Jeff,
The dip meter is a very versatile instrument, with very many uses.
I own several makes, and use them regularly.
Some of the applications are:
1) Receiver adjustments
2) Transmitter adjustments
3) Shunt and series trap adjustments
4) Measuring the Q of a tuned circuit
5) Finding an unknown capacitance value
6) Finding the inductance of RF coils
7) Finding the inductance of toroid coils
8) Checking for parasitic oscillations
9) Neutralization of tube circuits
10) Use as a relative filed strength meter
11) Adjusting antennas
As someone already mentioned, they are very good for tuning 160m antennas
when strong AM broadcasters are in the vicinity. The MFJ antenna analyzers
don't work well in that situation.
When I build a new regen receiver, or a new xtal receiver, I used the dip
meter to trim the number of windings on the homebrew coils to the required
frequency.
Dip meters are a lot of fun, and understanding their use can really further
your enjoyment of the hobby.
To get specific information on how exactly to accomplish all of the
applications I have listed above, you can download the Heathkit Solid State
Dip Meter Manual, Model HD-1250 from:
<http://bama.sbc.edu/heath.htm>
73,
CW - AI4MI
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