how we learn…. Yes, you can TX into it when off and be fine 👍
I thought about one Buuut I think imma keep my mfj
Nothing wrong with MFJ 👍
It a great meter I us my one ever day
Nice, thanks for letting me know Andy 👍
0:47 Again? :D I am not triggered by sponsored videos, but please don't make me check discord every time I watch your videos :D
lol, sorry man…. My discord is always binging and bonging
Battery powered...uhhh..would have been nice with powered
@@jrgrey2000 you can power or charge with usb c
@TheSmokinApe do you like it better than others...looking for one for my shack.. first time getting HF equipment
Banggood... do they really?
That’s what they say…
Spears over the comlete Band Range in RX , a totaly shame of this Meter !! Trash for the Money
I’m not entirely sure what you are saying BUT I have no problems when I use the meter. I suspect the some are charging them when in use with dirty power supplies, that’s not too hard to imaging, right?
I'm triggered
Haha, it happens 🐈
Good video . I have bought a cqv-swr 508 and it works perfectly, I like this meter 😆 LA2VLA 73
Nice 👍