[Elecraft] Re: K3: S-meter calibration (redux)

[wayne burdick]

Brian Lloyd wrote:

> ....being able to change the S-meter slope and intercept strikes me as 
> being a bad option. To me that is like changing the calibration of a 
> voltmeter or wattmeter because you like the needle pointer to move 
> differently.

I'd agree with you if there were a single world-wide standard for S-9, 
and no need to compensate for slight differences in receive gain from 
one unit to the next. But reality is that S-meters usually require both 
scale and offset calibration.

This is also more flexible. As I mentioned earlier, I set my S-meters 
up for 4 dB per S-unit. Here's why: I like a greater degree of 
sensitivity in the S-meter so I can see the effects of things like 
preamp on/off, filter changes, notch, NR, etc. It also makes band-pass 
filters easier to tweak when there isn't a scope or AF voltmeter handy, 
and you can more readily see the effect of an improved antenna during 
A/B testing.

If hams wanted to be precise in assessing signal levels, we'd report 
them in dBm and do a lot of averaging. But for most operators this is a 
hobby, not a job  :)

73,
Wayne
N6KR

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