[Elecraft] Stingy S-meter on the K2?

Sat Mar 9 11:45:01 2002

John:
  Just readjust your s-meter settings to get the meter to say what you want 
it to.  Please realize, however, that s-meter readings are virtually 
completely arbitrary.  They tell almost nothing about absolute signal 
strength, unless you set it with good measuring equipment to give a 
specific reading for a known signal strength -- and then the reading will 
only be good for a relatively narrow ranges of frequencies on a single 
band.  Elsewhere the readings will again be arbitrary.  The JA gear tends 
to juice up their s-meter readings, I suspect because they know the 
applicance ops love it that way.  But it's kind of like shoe and dress 
manufacuturers who simply put smaller sizes on their products to make the 
ladies feel better.

  For most operation, you will be far better off if you just forget the 
s-meter is there.  Signal reports are designed and intended to be 
subjective, and that's really the best way to generate them.  I worked an 
OM3 last night who had a really respectable signal, unusually so for the 
circumstances, clearly what one would call s-7. But the s-meter was giving 
him an s-5.  He was not s-5.

  About the only time I crank up the rf gain full to get an s-meter reading 
is when someone is asking if I could do an antenna test for them.  The 
s-meter is definitely a help in providing relative signal strengths at a 
particular qrg, at a particular time, with a particular noise level, etc.

best wishes,

dave belsley, w1euy

--On Saturday, March 9, 2002 11:13 AM -0500 [email protected] wrote:

>
> Greetings fellow Elecract builders.  K2 #2490 is now receiving on 40m.  I
> have completed the rig up to Assembly, Part III.  The rig does RX on 40m
> and all tests completed properly.  The only think that concerns me is that
> I can't seem to get an S-meter reading beyond S9 +20.(8 LEDs lit).  This
> is with 100w CW at 7100.00 into a dummy load within 2ft of the K2.  I have
> run the CAL for the S-Meter.  This wouldn't be much of a concern if every
> other HF receiver I have didn't give a full scale s-meter indication with
> only 5w into the dummy load.  (5-w into the dummy load gives S9 +10, 7
> LEDs lit) on the K2.
>
> I did the s-meter calibration per the manual.  I realize that the radio
> isn't complete yet but I wonder if I have something out of alignment
> before I continue.
>
> Thanks,
>
> John - KC4KGU
>
>
>
>
>
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----------------------------
David A. Belsley
Professor of Economics