Why are my SWR meter results so [good / bad]?

TL;DR

Before you celebrate or panic over your SWR readings, test the antenna in a real-world situation. The SWR you measure on a meter is not necessarily the SWR you’ll get during normal use.

Understanding SWR Readings

The Super-Elastic Signal Stick™ is a 1/4 wave design for 2 meters, which also happens to function as 3/4 wavelength on 70cm. This makes it a monopole antenna, or in other words, half of a dipole. The other half of the dipole is formed by your radio’s chassis and whatever happens to be around it—meaning your actual SWR will constantly change based on your environment and usage. This variability is typical with nearly all HT antennas, including rubber duck antennas, which are also monopoles with added coils to adjust electrical length.

Tue, Sep 17, 2024