On 18 Dec 2006 10:39:54 -0800, Wes wrote in .com:

Mike Andrews wrote:
Some friends and I have been looking into making antennas for 70 cm.
and higher frequencies, but we don't have an MFJ-269; my MFJ-259 tops
out at 175 MHz. I _do_, however, have an SWR meter that supposedly
works up to 500 MHz( and maybe higher), and an HP 8640B that is good
to about 1.2 GHz.

If the SWR meter is sensitive enough, could I get at least ballpark
SWR values using the 8640B as a source, running the signal through
the SWR meter to the antenna? Or am I way off in left field?

What kind of "SWR meter" are you talking about? The '8640 may or may
not have enough power to be suitable.

A fairly el-cheapo no-name, but appearently good-enough on 2m and from
420 to 450 MHz. I haven't fiddled with it to see how much drive power
is required.

I suppose I can get a couple of RF amplitude measuring chips and make
the critter active instead of passive, if necessary. The 8640, IIRC,
is good for +20 dBm (3V) into 50 Ohms, or a lusty 180 mW flat-out, but
the finals on the 8640 are unobtainium and so I'm minded to stay well
below that -- and even lower outside the ham bands.

--
Mike Andrews, W5EGO

Tired old sysadmin