SafetyLighting said:
So how would I adjust the SWR on a XTL2500 P25?
If you are not a radio tech, there are still a couple of things you can do.
First, get yourself an
SWR meter that will handle both
VHF (144-174 MHz roughly) and
UHF (430-470 Mhz roughly). There are some inexpensive ones on the market that will tell you if you have a problem or not. This one is on Ebay for $25 plus shipping. It's not a great one, but it will tell you if you have a problem or not. If you want to spend more $$, they sky is the limit. If you want to make the investment, get a Bird with the right elements.
Second, if you're regularly installing P25 or other non-analog radios, you may find it worthwhile to cut a deal with a tech to have your installs checked before they go out the door. The
SWR on them is not as simple as analog, and the problems may be greater. Factor the cost into your quotes, and make sure your customers understand how important and valuable to them this check can be. Make it a selling point.
Food for thought... In my career employment, we ended up having a
UHF analog two-way voice radio and an 800 Mhz data radio for the MDT's in every police car in the county. The county took care of all the tech stuff; they have a department with lots of techs and super facilities. Anyway, the 800Mhz radios were performing poorly. They finally figured out that precise placement of both the antennas really mattered. My point is that upfitters who are not radio techs may not be aware of some of these things. Collaborating with a radio tech might just be a very wise decision.