On a sunny day (Thu, 11 May 2006 06:22:44 -0600) it happened "prairie farm"
wrote in :

The swr meter has a calibration switch,(turn type) FWD/REF switch
and a FWD/REF switch.and a gauge that runs from 1 to 10 red-zone starts at
3 any idea how that should work?

Set to FWD
Turn on tranmitter
adjust for 100% on the meter
Set to REF (reflected)
now the meter indicated the reflected power.
'3' in your case is about 25%!!!!
Your transmitter gets this extra power back, it may not be able to handle
that.
So switch off immediatly if 3 or higher (red area).
Then adjust antenna, and try again.
Always--- use FWD to recalibrate.

I do have a PAN SWR230, it has a power meter too.
What I did was connect a transistor over the SWR meter, that drives a 3V
beeper and a red LED, like this (use fixed font):

------------------------
| | |
270 [ ] | |
| | |
red \ / O] 3V beeper | +
LED --- | -
| | ---
---- |
/ |
+ 10k |/ - 2x 1.5V AA battery
0--==----| BC547 ---
from | | -
SWR \ |
meter | |
0-------------------------------


So now anytime SWR changes (the old antenna used to behave bad in storms
and rains, the beep will sound, and the LED will come on.
There is no switch, batteries have lasted 4 years in this :-)
When the voltage across the SWR meter becomes 0.7V, the transistor conducts,
and the beeper and LED come on.
So also during calibration (FWD), so that tests the batteries and LED.

I think the R is 10k, but I would have to open it up to check.
Nothing is very critical though.
Been in use now for 8 years!