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Reviews For: Bird 43

Category: SWR & Wattmeters & Dummy Loads

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Review Summary For : Bird 43
Reviews: 52MSRP: 265.00
Description:
RF power meter
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.bird-electronic.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
00524.4
WA7SCH Rating: 2005-06-05
Essential Tool Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought mine several years ago and have several HF and VHF slugs for it. As I've moved my station along this is one piece of equipment that has always stayed.

I looked at some of the "new" gadgets and This still does what I need it too. My Bird, I guess I'll keep it.
K8LEA Rating: 2004-12-25
Superb Time Owned: more than 12 months.

Many years ago, when the wife and I had little spare money, we went to the Warren Amateur Radio Association Hamfest.

I bought a very second-hand 2M transceiver (whole thread there) for the $75 we could spare, and didn't tell the wife that it would take $100 worth of crystals to actually use the thing.

Being broke, we left....

Next morning I got a call from a friend of mine. I'd won a Bird 43 in the "door prize" drawing. That was great news - they were $100-$125 at the time. Then my buddy told me that they weren't supplying a slug because they decided that the winner would have a preference and....

Explaining to the wife that I'd won a nice prize that would need $40 to actually use was interesting....

That was somewhere between 1975 and 1979.... The 43 is still here, and has been used extensively since I got it. Not to mention loaned out to deserving and trustworthy friends from time to time.

Only one problem - the connectors inside the Bird got munged somewhere along the line, and getting it working took some detective work.

I wouldn't call it indestructable, but close.

I just wish they'd print that VSWR chart on the back [grin]. Good thing I never brag about that sort of thing anymore. I'd like the "sampling" jack, too, but it's not a necessity.

For the guy who doesn't like the packaging - it's not supposed to be a desktop tool. I _think_ you can re-box the thing into a panel if you want to. Seems to me I saw that someplace a long time ago.

(I loaned a cheap frequency counter to a friend once. He managed to put it across an HF transmitter's output. Sure smelled funny when I got it back.... A little resistor gave it's life for it, though - nbd to fix. He didn't get the Bird [grin].)

Stu K8LEA
W4NBO Rating: 2004-12-25
Always wanted one Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I always wanted one of these since I saw my Elmer using one of these many years ago. I bought one off Ebay about a year ago. No you can't have it back !
KC2CT Rating: 2004-08-17
The LAST wattmeter you'll buy Time Owned: more than 12 months.
After playing around with "high-tech" looking wattmeters, 28 years ago, I decided on a Bird 43. I still have the same meter. I've since collected a number of elements, carry cases, connectors and installed the peak reading kit. The meter is beautiful in all its ugliness!

Local hams bring their wattmeters to me so I may calibrate them and you would not believe at how far out of calibration some of these meters are!

The Bird 43 was not the first wattmeter I've owned, but it certainly is the last.

73
N7KZZ Rating: 2004-08-17
Fine meter and a bargain at used prices Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Nearly all of the local microwave enthusiasts use the Bird 43 with a 50E element so when I decided to try 1296 MHz it was clearly time to shop for a Bird. Fortunately, a referance to www.NM3E.com showed up on the moon-net reflector just as I started shopping. This site has a great selection of meters at good prices as well as a good selection of slugs and other accesories. The meter that I bought looks fine, works great and came in the best foam packing system that I have seen. The meter lives up to the Bird reputation, wish I had done this years ago.
KC5UN Rating: 2004-04-30
Should be standard in every shack Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Absolutely solid piece of test gear. Mine has worked perfectly for 21 years. Installed the peak-reading kit 6 or 7 years ago. (Only complaint with the kit is that it eats batteries if you forget and leave it turned on.) Do wish they made low power HF slugs.
W5ZZQ Rating: 2004-04-30
Great meter Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have been using a 43 for years without any problems at all. If you want a meter that is accurate and dependable - pick one up. You won't be sorry........
K3GM Rating: 2004-04-30
Tool for a lifetime Time Owned: more than 12 months.
If you get a Bird, it's the last wattmeter you'll ever own. It's a standard...like a Simpson 260 VOM. Every bench should not be without one. My only comment is I wish they made low power HF slugs.
SSBDX Rating: 2004-02-12
One of the best. Time Owned: more than 12 months.
This meter is a percision instrument that holds its accuracy. Its good to about 5% overall on an average reading.

The only complaint about this meter is that it makes a lousy desktop accessory. If Bird repackaged this meter so it had a lower profile with back connectors, it would be a little more convenient to use like the cheap ham manufacturer's meters.

Overall, its a good lifetime investment. It will outlive 5 cheapies.
KB1FZA Rating: 2004-02-12
Outstanding wattmeter! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Bird 43 is extremly good wattmeter!
I've owned other brands of whattmeters and i was never sure how accurate were my measurements.
Bird 43 turned out to be the answer to these worries.
The whattmeter is on the expensive side and when you add the needed slug collection becomes even more expensive, but it is absolutly worth every penny if you want an accurate and reliable unit.
The measurements are always consistent and accurate - well within the 5% specified accuaracy. The slugs are overlapping in frequency range and cover huge portion of spectrum at different power levels. The overlapping gives you the added benefit of making some measurements with two different slugs (on frequencies close to the band edge of each slug).The connectors are changeable (called QC (quick change)) and are avialble in N Type, UHF, BNC, TNC, etc.
I have built a peak-measurement circuit for measurements in SSB mode. It took me few hours and about $20 in parts (compared to the original Bird Add-in which goes for almost $200 and its not that different from mine)
I think it's not going to be too bold statement if i say that my version of the circuit is slightly more accurate then the Bird's, with lower power consumtion (and longer battery life) and ability to adjust the peak-hold time. It fits perfectly inside the unit.
If one needs accurate, lab grade equipment (and doesnt mind the price) - that's the way to go!