Agreed
A calibrated S meter could be useful tool in many other ways.
- Measuring field strength and patterns of antennas.
- Reporting on things like BPL and other radiated and conducted
measurements that seem to be a daily threat on HF. Just knowing they close
to S9 plus plus minus 20 db is not a professional way to build an
argument against such pollution in professional circles. Having a
calibrated S meter and adding something a like calibrated loop with a
known antenna factor would make collecting and surveying potential RF
pollution data very easy. While we don't need 0.1 db accuracy 1 db of
accuracy is easily achieved in SDR radios.
http://www.vk1od.net/bpl/QueanbeyanBplTrial2.htm
- Using a good S-meter would also be a reliable way of surveying a
potential new QTH. The data could be used to compare signal noise levels
to the thermal noise floor, or even compare what you are measuring to the
surveyed ITU noise levels on HF. It would be nice knowing that your
potential new QTH is in a QRM silent location. It would also be good
comparing noise floors amongst hams for various locations.
- It would also be useful knowing how accurate and reliable propagation
programs are on a daily basis since they do predict signal levels. This
might come in handy if one wanted to build a DSP based DF system which
relies on ionospheric data.
- As a general level meter around the shack, it could even be used as an
accurate power meter.
So to me a well calibrated S-meter can take the place of many expensive
instruments that most hams dont have access to on a daily basis. It is a
very useful tool. When we use some sort of absolute reference our
understanding of what we are measuring on a daily basis increases our
understanding of what we are doing in our hobby.
While we on this subject if further work is carried out on the K3's
s-meter you might as well follow the IARU's recommendation for S-meters
and make it quasi peak in nature.
Besides these days, with the competition increasing in the new radio
market with radios like the Perseus, ADAT and the newly released cheap
Flexradio models, all which offer a very accurate S-meters as a feature.
It would do no harm to the K3's reputation having a feature that some
consider desirable, that's marketing not rocket science.
73
Craig
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