Comet CMX-200
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| Frequency | 1.8-200 MHz (HF through 2 m) |
| Bands | HF (1.8-30 MHz), 6m, 2m, 1.8-200 MHz |
| Power | A cross-needle SWR/power meter, not a transmitter. Three power ranges (30, 300 and 3000 watts), measurable to 3 kW on HF and 1 kW on VHF, reading forward power, reflected power and SWR at once. Maximum continuous power is about 2 kW from 1.8-30 MHz and about 800 W above 50 MHz; about 6 watts is the minimum for an SWR reading. |
| Modes | SWR/power measurement (cross-needle: forward, reflected, VSWR) |
| Weight | 630 g (22.2 oz) |
| rf in | SO-239 (M-type), from the transceiver |
| antenna | SO-239 (M-type), to the antenna or dummy load |
| dc in | 11-15 V DC (center-pin positive, about 250 mA) for the meter illumination only; never exceed 15 V |
| power req | No external power is needed for measurement; an 11-15 V DC input (center-pin positive, about 250 mA) powers the illumination only. Do not exceed 15 V. |
A clear cross-needle meter that shows forward power, reflected power and SWR together across a wide 1.8-200 MHz range, so it covers HF through 2 m in one box. It handles up to 3 kW on HF, has a genuine low-loss sensor (0.2 dB insertion loss), reads average or PEP, and works without external power (the 11-15 V input only lights the scale). It uses standard SO-239 connectors in a solid metal case.
The minimum power for a reliable SWR reading is about 6 watts, so it is not ideal for QRP. Accuracy is the usual plus or minus 10 percent of full scale rather than lab-grade, the 3 kW scale is coarse for low-power work, and continuous power above 50 MHz is limited to about 800 watts. The DC illumination input must never exceed 15 volts.
The Comet CMX-200 is a wide-range cross-needle SWR and power meter for 1.8-200 MHz, covering HF through 2 meters with simultaneous forward, reflected and SWR readings, average-or-PEP switching, a low-loss sensor and up to 3 kW capability. It suits an HF and VHF station that wants at-a-glance SWR on a single instrument; QRP operators need a lower-power meter, and VHF/UHF-only users may prefer the 140-525 MHz CMX-400.
The Comet CMX-200 is a cross-needle SWR and power meter that covers a wide 1.8 to 200 MHz, spanning HF through the 2 meter band. A cross-needle meter shows forward power and reflected power on two crossed needles at once, and the point where they cross reads SWR directly, so there is no calibrate-and-switch step. It is a pass-through instrument that sits in the feedline between the radio and antenna.
It offers three power ranges (30, 300 and 3000 watts), reading to 3 kW on HF and 1 kW on VHF, and can show average or PEP power. Inside is a genuine low-loss sensor, with insertion loss of 0.2 dB or less and a residual VSWR of 1.2 or less, on a 50-ohm line. About 6 watts is the minimum for a usable SWR reading, accuracy is roughly ten percent of full scale, and maximum continuous power is about 2 kW on the lower HF bands and around 800 watts above 50 MHz. The meter measures without power; an 11-to-15-volt DC input lights the scale only, and the manual warns never to exceed 15 volts.
Connections are standard SO-239 (M-type) sockets on both the transceiver and antenna sides. The case is a compact metal box of about 120 by 80 by 105 millimeters weighing around 630 grams. If an antenna tuner is used, the manual notes the meter should sit between the transceiver and the tuner.
It is a wide-range alternative to single-band meters. The cross-needle Daiwa CN-801 is a close peer, and Diamond's dual-sensor SX-600 covers HF and VHF/UHF with two separate sensors rather than one wideband sensor.