A couple weeks ago someone put up a message concerning a talking swr meter being
made by Reny Simard in Canada.  I ordered one of these with both the hf and vhf
modules and wanted to comment on it.  The total cost including shipping was $185
U.S.

The meter itself has no visual display.  It is a metal box with antenna and
transmitter connections on the ends.  It measures about 2 and 3/4 inches long, 2
and a quarter inches wide and 1 and 7/8 inches high.  There is also an eighteen
inch long cable coming from the center of the box.  This cable connects to the
speech synthesizer.  This is how both the hf and vhf modules look.  The tx side
239 connecter is slightly flattened on ine side so you can determine which side
to attach which cable on.  The speech synthesizer box looks a lot like an old
Echo Crick or Echo PC speech synthesizer.  It is six inches long, about 3 and
3/4 wide and about 1 and 7/8 high.  It has an ac adapter that plugs in  to the
back along with the thin cable from the meter.  There is also a hole to use a
screw driver to adjust the volume on the back.  The front sports a power button
and a small light to indicate when power is on.  The hf module covers 1.8-30 mHz
and the vhf 30-200 mHz.  It can be used with powers of up to 500w but is
suggested to be used in the 50-120w range.  The voice has a definite French
accent but is clear.  Swr is announced to a single decimal place (1.3, 4.6, 2.5,
etc.) up to ten.  At ten or higher the unit simply beeps.  I have found it to be
accurate and great for me as a total.  Now I can finally do some antenna
experimenting without fear of damaging my rig.

Be aware that a connecting cable is not supplied with the meter.  An eighteen
inch cable is suggested.  I suspect Reny would make one up on request.

The meter modules are metal and the synthesizer box is plastic.

Reny tells me that he is planning to manufacture a uhf module for the meter.
Once you have the synthesizer box all modules fit that box so buying additional
modules is all that is required.  The cost breaks out as $99 for the synthesizer
and $38 for each module with each ordering costing $10 for shipping.

I very highly recommend this unit.  If you turn it on and make changes while
transmitting it will continually provide swr readings without the need for
pressing any buttons.  To shut it up, either stop transmitting or turn it off.

The voice of the unit is male.

Ok, I'm just jotting notes as I think of them.  Sorry this is so disjointed.
I've been up for about 36 hours working on anthropology interview transcripts.
Time to crash <g>.

Tom


Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP
web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html