> If Bird is so darn Bad an inaccurate, why has it been the
> gold standard all
> my adult life and still is the one EVERYONE else compares
> themselves to? My
> BS meter is pegging.
> Ed-KV5I
Ed,
RF power is very difficult to measure with great precision.
We all like to think out favorite meter can tell us the
absolute power perfectly but they really can't.
I'm afraid the Powermaster, while I have no reason to
believe it isn't a very good meter with lots of excellent
features, is being surrounded by a few exaggerated claims
while some claims with little meaning are being used to
denigrate the Bird.
For example a two-tone test is being used to qualify or
compare the meters when reading PEP. While the words sound
impressive on the surface and may be technically correct,
they don't really mean anything to nearly all of us. The PEP
we are interested in isn't tested by looking at a two-tone
test. We use voice and CW.
Also we should all remember the 43 is a good "cheap" meter,
but it is far from a golden standard. The digital model is
also a good meter for bench work, but is not a golden
standard.
Frankly I care less if the power is +-5% from a caloric
standard in one or +-3% from an unknown accuracy standard in
the other. I'd care less if they were +-10% in an amateur
environment. I also care less how it reads peak power of a
steady two-tone test. I want something with a long peak hold
and very fast peak response and that monitors antennas for
any short duration faults so I can watch my antennas while
operating. I want to know what is going on with the antenna
and if the amplifier is on or off, I give a rat's behind if
something is a couple percent better or worse of if I can't
heat it with my wife's hairblower while operating.
You can see the Bird we use at:
http://www.w8ji.com/contest_station_w8ji.htm
It's yellow.
73 Tom
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