Radio’s Effect on SWR ( Standard Wave Radio)

When it comes to standing wave ratio (SWR) it is not necessarily 100% reliable as an account of how your radio is functioning. It can be affected by anything and everything, from the stud mount to the spare tire carrier on a car. In this article, we’ll take a deeper dive on the radio system’s relationship with SWR and how you can look at multiple factors to see if there is a problem.  

Once the SWR meter is installed or activated, the radio serves only really as a battery to the meter. When set in “calibration” or “forward” mode, the antenna system is independent from the radio itself. The calibration knob can then be adjusted to move the meter needle to calibrate it on the face. This step is needed to begin making comparisons between channels.   

If the antenna is perfectly tuned, mount is correctly installed, and everything else is aligned, the antenna will absorb everything outputted from the radio and the SWR will read 1:1. However most of the time it will not be perfect and that’s ok, as long as the SWR is 2.0:1 or below that is good. Below 3.0:1 is necessary.  

We hope you found this information helpful in understanding radio’s effect of SWR. At CB Radio Supply, we are here for all your radio needs and offer a wide range of customer service! Our free domestic US shipping and hassle-free returns is our guarantee you’ll be satisfied with your choices. Give us a call to speak with our expert staff today!