Antenna system matching can be analyzed by determining the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR). Which of the following is the best test procedure to measure the SWR of a marine VHF antenna system?
• Standing Wave Ratio (SWR) and what it actually measures in an antenna system • Correct placement of an SWR meter in relation to the radio and antenna/coax line • Proper on-air operating practice when testing equipment (channel selection and avoiding interference)
• Where must an SWR meter be physically located so it can see both the forward and reflected power in the system? • When checking SWR, do you want a real antenna connected, no antenna connected, or an artificial/“dummy” load, and why? • Is it good practice to key the radio on a busy/distress channel or to transmit a long test call to another station just to read SWR?
• Verify that the test setup includes an actual SWR meter, not just a simple RF power meter • Confirm that the antenna (or proper load) is connected when checking SWR; an open or disconnected line is unsafe and gives meaningless results • Check that the procedure uses an appropriate, unused working channel, avoiding channel 16 and unnecessary radio checks just for testing SWR
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