The light-bulb dummy load has been used with HF transceivers from way back in the old days (and sometimes more recently). These “dummy loads” tended to radiate a bit and can actually be used as a (poor) antenna. A few years ago, the Lightbulb QSO Party promoted the use of light bulbs as antennas during their event.
I wanted to find out if I could do the same thing with a 5W handheld transceiver, so I scavenged a bulb from an old string of Christmas tree lights and hooked it up to my Yaesu FT-60. This video shows what happened next.
After I made the video, I checked the specs on the FT-60 and found that the transmit power settings are: 5.0 W (High) / 2.0 W (Middle) / 0.5 W (Low). In the video, I said the middle setting was one half watt, which is incorrect.
I checked the SWR on the light bulb and found it to be 2.7. I was not worried about damaging the handheld radio because they are designed to work into crummy antennas such as the standard rubber duck.
I hope you enjoyed this fun experiment. Sorry about the amateurish video quality…I just shot it with my iPhone and did some simple editing.
73 Bob K0NR
I read your blog with interest, when I was shipping in the Merchant Fleet as Mate, we had a Radio Officer that always used a 75 watt light buly as a test dummy load. the brighter the light the more power was emmited after tuning the transmitter. I watched him; and we had much conversation.
I just wanted you to know….alsirois/N1MHC/NNA1AS
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