The commercial CW operators used a 1-5 scale too: QSA1 to QSA5. It's much more practical than trying to read or guess the nine steps of "S" units, yet plenty accurate enough to clearly tell the other station how good his/her signal is coming in.
It's fun to watch an S-meter wave back and forth (I prefer the wiggly-needle d'Arsonval meters) and it helps to see what the AGC is hiding as the levels change, but I'm astonished anyone would try to use one for anything more than a very general relative level indication. With the AGC off the meter is unnecessary since one can then hear the changes and differences in signal levels. Ron AC7AC -----Original Message----- Don Wilhelm-4 wrote: > > Holding my tongue firmly in my cheek, I suggest that we can give > 'proper' S reports without an S-meter at all. > S-3 - I can barely hear you > S-5 - You have a weak, but copyable signal > S-7 - Good copy, but not the strongest signal > S-9 - armchair copy > S-9+ - you are really booming in here. > > For contests, there is no problem, everyone is 599 or 59 anyway unless > it is a QRP contest where S-7 is the norm. > > 73, > Don W3FPR > > > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > > ----- Dan AB3EN -- View this message in context: http://n2.nabble.com/K3-S-Meter-and-Noise-tp3766928p3771774.html Sent from the Elecraft mailing list archive at Nabble.com. ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
