Why is my SWR different on different SWR meters

Mike-VA3MW

AKA - The SWR Meter on my Radio is wrong

This is a common question I see a lot. And, it is a good one.

The SWR / Power Meter is an actual standalone device in the radio and calibrated to bench standards. However, there are times that your SWR meter in SmartSDR will show something different than your external SWR / Power meter.

It is best explained in this article by the ARRL. They do a great job at it.

https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/q1106037.pdf

Brock

This is easily the best (i.e., understandable) explanation of SWR I've seen, so thanks for posting. The Smith Chart on my NanoVNA is now less theoretical and more practical too.

tomhank

Standing Wave Ratio is a shortened form of SWR. A gadget that measures the broadcast signal from a radio is an SWR meter, to put it simply. In order to have the best signal possible and to improve the antenna, this is crucial. By doing this, you can ensure the highest possible quality while avoiding radio damage.
You can find more infor here: https://windupradio.com/swr-meters/